The Potato and Tomato Psyllid

Neem Tree Oil

Wallys Super Pyrethrum

Neem Tree Granules

Wallys 3 IN 1 FOR LAWN PESTS

STICKY WHITEFLY TRAPS

OrganiBOR®

KARBYON for black sooty mould on plants

Raingard

Vaporgard

Perkfection

Wallys Liquid Copper

Liquid Sulphur

Fruit and Flower Power

Mycorrcin

Thatch Busta

Magic Botanic Liquid. (MBL)

Wallys Plant Food

Ocean Solids

Bird Repeller Ribbon

Cucumber Booster Food

I have written on this previously but as we are coming into a new season and gardeners may have problems again this year with the psyllids, lets explain.

In my case it started a few years ago when I grew a late crop of potatoes.
The plants looked great but when I lifted them there were only pea sized tubers.
I initially thought too much nitrogen was the problem.
I also found that my tomatoes were not doing as well as they had in past seasons.
I moved premises and in my new location the problems became far worse to the point that my tomato plants would virtually die before producing ripe tomatoes. .
Tamarillo would take off looking great but as they reached about 2 metres tall the leaves would progressively fall off until there were no leaves.
New growths would sprout from the trunk just above where the leaves had dropped off but then these would also turn brown and die.
About this time I came to realise what the problem was, large populations of psyllid nymphs feasting on the plants and injecting toxins in which lead to the demise of the plants.
An answer was found and that was to make the plants so tough that the nymphs could not piece the foliage to feed. This was done by using three products that contained silicon.
To do this: at the time you plant you use Silicon and Boron Soil drench and apply again about two weeks after planting.
The boron facilitates the up take of the silicon by the plant's roots which then translocates up into the foliage.
This product is only used twice as above because too much boron can cause toxicity and loss of the plants.
After the plant has had its second soil drench then we take the Silicon Cell Strengthening spray mixed with the Silicon Super Spreader and spray the foliage of the plant for total coverage.
The Super Spreader is only used at 1 mil to 5 litres of spray and it drives the Silicon Cell Strengthening spray into the plant.
Without the Silicon Super spreader the Cell Strengthening spray does not get into the plant well enough to strengthen the plants cells.
My first season using the cell strengthening kit was amazing as I had very large populations of psyllids which had wintered over and were ready and waiting for the first smell of tomatoes and tamarillo plants.
As soon as I planted the seedlings into containers I gave them a soil drench and also a spray over the foliage with the other two products combined.
I also hung some sticky white fly traps up to see what adult psyllid would be caught.
I had also purchased some jewelers magnifying eye pieces so I could check the plants for eggs and nymphs.
Over the next two weeks the traps caught a good number of adults and eggs were building up on the plant's foliage. Time for a second soil drench and another spray.
Now I was finding dead baby psyllids on the plants and a lot more adults in the traps.
Another two weeks and another spray with the tomatoes were now a metre tall and looking very good with first trusses forming nicely.
The variety of tomatoes is one I used to grow 25 years ago when I had a nursery and garden centre and had found some stored seeds from my fridge; still able to germinate a few of them.
(Back then I called it Manawatu Special and the original seeds was from a first world war vet which he had obtained in Europe.)
As I had forgotten what the plant was like from back 25 years ago I did not think anything unusual about them other than they had very large leaves which were about twice the size I would have expected. The fruit also were large beef steak.
I continued with the two week sprays till harvesting started and then I stopped.
Less and less adult psyllids were caught in the traps till no new ones were seen.
What happened is that thousands of psyllid eggs were laid on the plants and all of them hatched out but the baby nymphs could not piece the tough cells of the plants to feed so died of starvation within hours of hatching.
This completely broke the cycle as none reached maturity of adulthood to lay more eggs.
The first time for several season I had once again heaps of tomatoes and great healthy plants with extra large leaves and fruit.
The following season I did not use the kit to see what would happen.
I grew the same tomato variety again this time with new seeds.
The plant grew well but the leaves were about half the size of the previous seasons and the mature fruit though still larger not as large as before.
I had completely eradicated the psyllid problem in one season.
Even now about 4 years later I have two tamarillo plants from back then performing well and I am still harvesting tomatoes from last season as I have been right through the winter in the glasshouses,.
I do use one drench and a very occasional spray of the kit each season just to be sure that the populations of incoming psyllids dont become a problem.
This year in a new location here at Marton I intend to use the kit for a prevention but also for the larger leaves and fruit that the silicon make happen.
Conferring with plant scientists (Pro natural ones not chemical indoctrinated ones) they said that silicon is very beneficial to plants and helps them obtain more energy from the sunlight hence they will be inclined to creating larger foliage which gives them more energy collection area to produce the vital carbohydrates. This results in bigger, juicier fruit.
I will try it on a few other plants to see how they respond. I have just purchased a few roses of the same variety for a garden so if I spray a couple of them and not the others I will see if the treated ones have larger foliage, better blooms and more fragrance. New gardens, new plants, what an interesting and exciting time ahead for the season.
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The granules are the crushed kernels of the Neem tree. They contain the Neem properties that make the insecticide control.
They can be used to make plants healthier and reduce the instance of soil insects such as root mealy bugs, root nematodes, grass grubs, etc.
As the granules break down the Neem properties are taken up through the roots of plants and will help to keep the plants healthier and pest free, through the trans-location action.
This can be used to advantage on tall trees and bushes where spraying is difficult.
It is a first line of defense against foliage attacking insects. Sprinkle the granules in the area between truck and drip line.
For use in container plants just sprinkle a table spoon (or more dependent on the size of the container) of granules into the pot at potting up time or place the same on top of the mix.
Very economical the recommend amount is 50 grams to 50 litres of potting mix.
Cover granules with some potting mix as they go moldy as they break down making the container to look a bit unsightly.
In the potting mix it should be effective for several months, (estimated up to about 4-6 months) slowly releasing the Neem properties.
Likewise the granules can be used in soil assist the control of soil insects at the rate of 50-100 grams per square metre.
I would suggest that the soil-life period to be shorter than in potting mix as the soil micro-organisms will break the product down faster.
(Estimated about 1-3 months)
When planting or sowing seeds, you can work the granules into the top 10cm of soil and likewise around plants with problems or ones you wish to protect.
An natural control, in my mind, for Root Mealy Bug, Galls and other soil insects.
Excellent for caterpillar control.
For Grass Grub sprinkle the granules over the recently mowed lawn at the rate of 50 grams per square metre and water to settle to the soil.
If possible roll the lawn. Ensure that areas where damage has occurred and near those areas, are especially treated as the adult females lay their eggs back where they emerge.
Best times for treating is around December as the females are laying their eggs and the grubs are hatching.
Next time for treatment would be in the autumn and into winter when the ground is softening up with the autumn rains.
This is likely to be about April/May/June/July dependant on where you are in NZ.. Always lift some turf prior to application to see if the grubs are present.
For borer control in trees sprinkle the granules under the tree and spray them soth Neem Tree Oil at 25 mils per litre to get more Neem Into the tree. If you have any questions ring me at 0800 466464 or
Email at wallyjr@manawatu.gen.nz
www.gardenews.co.nz
Happy, Safe and Healthy Gardening,
Wally Richards
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Pest insects populations expand at an incredible rate when conditions are favourable.
I am always amazed how that on one day, a few insects are on a plant and then within a few more days there are hundreds. If they are not controlled then within a few weeks there can be thousands even millions and then they are very hard to control.
The key to controlling any pest insect is to act smartly and use a suitable control at the very first sign of a pest insect been around. Also you should work on the mice theory; if you see one mouse then there is likely to be several more you don't see. If you see one pest insect you can bet your bottom dollar there is sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins you don't see.
Here are some stats to show you how quickly a problem can become.

