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I live in a 3rd floor apartment with a balcony , where I have a patio garden.  For some reason, the water does not drain well out of my pots (all with drainage holes) and now i have a gnat issue . I transferred my plants to a garden plot at church, because Nothing was growing ,and what did grow died not long after.

Luckily the plants that survived are doing better there, however I would like to figure out what is going on so that I can grow things here too. Any help is appreciated 🙏

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Shannon C Selected answer as best July 8, 2020

The gnats are fungus gnats and they feed on fungus that grows in damp soil.  They can also nibble the roots of the plants.  They are an indication that the soil is being kept too moist for too long.  Back off on the water and try too move them under cover so they don’t get drenched and stay wet for long periods after rain.  There are sprays like insecticidal soap that will kill them on contact.  Another tactic is to get some of the yellow stick insect traps and place them among the plants.  They will capture the males, gradually cutting the rate of reproduction.  A thin layer of sand on the surface of the soil will also reduce the numbers but getting the soil to dry out more is crucial.

Shannon C Selected answer as best July 8, 2020

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