How to keep flies off plant?

Sounds like you've got a case of "fungus gnats".

The general solution for these, is to make sure you let the soil dry out between watering. Also, watering from the base of the plant helps - put the pot in a larger container and put the water in that- let it sit for about 10 minutes, and then drain off any extra water. The soil should soak up water through capillary action.

During winter dormancy (is it dormant down there at this time of year?) the plant shouldn't need as much watering as during the summer growing season.

Make sure you don't let the plant sit in the water too long, and drain all the excess off - very few potted plants like "wet feet", and can end up getting root-rot.

To help take care of the excess gnats you have right now, you can create a trap. Put some vinegar and water in a small dish, and add a little bit of dish detergent. The vinegar will attract them, and the soap will make the surface tension of the vinegar/water weaker, so that they can't float on top, and will get stuck in it and drown.

Those are gnats and are not hurting your plant(s). They feed on the rotting mulch/leaves/twig at the soil level, not the plant itself.

If they bother you that much, though, make a concentrated tea of garlic (full head) and cloves (whole)- start with a quart of water and reduce it in half at a very low simmer. Let cool, strain, place in a spray bottle, then saturate the plant w/it, undersides of leaves and especially the soil line. It will smell mildly like Indian food, but it clears up quickly.

Soaps and detergents kill bugs they touch. They act strictly as touch pesticides, without residual result. for this reason, it is important to absolutely conceal the plant with spray, fairly under the leaves. Dish detergent needs to be diluted with water to a concentration of two to 3% or can injury flora. different chemical compounds are not very effective against flying pests inclusive of whiteflies. To repel bugs, you will possibly attempt interplanting your mums with what eHow lists because of the fact the main effective anti-pest flora: Citronella Grass, Catnip, Rosemary, Marigolds, Peppermint, Garlic, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Lavender, Artemisia, Basil, Pennyroyal, Rue, and Tansy. you additionally can decide for to place a sticky catch interior sight.

You can try going out to a store and buying the spray that kills bugs, but not the plants.

I think they are available at most Wal-Mart stores, Target, and Home Depot. (look in the gardening section, the one with plants and soil and stuff.)

try chopping some garlic and boiling it then spray the garlic water on the plant