Whitefly: the female can lay 8 eggs a day and between 150 to 300 eggs in her life time and it only take 25 to 30 days from an egg to the adult stage.

Psyllid:affecting tomatoes and potatoes, the female can lay up to 510 eggs over their life time of 21 days and it only takes about 33 days from egg to adult.
The Sticky Whitefly Traps imported from America can catch whitefly, leaf miners, winged aphids and psyllid adults.
These are yellow strips 78mm wide and 125mm long which can be hung near plants you wish to protect. The special colour of the strips are a lure to a number of insect pests on the wing and because of the very sticky nature of the traps, they are stuck for good.

The traps come in a pack of 5 and can be used indoors, outdoors and in glass houses to advantage as a first line of defence. Available from some garden centres or by mail order in New Zealand.
I placed a couple of Sticky Whitefly Traps in my glasshouses a few weeks ago and it is interesting to see all the different types of insects that they have caught.
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Boron is a semi-metallic trace element which is essential for plant growth and the availability of this micro nutrient in the soil and irrigation water is an important determinant of crop yield and quality. Boron does not appear on Earth in it’s elemental form but is typically found as boric acid or as borate (boron oxide) minerals.
In these forms, boron is widely distributed in nature and is released into the environment (soil, water, air) mainly via geothermal activity and the natural weathering of clay-rich sedimentary rocks.
Boron deficiency has been recognized as one of the most common micro nutrient problems in agriculture with large areas of the world (including New Zealand) being boron deficient. Such deficiencies can be corrected with the use of borate fertilizers and in areas of acute deficiency borates can increase crop yields by 30 to 40 percent.
However, the management of boron concentrations in soils can be difficult as a narrow range exists between plant deficiency and toxicity.

Traditionally, the most commonly used boron fertilizers are sodium borates (eg borax, ulexite) and they range from 11.3 to 20.5 % boron. However, due to the high solubility of sodium borates it is difficult to maintain consistent boron concentrations in soil. Thus, sodium borate fertilizers are typically applied frequently and in small quantities to avoid boron toxicity.

A new product; OrganiBOR® is a naturally occurring borate mineral (hydroboracite) mined in the Santa Rosa de Los Pastos Grandes valley in Argentina and is made up of a rare mixture of magnesium and calcium borate. Unlike, sodium borates, hydroboracite is not highly soluble and therefore OrganiBOR® releases boron slowly into the soil, at a rate similar to which most plants uptake boron. OrganiBOR® can, therefore be applied in larger quantities than traditional boron fertilizers and will persist in the soil without the risk of boron toxicity. One application of OrganiBOR® will last anywhere between 3 and 10 years depending on the crop, soil type and climatic conditions.
Thus application of OrganiBOR® is simpler for most growers and gardeners and more cost effective, especially when combined with soil and foliage testing to determine exactly when the next application is required. OrganiBOR® is certified for organic use and is suitable for grapes, apples, kiwifruit, avocados, potatoes, tomatoes and almost all other crops grown commercially or in home gardens in New Zealand.

As OrganiBOR® releases boron into in the soil it combines with water and forms boric acid and plants take up boron from the soil in this form. Boron plays an essential role in a plant’s life cycle. In vascular plants, boron deficiency inhibits leaf expansion, root elongation, apical dominance, flower development, pollen tube growth and, in turn, fruit and seed set. Boron toxicity also results reduced shoot and root growth, with marginal and tip chlorosis and necrosis typically occurring.
While the effects of boron deficiency and toxicity are well documented, the biological mechanisms involving boron which lead to these symptoms are not well understood.
Recently, it was shown that boron cross-links pectins in plant cell walls a process that is essential for cell wall synthesis, structure and function. But in addition to this, boron involvement has been implicated in a diverse range of cellular processes including regulation of gene expression, nucleic acid metabolism, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, indole acetic acid metabolism, membrane integrity and function, phenol metabolism, nitrogen fixation and nitrogen assimilation.
Accumulating evidence also points to boron being important to animals and humans. Boron has been shown to be necessary to complete the life cycles of some higher animals (eg zebra fish and frogs) and boron deprivation has been linked to impaired growth, bone health, brain function and immune response various animal models including humans.
The recent release of OrganiBOR® to the home garden market in one kilo gram containers through some garden centres will allow gardeners to safely apply this essential element to the crops.
It is applied at the rate of 100 grams per ten square metres which means the 1Kg container will do 100 square metres for a 3 to 5 year treatment before the need to apply again.
This will be an absolute boon for home or part time growers that in the past have not been able to easily apply boron, unless they really know their stuff. Sprinkle it about every 3-5 years and forget about it in the knowledge that the plants will be getting the correct amount of boron without risking any sort of toxicity. The boron is of course taken up by the plants and distributed into the fruit or vegetables (or flowers for that matter) which are of course in turn eaten by you and me, so not only will your plants be healthier but you will be too.
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Raingard is an Organic or Natural biodegradable terpenic polymer.(Made from Pine Resin)
Raingard does 4 jobs when mixed with most garden sprays including herbicides.
Like similar products eg Sprayfix, Raingard spreads and sticks the spray particles over foliage giving a better coverage. But Raingard goes two steps further and used at the recommended rate of only 1 ml per litre of spray it will RAIN-PROOF the spray for up to 14 days in average conditions and average Rain Fall.
This means that the particles of spray are being slowly released from the film Raingard has over the foliage over the 14 days.
Raingard will dry with the spray in normal conditions of between ½ hour to an hour and a half.
Because Raingard locks spray particles on foliage for 14 days, then on food crops, any toxic sprays combined with Raingard should allow the 14 days withholding period or if the toxic spray has a longer withholding period, then the longest period would apply.
If using Raingard with Neem products or sulphur sprays, then as neither Neem or sulphur are toxic, the withholding period is not important.
But if using a Copper spray, a 14 day period should be applied to food crops as copper is toxic.
Raingard saves you time and money as it removes the need to re-spray every time it rains or you water.
Raingard acts also as a bridge for systemic sprays and greatly aids these types of sprays entry into the foliage.
Used with herbicides it will increase the effectiveness of the weed killer, often resulting (from trials) a 50% better result, when compared to not using Raingard.
Raingard is more effective (to my knowledge) than Pulse to aide Roundup into shiny or hairy leaf plants.
It is interesting to note that Raingard used with say Roundup you can reduce the amount of Roundup needed to get the same results. Instead of 10 ml of Roundup to the litre, try 5 ml and Raingard.
Some weeds may this need the stronger solution but most will die from the suggested combination.
It is also interesting to note that another one of our Organic products, Mycorrcin Plus if added to the mix of Roundup and Raingard will also assist with a better and now faster kill as the Mycorrcin will assist in the breakdown of the dying foliage, cleaning up the area quicker.
You might like to try this as a ‘less harmful to the environment’ weed killer, 3 ml of Roundup, 5 ml of Mycorrcin Plus and 1 ml of Raingard into one litre of water.
You should find that this will kill most weeds without having to increase the amount of Roundup.
As the Mycorrcin stimulates the soil life and beneficial fungi it off-sets the damage that herbicides do to the soil and worms.
Raingard is available in 100 ml and 250 ml bottles.
Its cousin Vaporgard is a Frost protector, sea spray and wind burn protector, stress guard protection, assists in better colour and flavour to fruit, extends self life of fruit and produce, reduces water requirements for plants in summer and lasts as a film over sprayed foliage for about 3 months.
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A few months ago I happen to be talking to a green keeper, (Ray) from up north about a couple of gardening problems that he had, and during the conversation he mentioned a product that came from Australia that he was using on his bowling greens.
The product consisted of Eucalyptus oil and Tea Tree oil along with natural plant foods in the form of manures and seaweed/fish extracts.

