Since we're from Canada most of our advice will be geared towards container grown citrus, but that doesn't mean it won't cross over through many categories such as: pesticides, raising brix levels, grafting, foliar sprays, checking for bugs and nutrient deficiency.
This article will describe what has worked for us and what hasn't.
lets get started..
PESTICIDES
1. Diatomaceous earth -
We've heard all the claims in the world about this stuff and so We purchased a package when We went to a hydroponics fair, tested it on earwigs that were eating our peppers with no success, tested it with aphid hoarding ants with no success, tested it on spider mites and you wouldnt even believe your eyes but they made their webbing right in and around the Dia earth, like they were playing in a sand castle. So I thought to myself...... maybe We were ripped off and got some Diatomaceous earth that was not of the right texture or consistency/grit. Decided to take a trip down to my local hydroponics shop ( yield of dreams in Newmarket Ontario )
and test out a different bag of this Diatomaceous earth, Once again, after thorough testing of this new bag We got the same results.
Sadly, IMO it doesn't work.
Tested it on citrus ( Moro Blood orange - Meyer lemon - Rio Red grapefruit - Carrizo )
Tested on Hot/sweet Pepper ( Cubanelle - Poblano - Corno del toro )
Tested on a Pineapple
Tested on Strawberries ( Redcoat - Ozark - Pink ) Horrible fail!!
2. Cedar oil -
Now this stuff here will knock your socks off.
While it is considered a natural & organic product you should be very careful when spraying this stuff
We've experienced everything from numb/tingling fingers and skin ( soaked through the gloves )
right up to headaches and dizziness.
This product KILLS Invertebrates ---- Do not use in or around your aquaponics systems---- ( We tried it, our pleco made it through, but thats it. Tried reintroducing snails a few months later and they all keeled over, wasn't until many water changes later we're we able to put snails or crayfish back in)
Tested on Citrus ( Green finger lime, Giant Etrog, Rio red grapefruit ) Kills = Red spider mites, Fungus gnats, Scale
Tested on Sweet/Hot Peppers ( Poblano - Corno Del Toro - Cubanelle ) Kills = two spotted mite
Tested On Pineapple Kills = two spotted mite
Tested on Strawberries No Kill of two spotted mite
3. Neem -
We use this oil all the time. It does a great job preventing bugs all on its own, but when combined with other products like capsaicin ( Hot Peppers ) you now have a waxy coating on your leaves thats not only hard for bugs to eat through but too spicy to even try.
4. Surfactant -
This is used to break down the exoskeleton of bugs along with aiding in dispersion and coverage of the pesticide formula. There are many types of these surfactants. some are more natural/safer then others.
The most famous on the internet is (joy dish soap) but most people now a days are going for as natural a product as possible, so look for an organic soap with surfactants in it. Another option is coconut oil and even some horticultural oils. BUT BE WARNED!! Horticultural oils are usually a petroleum byproduct that contain paraffins/parabens and a whole host of nasty stuff.
We use a dish soap called ( Eco Max ) Natural Lavender Dish Wash
Ingredients- Water, plant based surfactants, salt, food grade citric acid, aloe vera extract, natural lavender essential oil, food grade potassium sorbate.
(we've recently switched to Dr bronners)
We are also trying a new product which is not only a surfactant but a plant nutrient and brix raising formula. Its called ( Liquid green ). This is a very interesting product that should be studied more.
Ingredients- pressed extracts of coconut, sugar cane, sapodilla, corn, neem, citronella, garlic, non chlorinated water ( as we cant confirm the GMO status of this product we no longer use or suggest it. )
5. Soda / Pop -
The idea behind this is the soda/pop raises the brix levels due to increased sugars making the plants to much for the pests to handle/digest. This quote from Jim Dandy on Newagtalk.com describes it best.
(I attended a Midwest Bio-Ag meeting yesterday and they explained WHY most insects stay away from plants with high sugar content. Healthy plants have higher sugar levels because they have adequate available calcium, sulfur, and trace minerals which are very important to make complete chains of protein. Most insects can NOT digest complete proteins. So they attack less healthy plants with lower sugar content that have incomplete proteins which the insects CAN digest. When the soil has shortages of some minerals you end up growing plants with lower sugar contents and are vulnerable to insect attacks. I have had less pressure from potato leafhoppers and I don't need to spray for them as often in alfalfa. - Jim Dandy)
6. Sticky traps -
We cant imagine gardening without these things and yet We hardly ever see a garden centre or nursery use them. These can be home made or you can buy them at lowes / local hydroponics store ( there usually fresher at the hydro store ) you can either purchase the sticky strips or the glue and create your own strips. These work really well and We highly suggest using them all year to track and prevent bug populations.
7. essential oils - We wont get to far into the details on this as there is countless bits of info all over the net, what We will do is list what We use and how often/when.
Peppermint oil - bug repellent
Rosemary oil - bug repellent
lavender oil - bug repellent
lemongrass oil - bug repellent
piper nigrum oil - bug repellent
vanilla oil - bug repellent
coconut oil - bug killer
clove oil - bug repellent
cinnamon oil - bug repellent
citronella oil - bug repellent
geranium oil - bug repellent
lemon oil - bug repellent
orange oil - bug repellent - cleaning product -
tea tree oil - bug repellent - anti viral ( should be tested on different plant diseases )
This list is a general idea of what can be used in order to combat bugs or plant viruses.
