I started with 3 seeds. Two sprouted, 1 died. 1 is growing. I noticed little bugs in the soil. They have spread to the next plant (unknown plant to me). It is giving me the willies. I don't wamt it to die, and I don't want these bugs in my apt. I am in the north east region, relatively new to indoor (or outdoor for that matter) planting.
Find an insecticide for your new plants that is non-harmful to people and pets. Preferably not one that doubles as a weed killer. IF they are little black things that also fly you may have fungus gnats...in which case you want them gone before they spread further yet. I also suggest starting your alvacadoes over a glass of water with 3-4 toothpicks stuck into the sides of the seeds. That way you can see when it sprouts and move it into some nice dirt after it gets a little bigger. This will also reduce the chances of them rotting due to moisture.
What is the status of the soil? Is it potting soil out of a bag? Avocado normally grow in very sandy soil that drains quickly and does not remain soggy. If the soil is wet several inches into the pot you will likely need to give the plants sandy soil. These plants easily grow to 40 or 50 feet in South Florida. For many harmless insects you can just spray the plant with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of Canola oil added to a few drops of dish washing soap from the kitchen and spray the plant well. High humitiy is also important to keep many of the common predators away. If it is really bad and you appear to see scale or insects that are eating leaves (small scaled insects that move slowly) add a teaspoon of Phyrethrin from a farm store to your spray bottle. It is made from plants and as long as you don't ingest it is safe to use. In most cases, a good sandy soil mix will solve the problem.
Yhank you both for your replies. The soil is potting soil from the bag. The soil does seem to hold moisture for a while, so I don't water it every day. The plant is about two feet tall snd there are sproutings poking out along the stem. The insects are very small white things crawling in the soil. I sprayed the soil with alcohol because it was giving me the creepy itchies. It seemed to only be a temporary fix. I sprayed the soil again today. I saw pale yellow balls in the soil about the size is medium sized caviar. I scooped 30 or 40 of them out with a spoon. They were not in clumps or groups. They did have a gelcap quality to them. They may be flying around in here or I just feel like they are because they're bugs.
The alcohol is drying out the plant just as it would dry your skin. Best bet, based on experience in growting these in Florida, is to change all the soil and use a sandy soil mix plus keep the plant in direct sunlight. Keep it damp but not wet. These plants thrive on sunlight in order to make cholorphyll. The chlorophyll produces sugars to feed the plant but the process is fueled by strong light. We had an enormous grover of these plants next to one of our homes in Florida.
Ok I'll stop spraying the soil. The drying leaves have been occurring a while now (months). I only sprayed yesterday and the day before.