Ray told me about how he is using the product on his greens to give fantastic control of grass grubs, black beetles, root nematodes and porina caterpillars.
In the past Ray had been using various chemical poisons which he detested as the residue of these poisons would be left on the greens for bowlers to not only get onto their footwear but also onto the bowling balls which of course are been handled. Unless the bowlers washed both hands, clothes and footwear they would be tracking home substances that are not good for their health.
This new natural product was going to overcome any health aspects but how would it go controlling pest insects in the greens?
Ray told me it was magic and did a far better control than any of the chemicals had ever done.

The product is applied at the rate one 1 litre to 25 litres of water to cover 50 square metres of lawn.
(Diluted at the above rate; 200mls to 5 litres of water applied to 10 square metres of lawn)
After application the lawn is further lightly watered with the hose or a sprinkler to wash the oils off the grass and down into the top 6 to 10cm of the lawn. It is there that it does its job.
Often lawns are the home of garden slugs which emerge out of the soil and thatch to invade our gardens during moist times. The product knocks them out also.
Worms will happily live underneath the oil layer in the top soil without any known adverse effects.
Worms that are near the surface when applied may not fair so well.
During a more recent conversation with Ray I found that these oils will control other soil insects such as eel worm, centipedes, root mealy bugs etc. Even the likes of earwigs and slaters can be given the old hurry on if they are causing problems.
The manufacture informed me that the oils act as an irritant to the pests and they succumb as a result.
Imaginative gardeners may find this product an interesting tool in assisting in the control of some pests such as wire worm in the soil by treating the area a few weeks before planting (say) their new seasons potatoes.
The product is only recommended for lawn use and should only be used for the control of pests in the lawn areas.
Used for any other purpose is not recommended but being two natural oils I cannot see any health concerns as you are not likely to spray over any food crops and eat them without first washing as normal.
Being a oil based product, it can of course burn foliage and grass if sprayed in sunlight.
For lawn applications it is recommended to use early in the morning or late afternoon and washing in with the hose, the oils off the foliage and into the soil.
My research on the net indicates that Eucalyptus oil is toxic, but in weak solutions is used medically with warnings of possible toxic effects. (uses inhalers and medications)
Tea Tree oil should not be taken orally as it can be toxic in this form also. (Also used in various medical preparations externally)
The product’s label states ; ‘Do not feed grass clippings to animals and birds’ which would apply to the first or second mowing after application to a lawn area.
If you have pets that eat grass then make sure you water the oils off the grass after initial application before allowing the pets to roam the lawn.
This Australian product is called Professor Macs 3 in 1, been a natural lawn pest insecticide, lawn food and wetting agent. For lawn fertilising it is used at any time of the year at 100mls to 2 litres of water to cover 10 square metres. This rate will in fact assist a little in the control of lawn pests as a sort of top up after the initial application rate.

The wetting agent aspect will assist in drier times for the prevention of ‘Dry Spot’ in lawns.
Professor Macs 3 in 1 is becoming available now through garden centres (ask for it by name) in a one litre container and also in a 2 litre container that you snap your hose onto, to apply easily to 100 square metres of lawn area.
From my conversations with Ray, the green keeper and his absolute phrase for this natural product I can see it being a fantastic boon for those gardeners that want a great lawn without the need to use harmful chemicals.
A neat Green product.

