!8: Homemade Hydroponics Order: December 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

How to Make Your Own Organic Fungicide

!±8± How to Make Your Own Organic Fungicide

Making your own organic fungicide is far easier than you might think and you've very likely got everything you need right at home. One of the reasons I like to make my own garden tonics is because I want to know just what I'm going to be eating later. Most organic treatments can be applied to plants right until the day of harvest without any harm to those eating the fruits or vegetables, even children. I know a lot of chemical products seem to be work faster and sometimes seems more effective than the organic variations, but if I can save myself a trip to the garden store while I keep my plants healthy AND have a little peace of mind, I'm going to go for it. Plus, organic fungicide is just plain cheap to make!

When our tomatoes got late blight, this recipe saved a few of our plants when I thought there was absolutely no more hope. I also sprayed most of our other plants in the garden (especially watermelon, zucchini, eggplants and grapes) that looked like they had powdery mildew or other fungus problems and they started looking better (and producing better) within a couple days. To get the best level of protection, you will need to reapply this solution about once a week and especially after it rains. In fact, if you want to be certain that your plants will not get attacked with fungi, you should be spraying them routinely as soon as you put them in the ground BEFORE anything beings to attack them. If you are combating a very aggressive fungus problem (like blight) you should try to spray the plants daily. Spray plants in early morning or late day when the sun is least intense to prevent leaf burn. This homemade organic fungicide is also effective against anthrocnose, powdery mildew, early tomato blight, leaf blight and spots.

Organic fungicide
Ingredients
1 gallon water 1 tablespoon baking soda 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions
Pour ingredients into a large sprayer and shake well. Spray on affected plants (top and bottom of leaves). Continue to shake ingredients periodically to ensure it says well mixed.