I'm starting this thread in hopes that you will all add your recipes for fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides. If we can keep them together on one thread it will be easier to find.
Home Recipes for Brugs/Dats
Organic Fertilizer
one gallon of water
one tbs of liquid seaweed
one tbs H202
two tbs of agricultural molasses
1/4 tsp of Super Thrive
1 - 2 drops of pure tea tree oil...
In the St. Pete Times:
Dissolve 1 bar Kirk's Castile soap in 1 gal. very hot water and let it sit for one week, stirring daily. Dissolve 1 cup of the liquid in 1 gal. warm water, shake and pour into a spray bottle. Use for bugs and fungus. This will not hurt the good bugs, but will kill aphids, spider mites, mealy bugs and scale, white flies. Spray until the plants drip. You can also use a heavier concentrate, for harder to kill 'stuff'.
Fast , Easy and Effective ...........
Horticultural Oil Recipe
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 C. Soy or Cottonseed oil
1 Tbsp. liquid soap
Shake well to emulsify.
Use: 1 - 1 1/2 tsp. per Cup of Water to ......... spray
@ Below 85 Degrees temp
~and~ DO NOT SPRAY IN FULL MID-DAY SUN ~
Mites,scales,psylia,mealybugs & some caterpillars
................... Edited to add .........
I use this on house and garden plants and in the veggie garden ;-D
This message was edited Jun 21, 2010 7:58 PM
Fungicide
4 TBS of Baking Soda
1 Gallon Water
Water your brugs with this, then treat again the next week. Good to use once a month as a fungicide.
Would these home recipes be good for just about every plant?
I feed my mixture to all my plants both in and out of the house, containers, garden. You name it, they love it. My Christmas cactus even bloomed again last week!
That's what I figured! I already printed your O. Fert. from another thread so I'll just add the others to my new file! :)
Where do you get agricultural molasses?
I buy it from Garden-Ville:
http://www.garden-ville.com/Liquids/Molasses.htm
I don't know if they do mail order...I buy all my stuff from them. Very good, quality products. And a helpful, knowledgeable staff. I would imagine you can find it anywhere that sells organic gardening supplies.
Hope this helps, Mary.
I also use this stuff for my transplants. I dig the hole, sprinkle about a tablespoon in the bottom, place my plant in and firm the soil around it. It really causes them to put out a vigorous, healthy root system quickly. I also use it as a stimulator on my cuttings.
http://www.garden-ville.com/Fertilizers_&_Amendments/Rocket_Fuel.htm
This is a recipe I gleened off the daylily robin for earwigs. I had a lot of trouble with earwigs on my brugs last summer. I might give it a try. I'm a little worried the oil may burn the foliage tho... I'll have to test ir first.
Earwig Spray.
1 gal. water
1/4 cup ivory liquid soap (I now use other brands
too)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
mix and spray into foilage crevices where earwigs are hiding
This one was posted by hummer_nut last year
http://davesgarden.com/t/393003/ I was never able to find the salt peter for it.
Use once a month.
1 gallon tepid water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon household ammonia
1 teaspoon Epsom salt
1 teaspoon saltpeter
Your plants will love you for using this. Use this in addition to your regular fertilizing routine.
While I'm on a role... this one is for a slug spray that I also got off the daylily robin. It would be good for those teeny-weenie slugs.
Slug Spray
1 part household ammonia to 5 parts water...
Spray it directly on the slugs for it to work
Keep 'em coming. This will all be very useful for our members here and so easy to find. Maybe Kyle or Monika will come by and tell us where to find Saltpeter and what it is. Seems like someone said once that you should be able to get it at the pharmacy.
Potassium Nitrate - Salt Peter:
http://www.gregwatson.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Nitrate&PARTNER=google
Guess that's what you're looking for?
Thanks Sue! That was the recipe I remembered! Larry was my first guess.
Hey Gretchen, did you see the address of that place? That isn't too far from here. Probably only about 40 minutes drive. Thanks.
I noticed it was Iowa, but didn't know the proximity to you. Cool!
Wonderful recipies. I need to write these down since I don't use pesticides. Thanks Gretchen and everyone
Mary,
Go to a feed mill/store that mixes grain for farmers and bring a gallon milk jug in one hand and a sweet smile on your face. I'm sure they will pour you a gallon. I don't recall at the moment what they charge me but it could be around 6 to 8 bucks.