Available by mail order from this web site see.. Mail order page

Frosts and winter chills are a problem for many gardeners during winter and the more tender plants need protection or losses can occur.
As we have become more adventurous in our gardens and containers, planting more exotic and tropical type plants, protection is needed or else we treat these desired plants as expensive annuals.
Glasshouses offer a degree of frost protection for tender plants but frosts do penetrate the glass doing damage also. A commercial product called 'VaporGard' has now been made available to the home gardener and this product has a multitude of uses including as spray-on-frost cloth. Very simple to use mixing 15 mls per litre of warm water and then sprayed over plants for a good coverage. In cold weather place your bottle of VaporGard into a jug of hot water for about 5 minuetes to assist in making the fluid easier to pour. VaporGard is organic and it provides a long lasting (2-3 months) film over the foliage which protects down to -3 degrees C.
New growth requires further applications but as there is very little growth through winter, this is not needed till the spring.
Putting on frost cloth and taking it off is a chore and more often or not, one either forgets or you get caught out. VaporGard overcomes these problems and becomes an all winter, first line of defense against the chills.
In areas where you have harder frosts than -3 you will still need the extra protection such as the traditional frost cloth (Good quality frost cloth protects down to -5), combine the two together and you will have a heap of protection.
VaporGard has as mentioned a multitude of uses, it can be used to advantage on transplanting seedlings and established plants as it reduces moisture loss though the foliage and thus reduces transplant stress or shock. This factor can be used to great advantage in summer on your container plants when they start to suffer through drying out. Just spray the plants and they will require far less watering.
In a glasshouse, or on very hot days in summer, plants such as tomatoes and curbits can droop during the day. At that time they have stopped growing. Just spray with the product to over come this problem also.
Another interesting aspect is, VaporGard develops a polymerised skin over each spray-droplet which filters out UVA and UVB. This provides a sunscreen for chlorophyll which is normally under attack by UV light. This results in a darker green colour of the foliage within a few days of application. This chlorophyll build-up makes the leaf a more efficient food factory producing more carbohydrates, especially glycols giving stress protection from moisture loss and extra fuel for better growth and faster maturity. The film also offers some protection against some fungus diseases. Sprayed on fruit it will give your fruit better colour, reduce splitting problems, increases sugar content and earlier maturity. The picked fruit will store for longer also. This aspect also applies to vegetables, potatoes and pumpkins, sprayed before or after harvest they will keep longer.
You could also use this for keeping cut flowers longer. A magic product that has uses all year round. A few don'ts through; never put chemicals in the spray mix if using on food crops as the harmful chemical will still be present when you harvest. Safe products such as Neem and Perkfection can still be used. Do not spray blue conifers with VaporGard as it will turn them green for about a year. Otherwise no other problems just advantages.
Note: when bottle is empty pour some warm water into the bottle to get the last aprox 5 ml of the product out. Made up spray should be used within 24 hours as it may not keep. Store your VaporGard out of direct sunlight.
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The following is additional information about the product called Perkfection and how it can safely assist the home gardener in problems with their plants.
The active ingredient of Perkfection is ‘Phosphite ion’ or Phosphonic Acid. (Potassium ions are also present). The safety when handling Perkfection can be described by the following; formulations of neutral salts, which do not contain wetting agents, would have very little, if any at all, absorption through the skin.
Only people with extreme allergy problems would show any sensitivity. Being neutral salts it has no corrosive effect and only cause irritation to people with very sensitive skin. If spray drift entered the eyes then the irritation would be similar to that experienced with a salt solution. Corrosive damage would not occur. This all means that Perkfection is safe to handle and spray, though all care of oneself should be taken, it is a product that you do not have to use extreme measures, as one should do, with many other garden sprays of a chemical nature.
The next important thing is “There is NO WITHHOLDING PERIOD” when used on food crops.
I would suggest however if you pick something that you have sprayed that day, wash it as you may have a ‘tainted’ taste. Perkfection is used extensively by commercial growers (as PerK Supa)of produce and fruit as its safe, effective, in control and not restrictive on exports of produce.
We have suggested Perkfection for Roses and Other Plants as an alternative to more toxic sprays, for the assistance in recovery from/or prevention of, the following problems, Black spot, Downy Mildew, Phytophthora Root rot, Canker, heart rot, damping off, crown rot, leaf blight, silver leaf, late blight, collar rot, pink rot, brown rot, Armillaria, and gummy stem rot.
Now that’s quiet a list of diseases and it also means that many of your disease related problems can be overcome with this safe to use product. Besides using Perkfection over your roses for the likes of Black spot and Downy mildew you can also use it as a spray over all your fruiting plants and trees including your strawberries. It can be used also over your potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, cucurbits (cucumbers etc) lawns, onions, passion fruit, Cauliflowers, cybidium orchids and ornamental plants and vines..
In fact there is no where you cannot use Perkfection to advantage.
Being ‘Synthetic Organic Phosphates’ what you are doing, is placing this valuable material, onto the foliage of your plants, where it is very readily absorbed and transferred through the whole of the plant.
This fortifies the plant’s cells, increases the plant’s immune system and makes your plants less susceptible to invading pathogens.
There is however a down side, as with any good thing, you can have too much and the recommendation is to use Perkfection at 5 ml per litre of spray once a month only and only for about 5 times in a season.
(Note a season is the normal period of time for that crop or plant. Roses are from Spring till Autumn. Most annuals 5-6 months.)
The reason is that, you can over load your plant with organic phosphates causing a clogging of the cells and halting growth until the system clears. Prevention is better than cure and by spraying your plants in the spring you give the greatest protection to leaves and fruit, autumn spray will give greatest protection to roots and tubers.
I have suggested that on the 1st of the month to spray your roses and other plants with Perkfection, Mycorrcin Plus and Raingard. 14 days later (15th) spray with Mycorrcin Plus, MBL and Raingard. If insects problems occur then spray with the most suitable Neem Product. (Neem Tree Oil, scale, Mealy Bug, thrips and mites, Caterpillars and beetles; Add Key Pyrethrum for aphids and whitefly.)
All these sprays are compatible and you could if you wanted to, use the MBL on the First of the month also.
They are all safe to use with most of them being organic and that’s what we need in this day and age.
Note Perkfection is coloured Blue by a food dye. If the product changes colour due to exposure to light over time, it may become clear. This will not effect its ability. You can add some blue food dye if you wish for safety.

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Copper has long been a great equalizer against diseases in the garden.
Best used to prevent diseases from getting established, but it does have the ability to overcome some diseases that attack plants, as long as the damage has not become too established.
Wallys Liquid Copper is a new Copper as tribasic copper sulphate in the form of a suspension concentrate in a liquid form which is more convenient than having to mix a copper powder with water.
To use Wallys Liquid Copper half fill the sprayer for the amount of spray you wish to make up. Measure out the amount of Liquid copper at 3.0ml per litre of spray and pour this into the water in the sprayer. Put the other half of the water required into a jug and rinse the measurer in this water to remove the Liquid Copper from it.
Next add 1 ml of Raingard to the jug of water for each litre of spray to be used. It mixes in better if the water in the jug is warm. Add the contents of the jug to the water in the sprayer and agitate or shake to mix well. You are now ready to spray.
Spray for total coverage to the point of the spray starting to drip off the foliage.
The product is compatible with most garden sprays but don’t mix with sulphur, lime sulphur or Surrender.
It is also best not to mix copper with any spraying oils including Neem Tree Oil as oil tends to reduce the effectiveness of any copper spray.
Oils are used for smothering scale, mites and thrips and if any of these are present then it is better to do a separate spray for them.
Use also straight after pruning to help prevent diseases entering cuts before they seal.
The commercial brand name of this product is registered for the following plants diseases:

Anthracnose, Ascochyta Blight, Angular Leaf Spot, The following Blights: Common, Early, Late, Halo, Bacterial, Spur and Fireblight. Downy Mildew, Brown Spot, Brown Rot, Leaf Curl, Shot Hole, Bladder Plum, Bacterial Blast, Black Spot, Grease Spot, Septoria Spot, Bacterial Leaf Spot, Rust, Crown Rot, Bacterial Canker, Stemphlium, Bacterial Brown Spot, Melanose, leaf Spot, Cane Spot and Cane Wilt.

