Wow, kenboy,I use alcohol, I thought I was the only person in the world, lol!!
Cuttings
alcohol is not an sterilizing agent , it's a cleaner .
A 10 to 1 solution of water to clorox does a good job. It will even kill salmonella bacteria ,aids virus , etc.
This message was edited Nov 17, 2005 8:29 PM
I have used alkohol for several years when I prune my roses,recommended by the Maine Rose Society,
Brigitte
Very interesting, Sherry! Thanks for the background. If paint worked against mites I would spray paint all my brugs PINK!!
I truly wish I knew what would definitely kill the bad things. I used to carry a spray spray bottle around with me of bleach and spritz my clippers in between plants. Then I read this on a site:
"Keep propagation tools sterile. Boil tools in water 5 minutes, wash with strong soap. Dipping tools in household bleach is not effective for virus decontamination." And I believe there was also a mention somewhere of a study that had been done.
Switching from bleach did save my clothes, I used to have bleach spots all over them. So then I went out and bought about 10 pairs of cheap clippers and I boil them at the end of the day in a stainless steel pot I bought just to do that. I have melted a few pairs. LOL
I have thought of running them thru the autoclave at work! LOL
Would spraying with lysol work or dipping into something like barbersol....Sorry if it's a totally dumb question...I have been lurking and learning.. If you don't ask..you won't learn...
Ronda
Autoclave? is that a hosp sterilizer? I use Alcohol, but we all know I'm not a purist. I then put a few drops of 3-in-1 oil to keep them from rusting, if it's handy.
I have Never pruned Brugs yet so all my poo-poos have been on Coleus which are fairly tolerant.
Sidney
I wish I knew, Ronda. Is barbersol. what barbers use ot sterilize their scissors and combs etc?
Yes Sidney, it is what we sterilize our surgical instruments in.
I am doing searches on it. I guess you can find just about every way written somewhere. This is an interesting way........which I do not quite believe. Too easy! LOL
"Garden tools can be disinfested by washing them with detergent. Washing will remove soil and adhering fungi or bacteria, and the detergent will remove some of the virus from the tools and inactivate any remaining virus."
http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/g06202.htm
Here is another site gems of wisdom:
Some viruses are very easily moved around your garden. They may move on your tools, they may move on your hands. The best way to prevent that is to wash your hands and your tools in soap and water. Just dipping them in alcohol will not kill viruses.
http://www.morris.umn.edu/pyg/arb/qanda/1400/arb_1403.shtml
Austin's Urban County agent, who also appears on a PBS gardening program called Central Texas Gardener, recommends using Lysol to sterilze pruners and other tools. He states that Lysol sterilizes without damaging the tools the way bleach or alchol do.
betty, right on.
i'm lazy. i use lysol disinfecting wipes and the costco counterpart. not that i prune a lot.
thanks for the links, kell. good read.
I think I will just keep boiling! LOL. I do not trust the other ways. Shucks.
nothing like a good boil, kell.
now i can't get this off my head with a picture to boot, "bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble..." (and i am in costume, lol.)
laura, the "isabella" cuttings you gave me started to leaf out. "rosamond" will follow, i hope. many thanks again.
annapet
You are a nut, Annapet. LOL. I love nuts!! I get songs in my mind that play over and over. Mine are more boring though, no costumes. Yet.
My brugs are still babies, so no cutting yet. I am filing this good info away for future reference. Thanks, Betty, I like the idea of Lysol spray...always looking for a short cut. Perhaps if you had several clippers that you rotated and gave them the Lysol treatment twice?
I think I will be painting the trunk of my cherry tree white. It did get sunscald last year, but survived. I used some special tree gunk to seal the crack, but much better to prevent it in the first place.
I bought bleach wipes. I will not be boiling my clippers, they rust bad enough as it is...and, hey, I'm allergic to bleach, but I'm using the wipes outside, it's the fumes that get me...makes me wheeze...BTW, after I take cuttings, I wash them in hot water and soap - this year the majority will be Priority Box size, so I'm washing them in my kitchen sink, rather than the bathtub - reminds me of the days we used to prepare the stuff for the freezer, only now it's the GH and pals...
Why do you have to sterilize your tools for use on Brugs?
It;s in case one has some sort of diseas you don't spread it
We paint our fruit trees here for Borer, the porcupine & other varmits chew on the lower parts of trees also & I think it helps with the Sap Suckers, tho one about killed an old apple tree last year. Got it up in the tree around several branches. I'll get ya a pic of my colors! Bj