The horticultural discussion thread.

[grasshopperglock]

This is a thread to post your horticultural ideas. Problems. General discussion for all things horticultural. From house to food producing plants.

Express your ideas, inventions, DIY, questions...






As for myself. I have a plant fungus problem on a mini rose. It's a delicate plant and this moist weather is helping to grow the funky stuff.

Here's how it's gonna get fixed and kill/repel the critters attracted to it.


Home depot sprayer. Ratio 4-1 of rain water to 3%, H2O2.

2nd Home depot sprayer. Hand full of dried skinny red chili peppers (the ones that come in the Mexican package). Three raw garlic cloves, whole. Five drops, concentrated Dawn dish soap. Half a teaspoon(guesstimated) of sunflower oil. Let sit over night in the spray bottle. Shaking it up every now and then.

Using the water and hydrogen peroxide. Misted the top soil. Then fluffed about a half inch of the soil using a fork. Misted again. This also kills certain larva. Fungus knats being one.

Gave it about 15 minutes.

Followed with the aged pepper spray. Misted the soil. Stirred it a bit. Misted again. This doesn't kill bugs. It keeps momma repelled from laying eggs in the soil.

Misted the rose with the pepper spray only, till it ran off the leaves. Top and bottom of the leaves. Ill treat it with the pepper spray again in about 4 days. Then weekly. Then, hopefully, monthly. Unless the fungus comes back. Then the whole treatment repeats.

Don't get the pepper spray in your eyes. Don't rub your eyes after spraying it. It'll make you sneeze from a distance. It's stout stuff.

The hanging golden pathos vines got a spray. The cat won't be chewing those anymore. Guaranteed.

 

[BRD@66]

Have you already done this rose fungus fix? Did the peroxide have any effect by the time you super-diluted it?

 

[grasshopperglock]

I just started treating the roses outside with the pepper solution. As well as the indoor plants. I won't see the full gains till spring.

The H2o2 was applied 4 parts water to 1 part 3%. Come spring, I'll get a garden sprayer for the water hose. Spray the soil below the roses with 2 tablespoon h2o2 per gallon. Spray the rose too. Then treat it with the pepper spray.

On the inside plants. The oil in the pepper mix gives leaves a shiny glare look.

I tested the pepper solution. It go's acidic. As low as 4.5 ph. I added some baking soda to bring it up.

 

[F350-6]

Just trying to follow along. Are you trying to do this organic like, or is there a reason you're avoiding the normal chemicals for this type of thing?

 

[grasshopperglock]

Just trying to follow along. Are you trying to do this organic like, or is there a reason you're avoiding the normal chemicals for this type of thing?

I don't care to use pesticides. 'Permithin' will knock out everything I'm trying to accomplish with pepper spray. More effectively.

It's $5 bucks at Lowe's and the plant will test out as absorbing it.

Making it a hobby. It's a bit of a fist fight with mother nature. Foregoing the pesticides.

 

[F350-6]

Fair enough. I was just wondering.

 

[Saltyag2010]

My best advice-

natural soil kicks ass compared to potting or bagged soil. Anything you plant in the ground should do better than in a pot.

Texas has a great thing called agrilife. You can get a soil sample kit or bag, YouTube how to get the best sample and find out if you need fertilizer and what you need for less than $20. This works for gardens, yards, pastures, flower beds.

 

[F350-6]

...
Texas has a great thing called agrilife....

AKA County Extension Office. Good point.

Not only can you get help with soil samples, but if you want free advice on what weed is this, what pest is this, how to treat it, how to grow it, what to plant in your area, they've either got the answer or can get it for you.

 

[STXdevilsquid]

Went to a tree seminar at Milbergers in San Antonio on Saturday about fruit trees, learned a lot, and about this http://www.plantanswers.com/

i am trying to grow trees, lots and lots of trees. So far very challenging and learning a lot. Mainly to stay away from miracle grow and too much fertilizer or chicken poop is bad.