Best used as a preventive prior to the first sign of a disease and as a control to prevent spread in plants.
An interesting use of Copper is the prevention of damage to plants from slugs and snails.
Snails and slugs are mollusks and they wont go near Copper so if you spray your seedlings when you plant them out, with the product, it will keep the slugs and snails away from them. The spray protection needs to be repeated till the plants are established or as needed.
This is a great plus in my book as pets are not going to be attracted to the copper, as they can be to the poison baits that are currently used.
Now you need to understand that Copper will not actually kill any slugs or snails unless you spray them directly, instead it creates a barrier that the pests wont go near. Thus when you plant your seedlings and spray them, ensure a bit of the spray hits the soil around the plant.
You could enhance this by sprinkling something like sawdust, wood shavings or fine bark around the plants and spraying this with the copper also.
Another big use, in the battle against snails, is the small snails that get up into shrubs and plants, simply spray them with the product. If you find the larger snails in waste areas and don’t want to pick them up and squash them, just spray with the Copper.
Wallys Liquid Copper comes in a 250ml concentrate bottle making 83 litres of spray
Add to water for better mixing as opposed to adding water to the copper liquid.
This Copper gives you another safer alternative to harmful chemical sprays. It can be used all year round.
USE WITH RAINGARD at 1 ml per litre of spray to give rain proofing for 14 days.
Otherwise no other spreaders or stickers need to be added as the Liquid Copper already has these features.
The Raingard just extends the live of the copper film on the foliage no matter what the weather conditions.
Wash out sprayer afterwards. If concentrate copper comes into contact with skin wash off under running water.
Further information or gardening problems phone Wally Richards 0800 466464
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Sulphur and Copper are the two most widely used compounds in the prevention and control of a wide range of plant diseases. These are age old garden remedies, proven over centuries of use and just as applicable today as they were a thousand or more years back.
In the USA, last year, Sulphur was still the most widely used fungicide product in commercial horticulture, easily exceeding the use of all other disease control agents combined.

The reason is simple, it is extremely effective, organic and safe to use, it does not damage soil life like chemical fungicides do and if you are concerned about what goes into the food chain, sulphur is a winner.
We now have Liquid Sulphur which is a very concentrated sulphur in a liquid form.
Liquid Sulphur is most effective for the prevention and control of powdery mildew, rust, botrytis, leaf molds or spots, and black spot. It will however assist in a number of other diseases that can affect plants.
An interesting aspect with sulphur, it’s a very effective spray for the control of mites and does a better job than most miticides. Use for Spider Mites.

Been a thick liquid it is best to add the amount of liquid Sulphur required, into half the amount of water and stir, before adding the balance of the water in the sprayer. Also rinse measuring flask into the balance of water before adding to sprayer.
Raingard should be added to further rain proof the spray, which with Raingard, is normally about 14 days.
Liquid Sulphur comes in a 250 ml container that makes up 100 litres of spray used at the rate of 2.5 mils per litre.
Not to be used with oil sprays such as Neem Tree Oil, spraying oils, Shield or Gild and best applied later in the day.
Roses; use for black spot, powdery mildew, rust and mites and apply at 7 to 10 day intervals to protect new growth from black spot.
Apply at 14 day intervals during active growth. Do not apply to flowering plants or trees that are setting fruit as it can interfere with the pollination. (Spray late in day when pollination is completed for the day.)
Traditionally sulphur is always associated with grape vines and its great for preventing the diseases that can affect the vines such as mildew and botrytis.
Do not use on sulphur sensitive plants such as apricots. Sulphur and Lime Sulphur are two very different sprays so dont get them mixed up. For More Information contact Wally Richards 0800 466464 or wallyjr@manawatu.gen.nz

It has come to my attention that too many gardeners don’t supply their plants with sufficient amounts of potash (Potassium) and magnesium for best health. Plants like us, if they do not get sufficient minerals in their diet, they will be adversely affected and poorly.
Potassium deficiency will show as soft limp plant growth, poor flowering, taste decline in fruit, and general loss of vigor.
I am often asked what is wrong with plants which, don’t seem as good as they could be, even though they are fed well and watered right.
Often the reason is insufficient Potassium.
Then there is fruit, especially citrus which are lacking in juice and flavor.
Tomatoes and cucumbers that don’t have that home grown flavor that one would hope to have.
Plants that have poor flowering or don’t flower at all. Once again the problem can be insufficient Potassium.
Magnesium is involved in chlorophyll production, which converts sunlight into sugars and is involved in activating enzymes. Because of its role in chlorophyll, the first symptoms of magnesium deficiency show up as yellowing, usually between the veins of the older leaves. In severe deficiencies, the entire leaf will turn yellow or red and then brown, with symptoms progressing up the plant.
There are numerous plants that show this tendency, citrus, daphne, rhododendrons, tomatoes, passion fruit, roses to name a few.
Once the yellowing starts to appear then already the plant is having problems and even when magnesium is supplied, it takes several weeks before the lovely dark green colour is restored.
During this time the plant is weakened, as the chlorophyll is not working to its full potential which makes the plant more susceptible to diseases and pests.
During drought conditions, plants suffer and one important aspect to assist in this is Potassium.
It regulates water absorption and retention, influences the uptake of some nutrients and helps to increase disease resistance.
As the weather cools and winter approaches, plants feel the chill like we do, but plants cant put on a jersey like we can. Plant’s protection from chills and frosts comes from having adequate Potassium in their diet.
Thus us gardening commentators always suggest to gardeners to supply potash to their plants as winter starts to approach and to avoid too much nitrogen.
Commercial growers of plants and orchardists have a commercial product that they use to ensure their plants have sufficient Potassium and magnesium in their diet.
These two vital elements are blended together in the right balance as required for plants.
It’s a wonder that this has not been made available to the home gardener before now.
Well that’s about to change as a new product called ‘Fruit and Flower Power’ (the commercial product under a different name) is now available from your favorite garden centre.
It comes nicely packaged in a plastic jar with a 50 gram (50ml) scoop. The jar contains 1250 grams of potassium and magnesium in the right balance.
It is used at the rate of 50 grams (one scoop, just below level full) per square metre around the base of the plant or around the drip line.
(Whichever is applicable) to start with, for any plant that is flowering, fruiting, showing lack of vigor or yellowing in foliage.
Now this next bit might surprise many; but the monthly requirement is 25 grams (half scoop) per square metre. This should be applied while plants are flowering, fruiting, during dry times and going into winter. Outside of these times a 2-3 monthly dose should be fine.
For fruiting a dose at 50 grams should be applied prior to flowering followed by the 25 grams till harvest. For the likes of tomatoes and cucumbers, apply over fruiting period for best flavor.
I get a lot of complaints that citrus fruit are dry and lack flavor so this should fix the problem.

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An organic product which promotes beneficial microbes to assist in the composting of organic matter into humus.
Stimulates Mycorrhizal fungi which act as an extension to the plant's roots assisting in the collection of nutrients and moisture.
Improves calcium uptake, stimulates the growth of feeder roots and microbes responsible for mineralization.
Improving Calcium availability and uptake. Inhibits soil pathogens, containing defense proteins such as bacteriocin like substances which inhibit soil pathogens. Promotes balanced growth of both roots and canopy.
Aids plants in increased growth rates, heavier crop yields, warms soil, reduces disease problems, revitalizes soils and microbe activity that have become poorly due to chemical fertilisers and sprays.
A must for preferred plants such as roses, annuals, vegetables, fruit and lawns as well as other ornamentals.
Soil drench applied before planting, 1ml per litre of water over a sq.M. Sprayed at 5ml per litre over existing plants and on the soil around the plant. (Ideally every 14 days) Available in 250 ml & 500 ml bottles.
By using Mycorrcin Plus we stimulate the beneficial organisms and they convert the available food into soluble forms for the plants.
You use less food and get better results.
Here are a few examples, root mass of a grape vine cutting 800% bigger than the control plant from just dipping in Mycorrcin Plus for a few minuets before planting.
Roses that were treated during the summer were in full bloom with lots of new buds, lush healthy foliage, no sign of disease and for the first time ever fragrance from the flowers was noticed.
Other roses on the same property, in a better location, were not treated and at the time of this report, end of March (Auckland) these ones had finished flowering and looked a mess from blackspot.
The manufacturer of Mycorrcin Plus took his wife to see a planting of 18 month old olive trees in a trial area that were treated with the product.
The wife told off her husband because their 10 year old olive tree at home was not a patch on these big healthy trial plants.
You can increase the yield of your strawberry plants by 200 to 400 plus percent.
Do you want a really terrific garden? The answer lays in the soil and Mycorrcin Plus.
Use on your container plants too because they will really benefit from it.
If you have fallen leaves rake them up and spread them over the soil in bare gardens or under trees and shrubs and spray them with Mycorrcin Plus, it breaks them down in about 4 months.
Use in the compost heap for better compost, faster.
More information; wally Richards 0800 466464