Agriculture molasses is sold at Lowe's, salt peter can usually be found at a drug store..(used to sell it anyway)
I don't recall seeing the molasses at our Lowe's here, but I wasn't specifically looking for that. Was it with the fertilizers? I'll have to look again.
Hi All - am a newbie to Dave's and am very excited to find such a great group of gardeners!! I'm also a one-year old Brugmansia fanatic! Have grown hostas for about five years but after discovering brugs I've definitely found a second passion! Anyway - a couple of things that work for me....
Slugs - I always carry a box of salt when I do my morning and evening "walkabouts". Any visible slug is instantly annihilated when sprinkled with salt.
Aphids, earwigs, etc. - when I moved my brugs outside a few weeks ago, somebody yelled loudly - "lunch over here". And in a couple of days the damage was showing. I used a spray of rubbing alcohol and water in a 1:1 ratio with a shot of dish soap and sprayed well - top and underside of leaves and down the trunks. I repeated every few days and no more damage.
Hope this helps someone else!
Kate
Oregon
Kate, you type pretty good for a one year old! :-)
Gotta love me -
finchlady2 -- Welcome to DG! You will love it here! People are very friendly and helpful, and there are folks here with vast knowledge!!! I have learned tons about brugs and others since I became a member... Gretchen
Kate, welcome to the brug forum and thanks so much for posting your recipes. Hope to see you here often and bring pictures if you can. LOL!!
Shirley
How to make your own liquid oxygen and plant "medicine".
Let me know what you all think.
Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is a clear sharp smelling substance very similar in appearance to water (H2O). Like water it is made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen, however H2O2 has an extra Oxygen atom in an unstable arrangement. It is this extra atom that gives H2O2 its useful properties. H2O2 has been used for many purposes including cleaning, bleaching, sterilizing, rocket fuel, animal feed treatment and in addition many miraculous claims about its health benefits have been made. This article isn't about any of these; instead it will concentrate on horticultural applications. H2O2 is of great use for both hydroponics and dirt/soilless gardening.
1. What Does Hydrogen Peroxide do?
H2O2 is an unstable molecule, when it breaks down a single oxygen atom and a molecule of water is released. This oxygen atom is extremely reactive and will attach itself to either another O- atom forming a stable Oxygen molecule or attack a nearby organic molecule. Both the stable and O- forms will increase the level of dissolved oxygen. This is the method by which H2O2 is beneficial. Pretreating the water supply with H2O2 will drive out the Chlorine many cities use to sterilize it. This will also degrade any pesticides or herbicides that might be present as well as any other organic matter. Well water can be high in methane and organic sulfates, both of which H2O2 will remove. Many disease causing organisms and spores are killed by Oxygen, the free Oxygen H2O2 releases is extremely effective at this. H2O2 will help eliminate existing infections and will help prevent future ones. It is also useful for suppressing algae growth. The free Oxygen atom will destroy dead organic material (i.e, leaves roots) in the system preventing them from rotting and spreading diseases.
2.Over Watering
Roots require Oxygen to breathe and low levels are the main cause of almost all root diseases. Both soil and hydroponic plants often fall prey to the same syndrome although it is rarely recognized as what it really is. Hydroponic crops often fail due to "root rot" and soil crops succumb to "over watering." The real cause of both these problems is a shortage of Oxygen at the root zone. In a soil system the soil consists of particles, a film of water on the particles and air spaces between the particles. When too much water is put into the soil the air spaces fill with liquid. The roots will quickly use up what Oxygen is dissolved in the water, if they haven't drunk enough of the liquid to allow air back in to the soil spaces they will stop working. In this situation roots will start dying within twenty-four hours. As the roots die the plants ability to drink water and nutrients will decrease, this will cause symptoms of nutrient deficiencies (mostly pale, slow, weak growth), and strangely they will start to wilt like they don't have enough water. It is easy to make a fatal mistake at this point and add more water.
In a Hydroponic system the cause is a more direct simple lack of oxygen in the solution, this may be from inadequate circulation and/or aeration. High reservoir temperatures also interfere with Oxygen's ability to dissolve in the water. Temperatures above 70F (20C) will eventually cause problems, 62F-65F (16C-18C) is recommended. The same symptoms will appear as with soil plants but you can also check the roots. Healthy roots should be mostly white with maybe a slight yellowish tan tinge. If they are a brownish colour with dead tips or they easily pull away there is at least the beginnings of a serious problem. An organic dirtlike rotting smell means there is already a very good chance it is too late. As roots die and rot they eat Oxygen out of the water, as Oxygen levels are even further depleted more roots die, a viscius circle may be well under way. Reduced Oxygen levels and high temperatures both encourage anaerobic bacteria and fungi. The plants may still be saved but you will have to work fast.
