Hi there, new gardener here.
I started my organic indoor herb garden about two months ago, using Nature's Care Organic Potting Mix. About two weeks ago, I noticed some tiny white insects crawling around the soil in my chives pot, and after looking for them, I saw they were in my marjoram and basil too (I also have parsley, cilantro, and dill, and they might be in there as well, but those herbs grew so quick and the foliage is a bit too dense for me to really see if the insects are there). I've read that some organic mix can contain soil mites because they eat decaying matter and keep away fungus naturally, so that's what I assumed they were even though I didn't see anything while planting.
But I'm concerned, because they're beginning to crawl onto the plants and leaves, not just in the soil. Though I haven't noticed them causing any damage, obviously I don't want to be worrying about insects when I trim my herbs and cook with them. I also remembered, though I normally water the herbs with a sealed spray bottle, once I did use the outside watering can, and I'm worried there may have been some stagnant water in there that had some eggs or insects in it...maybe?
Unfortunately, I don't have a camera that's capable of capturing an image of these little ones, but this vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyrTJPNfuQM actually shows some bugs that look just like the ones in my plants.
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SammyJean90
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GardeningCook
- Greener Thumb
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- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:35 pm
- Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a
First off, you need to figure out if they're actually "Soil Mites" or "Spider Mites". Soil Mites are harmless, while Spider Mites are not. Both look very similar, but once a serious infestation hits, Spider Mites will start showing webs on your plants.
Here's a description of Soil Mites:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-p ... s-info.htm
Spider Mites:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_mite
I don't worry about Soil Mites, but Spider Mites require immediate attention. I first rinse any infected plants as strongly as possible with plain water & allow to dry, then use Safer brand insecticidal soap on all plant surfaces. Wait & watch & repeat as/if necessary.
Here's a description of Soil Mites:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-p ... s-info.htm
Spider Mites:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_mite
I don't worry about Soil Mites, but Spider Mites require immediate attention. I first rinse any infected plants as strongly as possible with plain water & allow to dry, then use Safer brand insecticidal soap on all plant surfaces. Wait & watch & repeat as/if necessary.