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I was asked a very interesting question a while back which went like this, ‘How come my parents and grandparents had such bountiful gardens?
Everything thrived and I never saw any great problems with pests and diseases, but on the other hand I have to use fertilisers and sprays just to maintain a mediocre garden. What’s gone wrong?
Well the answer as I see it was the difference in gardening, in days gone by people did not buy fertilisers and plant foods, instead they made their own compost and most people had their own chickens that were given all the kitchen scraps.
This was recycled into manure by the chickens and when the runs were mucked out this goodness went into the compost too. The micro-organisms and beneficial fungi in the soil would be found in abundance along with lots of worms of course. Then people started using chemical fertilisers and these destroy the beneficial soil life.
This means plants don’t feed as well, valuable nutrients are lost as there is not the metabolisms there to make them soluble for the plants. The plants are not so healthy and they then get attacked by pests and diseases.
The answer is to reverse the spiral and now there is a product called ‘Mycorrcin Plus’ which does the following; ‘an organic product which promotes beneficial microbes to assist in the composting of organic matter into humus.
Stimulates Mycorrhizal fungi which act as an extension to the plant’s roots assisting in the collection of nutrients and moisture. Improves calcium uptake, stimulates the growth of feeder roots and microbes responsible for mineralization. Improving Calcium availability and uptake.
Inhibits soil pathogens, containing defense proteins such as bacteriocin like substances which inhibit soil pathogens. Promotes balanced growth of both roots and canopy.
Aids plants in increased growth rates, heavier crop yields, warms soil, reduces disease problems, revitalizes soils and microbe activity that have become poorly due to chemical fertilisers and sprays. A must for preferred plants such as roses, annuals, vegetables, fruit and lawns as well as other ornamentals.
Soil drench applied before planting, 1ml per litre of water over a sq.M. Sprayed at 5ml per litre over existing plants and on the soil around the plant. (Ideally every 14 days) Available in a 250 ml and 500ml bottle.’
By using Mycorrcin Plus we stimulate the beneficial organisms and they convert the available food into soluble forms for the plants. You use less food and get better results.
Here are a few examples, root mass of a grape vine cutting 800% bigger than the control plant from just dipping in Mycorrcin Plus for a few minuets before planting.
Roses that were treated during the summer were in full bloom with lots of new buds, lush healthy foliage, no sign of disease and for the first time ever fragrance from the flowers was noticed.
Other roses on the same property, in a better location, were not treated and at the time of this report, end of March (Auckland) these ones had finished flowering and looked a mess from blackspot.
The manufacturer of Mycorrcin Plus took his wife to see a planting of 18 month old olive trees in a trial area that were treated with the product. The wife told off her husband because their 10 year old olive tree at home was not a patch on these big healthy trial plants. You can increase the yield of your strawberry plants by 200 to 400 plus percent.
Do you want a really terrific garden? The answer lays in the soil and Mycorrcin Plus.
Use on your container plants too because they will really benefit from it.
If you have fallen leaves rake them up and spread them over the soil in bare gardens or under trees and shrubs and spray them with Mycorrcin Plus, it breaks them down in about 4 months.
Use in the compost heap for better compost, faster.
This is a product that is going to change your garden into a great garden and save you money in sprays and fertilisers.
Wally Richards

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I am very pleased to see that more and more gardeners are looking to improve that patch of green on their sections that we call ‘lawn’. I often write about lawns and have helped to introduce, to the home gardener, the idea of de-thatching their lawns with either a special rake of a motorised Scarifier.
So what is this thatch?
Thatch is more than just an accumulation of grass clippings at the soil surface. Thatch is an intermingled organic layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that lies between the soil surface and the zone of green vegetation. Its development is related to a number of factors, which affect the rate it develops, or the rate it is decomposed by micro-organisms in the soil.
A thin thatch layer can be tolerated in some lawn situations. In fact, a small thatch layer can help to increase turfgrass wear tolerance. However, if this layer is allowed to accumulate unchecked, lawn problems will develop. Excessive thatch layers result in increased insect and disease activity and mower scalping injury. Other problems related to excess thatch build-up include reduced tolerance to heat, drought stress, and reduced tolerance to low winter temperatures.
Whether thatch is a problem or a potential problem is determined by the positive and negative influences affecting thatch formation and decomposition.
Foremost in this scheme is the inherent thatching tendencies of different types of turfgrass. (Brown Top is especially bad for thatch build up) Thatch formation is further influenced through management practices.
Increased stimulation of turf growth through excessive fertilizer use (especially nitrogen) or frequent irrigation will increase the rate of thatch development. Fertilizer and water use should therefore be programmed to produce a quality turf without over-stimulating its growth. Infrequent mowing or too high of a mowing height also favors thatch formation. Mowing should be ideally at 3.5 cm. Or there about.
Soil micro-organisms, which act to decompose thatch, function best in warm, moist, well-aerated soils at a near neutral pH. Thatch accumulation increases in soils where micro-organism populations are inhibited by acidic soil conditions or poor soil aeration caused by poor drainage or soil compaction. Eliminating drainage problems, aerating to reduce soil compaction, and liming to adjust soil pH to the near neutral range (6.2 to 6.5) will favor the activity of thatch-decomposing micro-organisms. (Worms can become a problem in a non acidic lawn with worm casts.)
Now we have an organic product called Thatch Busta which can be sprayed onto your lawn and it assists in the gobbling up of the thatch. One inch of thatch will be gobbled up in about a month, converting the thatch to food for your grasses.
Used at the rate of 100 ml to 10 litres of water to cover 100 square metres. you can use any domestic weed killers with Thatch Busta and in many cases you will get a better result in killing the weeds. Apply Thatch Busta when soil is moist, any time of the year, then use again in the spring and autumn. High traffic lawns may need a more frequent application.
Simple to use and saves you the work of having to use a scarifying rake.
Mind you, if you want to over-sow your lawn then it should be scarified to open up the soil for the new seeds.
Thatch Busta has another very useful aspect, it is a super compost activator and to use it just add 50-100 mls of the product to a litre of water and water over your compost.
Also if you want to break down organic mulches faster into the soil or for making leaf mould.
Note you can do the same over your worm farm to quickly break down raw material for the worms.
A great product for both lawns and compost and helping keep things natural.
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In New Plymouth Humate and Fulvic acid has been manufactured from our own native fossil coal.
It would appear that Humate and Fulvic acid from NZ fossilised coal is as good as if not better than the best known in the world to date. It is available as MAGIC BOTANIC LIQUID. (MBL)