3. How Hydrogen Peroxide prevents root rot/overwatering.
When plants are watered with H2O2 it will break down and release Oxygen into the area around the roots. This helps stop the Oxygen from being depleted in the water filled air spaces until air can get back into them. High Oxygen levels at the roots will encourage rapid healthy root growth. In a Hydroponic system H2O2 will disperse through out the system and raise Oxygen levels as it breaks down. Strong white healthy roots with lots of fuzzy new growth will be visible. This fuzzy growth has massive surface area allowing for rapid absorption of the huge amounts of water and nutrients needed for rapid top growth. A healthy plant starts with a healthy root system.
4. How to use it.
H2O2 comes in several different strengths 3%, 5%, 8% and 35%, also sold as food grade Hydrogen Peroxide. The most economical is 35% which we recommend be diluted to three percent before using, as at this high concentration it can cause damage to skin and clothing. When working with food grade H2O2 it is very important that you clean up any spills or splashes immediately, it will damage almost anything very quickly. This is extra important with skin and clothing. Skin will be temporarily bleached pure white if not washed cleaned. Gloves are strongly recommended when working with any strong chemical.
Food grade H2O2 can be diluted to three percent by mixing it one part to eleven parts water (preferably distilled). The storage container should be opaque to prevent light from getting in and it must be able to hold some pressure. If three-liter pop bottles are available in your area they are ideal for mixing and storing H2O2. There are twelve quarter liters (250ml) in three liters, if you put in one quarter liter H2O2 and eleven quarter liters (250ml) water in the bottle it will full of three percent H2O2 and the bottle can hold the pressure that the H2O2 will generate. Three percent Hydrogen Peroxide may be added at up to three ml's per liter (2 12 tsp. Per gallon), but it is recommended that you start at a lower concentration and increase to full strength over a few weeks. Use every watering even on fresh cuttings. For hydroponics use every reservoir change and replace twenty-five percent (one quarter) every day. Example: In a 100L reservoir you would add three hundred ml's (3%) H2O2 when changing the nutrient. You would then add seventy-five ml's more every day.
5. Where to get it.
35% food grade: called food grade because it has no toxic impurities
Of course your local hydroponics retailer, whom you can locate over the web at www.hydromall.com. Direct order off the web (there may be shipping restrictions on high strength peroxides). H2O2 is used to bleach hair so the local hairdresser may have a source. The local feed supplier may have it in small towns. Prices range from fifteen dollars per quarter liter to eighty dollars a gallon. One gallon will treat up to fifty thousand liters of water.
3%5%, 8%
Can be found at most drugstores or pharmacies, prices start at a less than a dollar for a one hundred-ml bottle that will treat one hundred liters.
6. What to do if you already have root rot.
In Dirt:
Use peroxided water with anti-fungicide (benomyl) and a high Phosphate fertilizer (9-45-15, 10-52-10, 0-60-0) for root growth. Root booster (5-15-5) or any other product with rooting hormone dissolved in it is helpful in regrowing roots and is strongly recommended. If a plant is wilty adding Nutri-Boost may save it. Water heavily until liquid pours out the bottom of the pot. This sound like bad idea, but it flushes out stagnant dead water and replaces it with fresh highly oxygenated water. Don't let plants sit in trays full of water, the soil will absorb this water and stay too wet. Don't water again until the pot feels light and the top inch or two of the soil are dry.
In Hydro:
Change your nutrients. Add H2O2 to the system. This will add oxygen and chemically eat dead roots. If roots are badly rotted and can be pulled away by hand you should pull them off. They are already dead and will only rot, causing further problems. Add a fungicide to kill any fungus that is probably present in the rotted tissue to prevent it from spreading. Root booster will speed recovery. If plants are wilty Nutri-Boost may help save them. Increase aeration of the water, get an airpump and air stones, or more of them, for the reservoir. An air stone under every plant is usually very effective, but will require a larger air pump. Models that will do from forty to four hundred stones are available. Decrease the reservoir temperature, oxygen dissolves better in cold water and disease causing organisms reproduce slower as well. A good temperate range is 62F to 65F; anything above 70F will eventually cause a problem. It is also a good idea to remove any wilty plants from the system and put them on a separate reservoir so they don't infect plants that are still healthy.
