Little black flies on my lavender.... Help please

[Sbelley]

Hello,

a few weeks ago I received a lovely lavender in a pot from my grandfather. It was grown out doors but I live in a condo with much construction and i have to keep it inside now.

It has promptly died (2/3 stalks) and had little black flies active in it.

I don't know how to ID pests and the little buggers are too small to photograph.

I'm worried they will completely kill the plant OR spread around to my other babies.

Any organic suggestions? Also I'm not sure what caused the plant to weaken the indoors or the flies, OR the flies new lack of natural predators...

tips much appreciated,

Sam

[keke]

The combination you mention sounds like fungus gnats to me, from too much water. Lavender likes to be a bit dry, and if it had been living outdoors your grandfather might have been watering it more heavily to compensate for wind, full sun, etc. You'd need to whoa down on the water quite a bit indoors. Put it in your sunniest window (west or south), or if your balcony/patio is sunny, put it out there, construction or no (you can always hose off the dust).

Don't fertilize it, and get it dried down. Hopefully the roots haven't rotted.

Sprinkle cinnamon on the surface of the soil to deter fungus gnats. If you don't overwater you won't spread them to anything else.

cheers
keke

[Sheikea]

If the bugs are too bad you may want to just toss it.I know its sounds rash but consider you don't want your other plants to get them.EEKERS what a mess that would be.You could also try a mild solution of sunlight soap and water.Rinse the plant throughly with the solution drench the soil in it let sit five minutes give or take and then rinse completley letting the soil flush.Hope it helps hun.I love lavender but have never had any luck with mine once i moved it indoors.