How does this relate to you and your garden?
There are many applications that MBL can be used for, some of the most interesting include; Unlocking chemicals in the soil. (If you have been using fertilisers in your garden for sometime you will have a lot of fertiliser locked up in the soil.) Drench the soil with MBL and these come available to plants.
You could have a lot of dollars locked up in your gardens and lawns. It will also clean up many undesirable chemicals in the soil and in one trial, contaminated land was transformed into certifiable organic in 12 months.
MBL ( Humate and Fulvic acid ) is a growth booster for plants, it makes for much bigger root systems, stronger and healthier plants. It is been used with balanced NPK fertilisers to create world record vegetables in America such as 26.7 kg Celery and a 14 kg cauliflower to mention two of many.
If you are into growing record breaking vegetables for shows this could be for you.
Benefits may include; Aids and speeds up germination of seeds.
Helps to release locked up fertilisers from past applications especially phosphates.
Helps increase availability of chemical fertilisers and organic foods for plants.
Helps reduce many common plant disease problems.
Helps clean up many toxic compounds, chemicals and oil spills in soil.
Helps to establish plants in areas where they cant or struggle to establish.
Stimulates growth of soil micro organisms.
Increases root respiration and formation.
Increases availability of micro nutrients.
Can increase permeability of plant membranes, which will enhance nutrient uptake.
Increases vitamin content of plants.
Improves seed germination.
Accelerates root development.
Stimulates plant enzymes.

Contains a number of trace elements such as Si, Mg, S, Mn and more.
Increases ability for photosynthesis.
Contains silica which strengthens cell walls, helps block disease and regulates cell temperature which increases drought and frost tolerance.
Increase pH buffering properties of soil.
Retains and releases water soluble fertilisers for plants when needed.
Increases soil aeration.
Improves soil structure.
Makes soil more friable.
Has a capacity to detoxify chemical residues and heavy metals.
A powerful, natural chelating agent.
Improves taste and shelf-life.
Fulvic acid can promote prolonged production, as it tends to delay the aging process.
Fulvic acid increases the metabolism of proteins.
Used at the rates of 20ml per litre as a soil drench as required and 10ml per litre as a foliar spray once or twice a month.
A must for roses, tomatoes and all vegetable and fruit crops.
Green keepers are using it for better turf so onto the lawn for better healthier lawns.
If you have brown patches on the lawn where dogs have urinated use MBL to help restore or re-establish grass.
Use on your flowering annuals for bigger displays and you will need less plants to fill beds. (with balanced NPK or organic mulches etc)
Whether you use chemical fertilisers or organic preparations, MBL will give you better results and you need to use far less chemical fertilisers and so saving you money.
Put it in your weed killers for better results. Can be mixed as a foliage spray with most garden sprays to advantage. The commercial trade name is Liquid Good.
I believe this is one of the greatest gardening products since we invented the spade. Because it has so many uses and advantages, was why we called it MAGIC.
Questions? ring me at 0800 466464 Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz Web site www.gardenews.co.nz Wally Richards