Summary
The key to big productive plants is a big healthy root system and Hydrogen Peroxide is a great way to keep your roots healthy. It is a must to ensure the biggest best crops possible and to increase the chances of your plants thriving to harvest. Peroxide users will rarely lose plants or crops to root disease and will harvest larger and more consistent crops.
MORE: O2 to the roots is a big concern, since the plant requires this for nutrients to be available, and to rid itself of toxins, etc. One of the easiest things to do is use food grade hydrogen peroxide in the water to increase the availability of oxygen in the water. H2O2 has an extra oxygen atom that will easily break away and can be used by the plant. Oxygen Plus is a plant food that contains 25% hydrogen peroxide and is perfect for this use.
This is a life saver for the advanced and rookie gardener's alike. I've used it in many applications and it's never let me down. Happy growing,
Jeff
Jeff,
I just have the household variety; what is the ratio for my watering?
Thank you
PS maybe the answer is in your post but I am "whelmed" by it.
(overwhelmed means you are out of control LOL)
WOW, Jeff, that is a lot of information. I've got to print that out to study it.
I'm sure your information will help, but I have to tell you that by the time I got half way through, I had forgotten what I had read. My brain doesn't store much anymore. I'll have to print it out too, just so I can sit and read and hopefully retain. I buy 3% at the grocery store. If I'm reading this right, I mix 2-1/2 teaspoons to a gallon of water? This is after I've started with less and worked up to the full strength mix, right? When first starting to use it, how much should I mix in a gallon of water?
What kind of fungicide can you put in a hydroponic/aeroponic unit? I am growing tomatoes in an aeroponic unit and there is algae growing, I change the water frequently, but it keeps growing. What would be safe to add to prevent it?
Everytime he posts I just say
WOW!
Is he single?LOL
PHEW! It overwhelms me too guys.
For small scale production I recomend buying the "Oxy-Plus" or maybe "Ironite" found at Lowe's or Walmart.
"Three percent Hydrogen Peroxide may be added at up to three ml's per liter (2 1/2 tsp. Per gallon), but it is recommended that you start at a lower concentration and increase to full strength over a few weeks. Use every watering even on fresh cuttings."
BRUGIE & TWIN:
I pulled that out from above. With 3.5% H202 that we get at the drug store, I would start out with 1 tsp per gallon tops and raise slowly over maybe a 1 month period. I never did find MY notes on this, I stole this from another website. This description is very close or exactly how we used to use it.
I HAVE NEVER USED IT ON CUTTINGS BEFORE! I couldn't see it causing a problem, I'll start expiramenting again w/ this and play w/ cuttings .
I'm sorry this and the above posts were so long, there just wasn't a short way to introduce and explain it all. When I find my "The Growing Edge" past issues, I'll have another big write up about plants and the "Kreb" cycle. It's amazing.
Thanks or I'm sorry...not sure yet;)
Jeff
This message was edited Mar 31, 2004 8:28 PM
Fungicides aren't specific to what kind of plant they kill nor algicides. You must block all light out of your hydro/aero tubes and res. etc. Anyplace you cover w/o effecting plants needs to be light proof.
LOL If I keep writing like this, I will be single soon!
Brugie asked for it so here it is dear;). It's all her fault!
Jeff, you keep me laughing even if some of this is over my head. I'll pick your brain when I meet you. Thanks.
Oh, dear!
I didn't water the brugs much this winter but when I did ~ used household version ~ a lot more than 2 1/2 tsp per gallon!
It's a wonder it didn't kill them!
Maybe I should pull one up and look at the roots!
TWIN LAKES! No don't. If the plants still look like there doing fine, don't fix it if it ain't broke;). you may have discovered that certain Brugs can handle stronger amounts. The worst case scenario would be the possibility of killing the beneficial bacteria I think. If it's been more than a week or 2 since you used it last, leave it alone and try to remeber what you did and when. You might of began a new expirament. If the plants look bad from it and you used it recently, just flush like mad and that should do it. The instructions above are on the conservative side so nobody will tell me I KILLED their plants! LOL
JD
Oh, no . . . . . it was several months ago when there was moldy something on the top of the soil; hardly watered them all winter but we were have trouble with high humidity in the garage due to a ventless propane heater.
Started with a T or so per gal as Brugie instructed me. Well it didn't seem to help! So then I put maybe a half cup to 3/4 per gallon and scooped the moldy stuff off the top. It has never come back.
About 3 weeks ago I watered them more generously and put them under the lights to wake them up and they are looking really good and healthy.
Ignorance is bliss! LOL