Text prepared by an expert in a recipe for a garden - Anna Majewicz, MA "
Ecological spraying requires patience - sometimes the treatment has to be repeated several times.For this we can be sure that our children can play safely in the garden.Besides, if we obtain the raw material ourselves, they are practically free.
Collection of plants
- When looking for plants to make preparations, avoid industrial areas (near factories, mines, etc.) and on busy roads - such specimens may contain substances harmful to us and our garden.
- Pick the plants in the morning, on sunny days, but after the dew is dry, as they should not be wet.
- Cut them with secateurs at a height of 10-15 cm from the ground so that they can grow back.
- We do not collect damaged, sick, rotten fragments etc.
- Put the cut plants in a basket or a paper bag.
- After bringing home, we start working immediately - cut and spread plants intended for drought in a shaded, dry place or start preparing preparations from fresh plants. We can make liquid manure, extract, decoction or infusion.
- Plant preparations are not suitable for long-term storage. It's better to prepare a smaller amount and use it in less time.
Preparation of slides
Liquid manure- cut the collected material into smaller pieces, place it in a plastic bucket and pour cold water over it. Cover the dish with a net or cover it with boards to prevent insects from falling into our mixture.Put it in a secluded place for 2-4 weeks. Once a day, stir the contents with a wooden spoon, a rake handle or a stick.
The liquid manure will be ready to use when it becomes clear and stops foaming. Then we pour the contents through a sieve, add a little dishwashing liquid and spray. The disadvantage of this preparation is its unpleasant smell.
Extract- place fresh or dried plants in a plastic bucket and pour cold water over it. We set aside for a day. Foam will be a sign of proper performance.Pour the extract through a plastic sieve, add dishwashing liquid and use on the same day.Later the preparation will start to ferment.
Broth- prepare it like an extract, but before pouring it through a sieve, simmer it for half an hour. The strained, boiling broth can be closed in jars and stored for 3-4 months, while the fresh, cooled preparation retains its properties for a week.
Infusion- pour boiling water over fresh or dried plants, do not boil them! Leave it, covered, to cool down, strain it and use it on the same day.
Celandine spraying celandine, - what's the best?
Use celandine decoction or liquid manure to spray plants attacked by cabbage cabbage. It should not be used on species with a short growing season, such as radishes, spinach or lettuces, because they may not be able to get rid of the harmful substances contained in celandine. The waiting period after such spraying should be at least 14 days.
Horsetail spraying - what is the best for?
Horsetail contains many substances that prevent fungal diseases, such as potato blight, mildew, rust and peach leaf curl. Therefore, it is worth using the ecological spraying on plants regularly for at least 3 weeks at intervals of every 3 days.
Nettle spraying - what's the best?
The fermented slurry of nettles in a dilution of 1:20 can be sprayed regularly, every few days, plants attacked by aphids, spider mites, bowls, scales, hunters. Spraying with nettle decoction, used as a preventive measure, prevents chlorosis of leaves and fungal diseases such as: cabbage syphilis, gray mold, mildew or rust.
Garlic spraying - what's the best?
Spraying with garlic extract or decoction, applied regularly, every few days helps in the fight against spider mites, honeys, thrips, carrot brush, cream, whiteflies and aphids. They also prevent the occurrence of some bacterial and fungal diseases, effectively reducing the occurrence of, for example, potato blight on tomatoes.
Yeast spraying - what's the best?
Spraying with yeast protects against fungal diseases of cucurbits and potato blight on tomatoes.However, it is worth using prophylactically on all plants in the garden. Weekly spraying performed regularly will protect the plants and help in the fight against already existing diseases.
- explains the expert Anna Błaszczak
He alth and safety during spraying
Ecological sprays are not harmful, but the high concentration of some substances contained in plants may cause irritation, and in sensitive people - allergic reactions.Pay special attention to tansy preparations - this plant contains a poisonous substance - thujone.When making the preparation and then spraying, follow the basic precautions:
- When preparing the center, stick a label to the (non-metallic) bucket with the name of the plant and the date on which we started to make it. For example, "Mugwort manure with the date of production". Such a card will inform unauthorized persons about what is in the container.
- If you prepare the preparation in the open air, cover the vessel with boards. This will protect small animals and insects from drowning, and our preparation will protect them from contamination.
- Before spraying, add a few drops of regular dishwashing liquid, so that the agent does not run off and sticks to the surface of the leaves more easily.
When spraying, remember about the basic safety measures:
- We always wear rubber gloves and a disposable apron - they will protect the clothing and exposed skin.
- Allergy sufferers should wear a mouth and nose mask and goggles.
- During the treatment, we pay attention to the wind direction. Even a gentle breeze can splash your face.
- Spraying is not carried out in strong winds, on hot and rainy days. It misses the point. The weather should be windless and the sky overcast. The best time is in the afternoon, when the sun is already low.Preparations lose their properties under the influence of its radiation, while the rain simply washes them away.
- After the treatment is over, we thoroughly clean all used containers and tools, and take a warm shower ourselves to wash off any remnants of the preparation from the skin.
- Fruits and vegetables can be harvested after 3-4 days after spraying. Before that, they may have an unpleasant smell and taste of the preparation. Let us inform the household members about it.
- Unused funds can be strongly diluted and used as fertilizers.