Growing plants in a soil-less media, is a fascination for many gardeners and the term Hydroponics arose from this activity. Growing plants by hydroponic methods is very easy and is only as expensive to set up as you wish it to be. A fun automatic system will cost you a small pump, some piping, plastic containers and plastic fittings, put together with common sense.
Or if you have the time to pour some solution 2 or 3 times a day, very minimal costs are involved. Try the bucket method to grow say 3 lettuces, a tomato plant or a potato plant. Obtain a 20 litre plastic bucket or container, at about 40mm up from the bottom drill a hole of a size suitable to place a simple plastic tap. The tap should be the type that has lock nuts, washers and thread.
Glue a piece of fine mesh over the nut end of the tap. (Prevents the tap blocking) Next obtain a bag of pumice granules, these should vary in size from fine to course.
Fill your bucket to near the top with the pumice and with the tap turned to on, pour in clean water till the tap flows freely. Next take say three lettuce seedlings and wash the mix off their roots by rinsing them in a bucket of water. Plant them into the pumice in a triangle formation near the rim of the container.
This means that they will grow well enough apart and over the edge of the container as they mature. You now need a complete liquid food that will give the lettuces all the nutrients that they need to grow and mature.
With the tap still on, pour a little of the diluted Matrix Reloaded over each of the seedlings.
When the tap stops dripping turn it to the off position. Pour a few more mils of the solution onto each of the plants. Thats all you need to do at this time.
Make sure your planted container is in a sunny, sheltered situation and somewhere where you do not forget to check it every day. A glasshouse is perfect. When the pumice looks dryish, open the tap and slowly add more mixed up solution till the tap starts to drip. Turn off the tap and add a little more solution. There is a reservoir of moisture/solution below the tap line and this moisture will be drawn up as the level of moisture above decreases.
(Capillary action) As our plants grow the amount of moisture/nutrient needs increase and we will need to add more nutrient or water once or twice a day. Salts will build up in the bucket which is not desirable.
Its a little trial and error but once you reach the point where you are adding nutrient every day then every second/third day just add plain water. Nutrient one day, plain water next two days and then nutrient. At 14 days run plain water, with the tap open to flush out system.
Following day use nutrient, next day water etc. Flushing is important. If growing a tomato make sure you have a stake in the container for support.
Tomatoes need more nutrient than lettuces so one day nutrient next water and third day nutrient.
(Once again at the time when moisture has to be added every day)To grow a potato you don't fill the container with the pumice instead you plant the seed potato just above the tap level and cover it.
As the foliage grows you keep adding more pumice to cover. Do so till you are about 70mm from top of container. As the new potatoes form they will displace the pumice which may eventually spill over the sides of the container.
Fairly simple and a bit of fun.
If you want to use a pump system then you set up a length of plastic spouting with stops on both ends.
Obtain 30mm thick polystyrene sheet and cut into a strip so it fits neatly into the top of the spouting. Obtain some grow-tubes or small plastic pots which sit into the polystyrene when you cut suitable holes for them, spaced apart for allowing the plants room. A hole is drilled low on one end of the gutter stop and a hose connector secured there with grommets. Set the guttering up on blocks with about a 10 degree fall to the hose connector end, with a holding tank below to collect the nutrient. Sit your pump in the tank with a pipe running up to the higher end of the spouting.
Use with an adaptor to 13mm common irrigation tubing so that you can put a adjustable on/off in this line. (So you can adjust flow rate.) Place pea metal in the base of the guttering to slow and spread the flow of liquid.
Place your plants with clean roots into each of the pots holding the plants secure with sphagnum moss. Fill the tank with clean water and run the system for a day. Empty tank and fill with Diluted Matrix Reloaded.
Run the system. For the next 7 to 14 days top up tank with plain water as needed. After this time take solution and water into gardens or pot plants and start a fresh solution off.
You can enhance either method by adding some MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid), Mycorrcin and Simalith, for all the benefits these products give to plants. If slimes or algae happen put in a few drops of Surrender or spray the same over areas that the green is building.
The guttering method is great for growing strawberries, dwarf beans and lettuces where tomatoes, cucumbers etc will require extra support.. Matrix Reloaded is available from many Garden Centres and its a wonderful liquid plant food for gardens and containers as well. Wally Richards 0800 466464
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This is a special food for cucumbers and other cubits such as pumpkins, melons, squash, gherkins, zucchini and gourds.
‘Cucumber Booster’ contains the two high nitrogen components in the right proportions for making up this liquid food.
Comprising of two parts Sulphate of Ammonia and one part Potassium Nitrate.
Mixed at these rates it has a final NPK of 18.5:0:13. Used to boost growth of any of the above mentioned plants, making for more growth and higher yielding crops.
Watered generously on the plant’s root system area, once only per week and recommended to be used on that day as a replacement for normal watering. The product has two measuring spoons supplied with full instructions on the label for mixing and use.
TO USE: Dissolve 50 grams, (one level scoop of large spoon supplied) into 20 litres of water. (Half scoop for 10 Litres)
Or Dissolve 12 grams (6 level scoops of small spoon supplied) into 5 litres of water.
The 300 grams of product will make up 120 litres of this cucumber food.
One should bear in mind however that Cucumber Booster is not a complete plant food, rather a growth booster. Thus it is recommended to use Matrix Blue at half the normal rate (for the Matrix) to have a complete food suppling the needed Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, Copper, Molybdenum, Cobalt, Nickel, Chromium, Iodine and Selenium.
Not all the ingredients of Matrix are needed by the plants, such as Selenium, but are vital to personal health in our diet. Cucumber Booster is very economical for amount of food it makes, and dependent on how many cubits grown, a jar can last for a season or two.
Mixed product is best used fresh but it can store, so make up sufficient to do one or two applications.
The product can be used to boost the growth of other plants if desired but use sparingly on other plants to prevent nitrogen related damage.
Wally Richards
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The deep blue water of the ocean is rich in minerals and elements, in fact all the 92 elements known to man. These elements are also in perfect balance for living organisms, health and well being.
Back in the 60’s/70’s a Dr Maynard Murry did a incredible amount of research into ocean solids and wrote the book ‘Sea Energy Agriculture’ Nature’s Ideal Trace Element Blend for Farm, Livestock and Humans. It is currently published by Acres USA.
Maynard dissected hundreds of ocean creatures and never once found tumors or disorders in their organs. Doing the same to fish from streams and lakes, many were found to have tumors etc.
In one case he dissected a 100 year old whale and found its organs in pristine condition as good as a newly born whale. Maynard realised it was the ocean water, rich in minerals that allowed the creatures living in it to be so free of the ills that effected land creatures.
We know that at various times, all land masses were for periods of times, under the sea.
When a land mass arises from the sea it is mineral rich and once plant life establishes on the land it too is rich in minerals. But over time through rain, erosion and leaching a lot of the minerals gained by the land are lost back into the sea.
It is interesting to note that in isolated pockets on the planet, where because of the terrain, that leaching does not take place. People living in these pockets more often than not live to over a 100 years of age, in excellent health. The reason, Maynard says, is because of the mineral rich diet they have, which allows the cells of the body to replicate perfectly, slowing right down the aging process and maintaining very healthy organs.
Maynard believed that if you give a plant all the possible minerals and elements it may need to grow as it should, then that plant would not be susceptible to diseases common to it.
Trials proved this point by supplying Ocean Solids to say nectarine trees in a row. Every second tree received the solids, the others being the controls. Then curly leaf disease was sprayed over all the trees.
After three years the controls had all died and the Ocean Solid trees never showed any signs of the disease. A number of similar trials were done on various plants with the same results! Maynard took this a stage further by growing various crops of grains and feeding them to 200 female mice (C3H) that had been bred to always develop breast cancer which causes their demise.
200 more of the same C3H mice were fed conventional foods of whom all died within the normal 9 month period that their condition dictated, during which time they produced the normal two or three litters. (all to die later)
The Ocean Solid fed group were sacrificed at 16 months and a definitive examination revealed no cancerous tissue. This group also produced ten litters and no sign of the cancer in the off spring! The Ocean Solids foods had removed the cancer.
If we take this to the next stage then people that grow their own vegetables and fruit with Ocean Solids will be able to have in their food chain all the minerals that those vegetables are capable of taking up.
Maynard found that vegetables etc were capable of taking up about 20 to 40 odd elements dependant on the type of plant.
On the other hand wheat and barley are capable of taking up all the 90 odd elements if available. This is why wheat grass juice has become a very important plant in our health/ food chain.
See my information sheet on Wheat Grass Juice.
Two aspects of this have become very important in my concerns for plant health and people’s health.
If we use Ocean Solids in our gardens along with other natural plant foods, building up the soil life populations, including the worms, then we will have very healthy plants that will not suffer from diseases unless they become stressed for some reason, or reach the end of their days.
If we grow our own vegetables, fruit and wheat grass with Ocean Solids our health can greatly improve, markedly reducing the possibility of many ills such as cancer.
Think of it, healthy roses, plants and gardens along with better health for you and your family.
OCEAN SOLIDS, USE AT: New or existing gardens; 35 grams per square Metre on gardens, sprinkled on and watered in. Use at the above rate for first year and then at half the rate for years 2 to 5. No further applications then for 5 years. Scoop supplied is 70 grams when filled to slightly heaped.
For trays or container plants use at a tablespoon per 4.5 litres of mix. (Scoop does 18 Litres Mix)
SPRAY APPLICATION: One tablespoon to 4.5 Litres of water spray over foliage to run off. The Purpose for the spray, is as a natural insecticide, fungicide and foliar feed. Use only Bi-Monthly and late in day when sun is off the plants.
PLANT FOOD: Use at 1 gram per Litre of water.
Wheat Grass For Juicing: A must to be added to a good animal manure based compost, at the table spoon per 4.5 litre rate. Simalith can be added also and watered in with MBL.(Magic Botanic Liquid).
Wallys Ocean Solids are solar dried only, with no further refining, to ensure that as many of the mineral and elements possible, are present in this product.
Bear in mind that the above use rates on to gardens will over time, with other natural products, bring up the health levels of the plants. Some plants will respond fairly quickly where others may take a season or two to see really good changes. Plants in stress because of lack of moisture etc can still have problems, even with this program.
Good gardening practices are also needed.
Your gardens, Your health.
Wally Richards phone 0800 466464.

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