 

[grasshopperglock]

The pepper spray go's rancid after three days. I can't cope with the garlic smell either.

Here's how I'm fixing it. The skinny chili peppers are getting a soak in 90% rubbing alcohol. Ill let it sit for a day or two.

Then the alcohol is getting poured off the organic matter in to a bowl. Ill stick it outside and run a small fan blowing across the bowl.

What'll be left, after the alcohol evaporates, will be pure pepper oil. The really nasty stuff. Since oil doesn't go rancid as fast as liquid. I can add the oil to some soap water. Maybe some baking soda if it go's acidic. PH it to a 7.0. Including a dab of veggy oil to back up the pepper oil sticking to the plant.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Check this out. Using vitamin C to remove chlorine.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One gram of ascorbic acid will neutralize 1 milligram per liter of chlorine per 100 gallons of water. The reaction is very fast. The chemical reaction (Tikkanen and others 2001) of ascorbic acid with chlorine is shown below:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]C[SUB]5[/SUB]H[SUB]5[/SUB]O[SUB]5[/SUB]CH[SUB]2[/SUB]OH + HOCL → C[SUB]5[/SUB]H[SUB]3[/SUB]O[SUB]5[/SUB]CH[SUB]2[/SUB]OH + HCl + H[SUB]2[/SUB]O​

[/FONT]​

​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ascorbic acid + Hypochlorous acid → Dehydroascorbic acid + Hydrochloric acid + water​

[/FONT]​

​

https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/html/05231301/05231301.html

 

[grasshopperglock]

Went to a tree seminar at Milbergers in San Antonio on Saturday about fruit trees, learned a lot, and about this http://www.plantanswers.com/

i am trying to grow trees, lots and lots of trees. So far very challenging and learning a lot. Mainly to stay away from miracle grow and too much fertilizer or chicken poop is bad.

Miracle Grow catches hell on their water dissolving balls, they add to everything. Their potting soil and perlite.

The issues with MG balls. You can't predict when they'll dissolve in the soil. If an over amount of fertilizer balls dissolve, they can burn the plant. Then, there's when they don't dissolve when the plant needs it the most. It's erratic. A plant may need more phosphorus then nitrogen. Like a rose in full bloom.

You can't control that with the MG balls. And you have no idea how long the bag of potting has sat before you bought it. How many balls have dissolved and busted already? You have no idea.

If it says miracle grow anywhere on the bag. Avoid it.

The miracle grow fertilizer salts in the boxes are good stuff. That, you can control.


Keep in mind. Plants, trees...'Eat' sunlight. Fertilizers are basically vitamins to the plant. They don't eat' the minerals, they use them to help eat' sunlight.

 

[shortround]

Some twenty years ago or so I heard a kook on the radio praising the benefits of organic gardening.

Having studied "Cowboy Chemistry" in college, this fellow's advice made a lot of sense.

When I ditched ALL the chemicals from fertilizers to pesticides, miraculous things began to happen.

First, my pets seemed to get healthier. When I let the fire ant mounds alone, the ticks and fleas immediately disappeared. (And the pets instinctively knew not to disturb a fire ant mound).

When I stopped killing the paper wasps (Yellow Jackets), I no longer had a problem with bag worms in my Pecan trees, or caterpillars in my vegetable garden.

After I started to use compost to top dress my lawn, I could get by with occasional rain showers instead of irrigation.

The natural bacteria "BT" was highly efficient at eliminating other pests (nature's BIO-warfare).

And, "Green Sand" did more to green up my yard than any chemical I had used before.

There is so much more ... This could be an epic thread!

Be well.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Man.....I knew there had to be a reason why those basturd paper wasp existed. Ain't nothing for free.

I spray them with half strength Simple Green when they come in the house. It's marvelous the things they say is bio friendly, yet will drop a wasp like it's nerve gas...


I'll lay off them from now on. To a degree of course. Depends on how hard it is to get them fly, back, out the door.