You will need to experiment on your particular variety to see what works best for your tree/environment.
(We will update this in the future with more detail.)
8. Rubbing alcohol - We We're nervous at first on this one, there were people saying it would burn the plants and some people who said it would be fine, so We decided to take the risk and experiment.
( Half water, half rubbing alcohol {90%} )
Our results are as follows.
Strawberries plants -
- spider mites were devastated with little reaction to plants, even if sprayed on flowers/fruit there was no sign of deformity. while we used this mutliple times in order to kill unhatched eggs. We continued with this spray but noticed small signs of over use. + this is not cheap if your working large scale ( unless your making your own )
- fungus gnats were over come by the concoction, my guess is almost instant alcohol poisoning.
Citrus - Same situation as strawberries, works well, but over use will lead to leaf drop. Moderately applied in a regime of pest prevention would aid in the control of unwanted bugs.
Peppers - Same rule applies,
Watering
You want to let the soil slightly dry out before your next watering, Our general rule of thumb is to let it dry to the point that if you stick your fingers an inch down into the soil and feel no moisture, this is when you should water.
You want to thoroughly soak the soil to flush out old salt built up from previous fertilizer applications,
once again, my general idea behind this is to flush the plant with the same size bucket of water that the tree is growing in, do this twice and then on the third bucket fill with fertilizer. ( If you are using a granular/spike or any type of slow release fertilizer there is no need to add fert and two buckets should be sufficient.)
During winter months you might want to cut back on watering. If you have grapefruits, dont let the soil dry out in a cold area during the winter months, our star ruby and rio red both do not like the cold and dropped much of there leaves during temps around +13C, even with soil seeming relatively moist ( this was mainly due to compacted soil that deceivingly seemed moist in winter but was really in desperate need of water), so take caution and think before you apply anything.
( the leaves also could have been effected by a ph swing ( our reverse osmoses was acting up for a bit ) or my outdoor thermometer was not reading properly and was colder then shown, all this combined lead to something with our grapefruits )
( the leaves also could have been effected by a ph swing ( our reverse osmoses was acting up for a bit ) or my outdoor thermometer was not reading properly and was colder then shown, all this combined lead to something with our grapefruits )
Depending on how hot you keep the growing area, If its in a sunroom/greenhouse and 20-25C year-round, no need to change your feeding/watering schedule.
Misting/Foliar spray
We use a multitude of additives depending on what we are trying to achieve, be it pest prevention, BRIX enhancement, nutrient correction, bacterial/viral remedies, increased flower sites, winterizing, but We cant stress enough how much better your plant will be from foliar applications. If your the type of person that doesn't want to worry about bugs, foliar spraying is for you. If your the type of person that is a foodie and wants produce better then what you find in a store, heck, better then a farmers market!, foliar spraying is for you.
so lets get into things.
Epsom salts - The classic, the same substance people use in natural therapy, these salts contain natural elements of magnesium and sulfur, this gives your plants easy access to magnesium allowing them to absorb the available calcium in your fertilizer applications and since its only a foliar spray there is no worry of over saturating the roots.
Carbonated water - which according to Colorado state Univerisity is filled with macronutrients like carbon, potassium, oxygen and hydrogen that is proven to boost plant growth,
http://spot.colorado.edu/~basey/ldanzell.html
Kelp extract - this extract from seaweed contains everything from natural growth hormones/regulators to vitamins, micronutrients, and soil conditioners. It works well with transplants/cuttings/clones as its a natural root stimulater. It enhances chlorophyll in plants resulting in brilliant green leaves while at the same time strengthening its bug/virus resistance. Also, certin growth regulators will actually extend your growing season due to a suppression in aging + boosting frost tolerance.
( DO NOT GET FROST ON YOUR CITRUS!!)
Here are a few articles on the advantages of foliar feeding your citrus
http://www.pakbs.org/pjbot/PDFs/42(3)/PJB42(3)1863.pdf
http://citrusagents.ifas.ufl.edu/archived_presentations/fall_prg2010/Citrus%20Agents%20Web%20Site%20-%20Nutritional.pdf
Compost teas
One of the best things you can do for your plant is make it some tea, like many have described, you can look at compost tea like probiotics for your soil. These teas boost the microbes in you soil allowing your plants to break down inorganic materials into more absorbable elements, this will give you skyrocketing results. They also boost the immune system of your plant giving it the nutrients to fight off pests and disease.These teas can be applied during your regular watering routine or through foliar applications,
All depending on what your trying to achieve, be it disease correction, pest prevention, immune boost, or just a fertilizer enhancement.
While we dont normally give away our secret formulas, as farmers have very little in proprietary inventions, We have no problems passing on our recipe, ENJOY!!
1. Compost from worm bin
2. molasses
3. sugar cane or maple syrup
4. trace minerals
5. kelp meal
6. oatmeal
7. alfalfa meal
8. river rock dust / volcanic ash / glacial rock dust
9. bat guano
10. worm castings
11. greensand
12. humic acid/ fulvic acid
13. fish waste
14. epsom salts
MORE TO COME.....
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