Sulphur candles and garlic candles for pests

[unclefudgly]

Just drying the dahlias for storage in the smaller greenhouse 6x8 which will be the first one I will try the candles on.

I'm doing my candles same way as in this video on youtube, no need for wax

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37kA2VUxU6Q

[unclefudgly]

Finally got round to fumigating the small greenhouse over the xmas holiday. Don't think I sealed the greenhouse as well as I could have, so didn't get a thick fog of gas, but hopefully it worked.

[goosander]

Stopped using them and just power washed the greenhouse. All the nooks and we bits you can not get into were done as best as possible. Still got pests next season. Used 2 sulphur candles before I washed it down this winter and all the algae was gone as well. Great.
Tried Vitex sulphur candles and they were a waste of money. Got the good ones and never look back.
Bob.

[quanglewangle]

Finally got round to fumigating the small greenhouse over the xmas holiday. Don't think I sealed the greenhouse as well as I could have, so didn't get a thick fog of gas, but hopefully it worked.

Getting a fog depends on temperature and humidity - you may not get any fog at all under some conditions but the gas will still be there. Sulphur dioxide itself (the gas from burning sulphur) is colorless.

Also, sulphur burns with a flame that is almost invisible in daylight. I do my candle burning at night so I can check the flame is really there.

[It never rains..it pours]

Just drying the dahlias for storage in the smaller greenhouse 6x8 which will be the first one I will try the candles on.

I'm doing my candles same way as in this video on youtube, no need for wax

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37kA2VUxU6Q

Thank you unclefudly imagine white spirit will be ok for the wick

[unclefudgly]

I used some old Paraffin, not sure about white spirit.

[Python15]

I've only had my greenhouse for 8 months and was going to set off a garlic candle but wondered if I should wash down the glass first. I'm somewhat heavy handed and a little afraid of pushing a pane of glass out when I dry them off. Any advice please?

[quanglewangle]

I've only had my greenhouse for 8 months and was going to set off a garlic candle but wondered if I should wash down the glass first. I'm somewhat heavy handed and a little afraid of pushing a pane of glass out when I dry them off. Any advice please?

I wouldn't bother with garlic candles:the problem isn't vampires. Sulphur candles are the time honoured remedy, but they are really awful and sulphur dioxide must not be breathed in. Clean the glass with a soft floor brush and eg Flash detergent. A squeegee is a good way to finish off. Detergent takes a while to soften the grime so dont wash it off too soon.
I measure the light intensity in my greenhouse and I reckon clean glass is worth 5 - 10% Or getting on for a 3/4 hour extra light a day.
.

[quanglewangle]

Sulphur dioxide - extra care needed at present

SO2 (the gas that does the business when burning sulphur) is very bad for the the lungs. Under present circumstances take extra care not to breathe any

[Python15]

Agree about the vampires but garlic candles can be burned with your plants in situ whereas you'd have to empty your green house to burn a sulphur one. Appreciate the tips with the brush and squeegee though, never considered using a soft broom. Like it!

[unclefudgly]

Finally managed to fumigate the large polytunnel the other week. 2 big Sulphur candles, decided to leave everything in there so no chance of accidental addition of more RSM.

Vegetation suffered, so good to see it really works. Fig seemed remarkably unscathed, a few burnt leaves but they didn't fall off

[It never rains..it pours]

I used some old Paraffin, not sure about white spirit.

Thanks Unclefudly, managed to get some paraffin in the end , the homemade pair seemed to work well if smoke is the guage of success

[Babru]

Finally managed to fumigate the large polytunnel the other week. 2 big Sulphur candles, decided to leave everything in there so no chance of accidental addition of more RSM.

Vegetation suffered, so good to see it really works. Fig seemed remarkably unscathed, a few burnt leaves but they didn't fall off

Wow, you're brave! I'm glad your fig is unscathed. I suppose you have more room in a poly, I think all my plants would have died in my 6x8 greenhouse. Tempting though....goodbye whitefly...

[unclefudgly]

More desperate than brave. RSM has been the bane of my allotment for 4 years now, nothing I've tried except Neem oil works, and although Neem does work, it's a pain having to spray all the time, and you can't spray things you will eat.

[toomanytommytoes]

Have you tried biological controls? There are 2 or 3 different types of predatory mite you can use.