 

[STXdevilsquid]

Some twenty years ago or so I heard a kook on the radio praising the benefits of organic gardening.

Having studied "Cowboy Chemistry" in college, this fellow's advice made a lot of sense.

When I ditched ALL the chemicals from fertilizers to pesticides, miraculous things began to happen.

First, my pets seemed to get healthier. When I let the fire ant mounds alone, the ticks and fleas immediately disappeared. (And the pets instinctively knew not to disturb a fire ant mound).

When I stopped killing the paper wasps (Yellow Jackets), I no longer had a problem with bag worms in my Pecan trees, or caterpillars in my vegetable garden.

After I started to use compost to top dress my lawn, I could get by with occasional rain showers instead of irrigation.

The natural bacteria "BT" was highly efficient at eliminating other pests (nature's BIO-warfare).

And, "Green Sand" did more to green up my yard than any chemical I had used before.

There is so much more ... This could be an epic thread!

Be well.

Please elaborate on "green sand"?

 

[Saltyag2010]

Some twenty years ago or so I heard a kook on the radio praising the benefits of organic gardening.

Having studied "Cowboy Chemistry" in college, this fellow's advice made a lot of sense.

When I ditched ALL the chemicals from fertilizers to pesticides, miraculous things began to happen.

First, my pets seemed to get healthier. When I let the fire ant mounds alone, the ticks and fleas immediately disappeared. (And the pets instinctively knew not to disturb a fire ant mound).

When I stopped killing the paper wasps (Yellow Jackets), I no longer had a problem with bag worms in my Pecan trees, or caterpillars in my vegetable garden.

After I started to use compost to top dress my lawn, I could get by with occasional rain showers instead of irrigation.

The natural bacteria "BT" was highly efficient at eliminating other pests (nature's BIO-warfare).

And, "Green Sand" did more to green up my yard than any chemical I had used before.

There is so much more ... This could be an epic thread!

Be well.

Not sure on the rest of it but BT is awesome at killing worms. I used it at A&M

 

[shortround]

"Green Sand" is a naturally occurring media that is mined from sands somewhere in Texas that have a high Iron content.

It used to be sold as "Green Sand" in Texas, but the miner quit the business for "greener" pastures.

It can still be found, but you will have to ask an organic nurseryman for the new product.

https://www.dirtdoctor.com/garden/Texas-Greensand_vq618.htm


Be well.

 

[Davetex]

This stuff is fantastic.....

http://www.medinaag.com/product_details.php?pid=NDU=

 

[grasshopperglock]

This is also good stuff. I use it for transplant shock and on seedlings developing roots.

The secret to super thrive. The instructions are crap. It says a drop a cup, 1/4 tsp per gallon.

That's incredibly too strong. Use a max of three drops per gallon. (Eye dropper)

Recommended dose is one drop per gallon for plants. Applied once a long month.

 

[grasshopperglock]

My final recipe for pepper spray. Unless there's a problem, I won't change it.

1 heaping cup of dried red chili peppers.

1 cup 90% rubbing alcohol. (Everclear can be used in it place)

1 tsp veggy oil. I used sunflower oil cause it's all I have. (Mineral oil would work too.)

32oz pump sprayer.

6 drops Dawn platinum soap.

Mason jar with top. Or pickle jar...

Peppers soaked in alcohol over night using a mason jar. Shaken every so often.

Strained as you pour the liquid into a large glass baking pan. Placed outside.

After the alcohol and the 10% water evaporates. The dried oil is scraped off the pan with a razor blade. The oil will be a bit crusty in consistently.

Tap or soft water to the spray bottle. The soap drops. Then the veggy oil. Shaken up. You want some soap bubbles but it shouldn't foam up from shaking it.

Add the dried chili oil. Shake again until it's a uniform orangish reddish color. Spray it down wind. Also works good on stuffy noses....

Caution. I can't express how stout the oil is. It smells mild once dried. Don't let that fool you. I recommend scraping the oil up wearing gloves.