Aloe with gnat problem

[queenoflight]

I have been working on this gnat problem for a while, I have set out garlic cloves in my soil, covered the top with beach sand, and just today sprinkled on top of the sand with cinnamon. I have also been misting with soapy water, which my gardener friend tell me is like an insecticidal soap. My aloe look pretty sad but it seems that the gnats may have left my other two plants (angel wing and prayer plant). My question now is this, if all this doesn't work and I have to introduce nematodes than will they be ok with the top layer of sand on the soil? I am half thinking about repotting but am worried to shock my already sad aloes.

[applestar]

With aloe, single best way to reduce/eliminate fungus gnats is to withhold water. in fact, if you are seeing fungus gnats in aloe soil, you are most likely overwatering it and that more than anything else is the reason it's not doing well. It's also possible the soil is too heavy, but let's start with the watering.

I recommend you also check the aloe for scale insects.

[queenoflight]

no scale insects. I stopped watering when they showed up as a first line of defense but went on vacation for 3 days and left them outside and they did get rained on, but that was a week ago. the numbers I think are down but they are not completely gone yet. I think I accidently brought about the infestation, because I water them with old drinking water from around the house and unintentionally poured a tiny bit of diluted apple juice in one time. I thought at first it was fruit flies but the apple cider vinegar I sat out hasn't really attracted many so it must be fungus gnats. we repotted all the plants with a bag of turf king about a month ago and the problems seem to have come from that.

[queenoflight]

the tips of the aloe are actually drying up in places because I have been watering them so little. the only water they get is a spraying of insecticidal soap.

[rainbowgardener]

I don't know what turf king is, but I have gotten fungus gnats with bags of potting soil at times. But what you are talking about is odd. In general, they really don't survive the drying out of soil. For example, I have never had any trouble with fungus gnats in any of my house plants, because I only water them about every other week, so the soil dries out thoroughly in between waterings. Where I have to be careful about fungus gnats is with all the seeds/seedlings I start indoors, because you can't let them dry out like that or they die; you have to keep their soil moist... so voila, fungus gnats.

[queenoflight]

they are very small and I don't think they are fruit flies because only a few were attracted to the sitting out apple cider vinegar. I can't believe they are still there. they are on top of sand and cinnamon at this point and I spray them with insecticidal soap every day. There seem to be less though now.

[Kisal]

IMO, your aloe should be in cactus/succulent soil. It is less likely to support fungus gnats, because it contains little of the organic material that the fungi grow on. It also drains very quickly, which helps restrict the growth of fungi.

[queenoflight]

ok so if the soil is the problem is there any way to fix it other than going an buying soil and repotting?

[queenoflight]

I used all purpose soil

[Green Mantis]

I would recommend doing as Kisal suggested. It definately should have cactus/succelent soil mixed. All purpose soil is not for cactus unfortunately. Good Luck with your Aloe.