Ask the Plant Doctor – February 2011

Each month V.D. Kaviraj answers questions about plants and plant problems. Kaviraj is one of the foremost pioneers of Agro-homeopathy and author of the book, Homeopathy for Farm and Garden.

Send your questions! (with pictures when possible -JPG or GIF format) to [email protected] with the subject “Plant Doctor”.

Note: When I refer to treating plants with homeopathic remedies, this is the standard dosing procedure: Put 20 drops of a 6X potency in a litre of water. Succuss the bottle 50 times. Put this litre in the watering can, fill it up with 19 litres of tap water and stir. If the watering can is smaller, the amount of remedy put in must be proportionally smaller. Thus a 10 litre can needs only ½ litre and just 10 drops of the remedy. Apply the contents of the watering can to the roots of the plants to be treated.

Dear Dr. Kaviraj,

Attached are two photos of the Colorado Potato Beetle, a larva and an adult (see also: These beetles eat the leaves of both my potatoes and my eggplants. What would be the most effective remedy?

Thank you

Eric Hart
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

VDK : Hi Eric,
This problem can be solved by using Phaseolus as a remedy. If that does not work with the eggplant, use Thuja instead. Phaseolus or the bean is the companion to potato and should do much to curb the beetle. I am not sure it would do the same with eggplant, but Thuja will certainly help.

Dear Doctor,

Can we use homoeopathic ingredients as a hydroponic nutrient solution
(media used is Cocopeat). If yes, please let me know how to incorporate Primary Nutrients like N, P & K , macro and micro nutrients like Ca,Mg,Mn,B,Cu,Zn etc.. in homoeopathic form, how much and what potency

Thanks and best regards
Avinash

VDK : Dear Avinash,
Such is perfectly possible, but remedies are for sick states. They are not substitutes for nutrients. They can be used to counteract nutrient imbalance, but cannot be used instead of, because you grow hydroponics.
In soil, it is a different matter, because there they influence the soil bacteria and fungi to release more nutrients.

 

Dear Sir,

1) In order to get better and more balanced male /female flowers in the Pomegranate plant, which Homeopathic combinations should be sprayed? What should be used for roots?

2) Uptake of K is difficult at the final stage in Horticultural Plants. What homeopathic remedies might be used?

3) Please suggest the Homeopathic combinations as an alternative to NPK fertilizers.

Regards
P.A.Raut.

VDK: Dear Mr. Raut,

We do not use combinations in homoeopathy. Homoeopathy is the giving of a SINGLE medicinal substance. All else is NOT homoeopathy. Balance in flowers can be achieved by giving Phosphorus.

Uptake of K is difficult, because of too much P. So Phosphorus is the remedy again. Also, K is not so much needed so the uptake is not difficult, but the result of a natural process. To focus on these elements is a little foolish of modern agro-science. They think it is all in the nutrients, but it lies as much in the amount of organic material in the soil, which is much better for biological balance. Chemical balance is but 25% of the solution.

Dear doctor,
A year back I used Silicea for fungal disease of the Moringa olefera plant. I wasn’t aware that the second dose of Silicea has effects on fruit setting. It flowered thrice, but with not even seen a single pod. Could you please suggest a remedy for this problem?

Balreddyj
Hyderabad

VDK: Dear Balreddyi,

Silicea should be used only once. You may try Phosphorus to see if any fruits may still develop.

Dear Sir,

I am in Tamilnadu, in India. The crops in cultivation are tapioca and turmeric.
The weeds to be controlled are:

1) Scistus lacusdries (we call it as KORAI)

2) Cynodon tactylon (We call it as (ARUGAMBUL) Both are grass.

3) Parthinium

Can you suggest remedies?

Thank you

P.Kaligounder

V.D.K: Dear P. Kaligounder,

Grasses can be kept small long enough with Juglans nigra. All other weeds are inhibited for up to 5 months with this remedy.

Dear Plant Doctor,

Wishing you a very Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year!

I have been following natural farming and have been helping people for more than a decade. I am one of the disciples of Mr. Peter Procter, The Modern Father of Biodynamic Agriculture. Out of interest, I took up study of some Homeopathic Remedies, especially, the 12 Tissue Remedies.

Let me at the outset thank and congratulate you Dr. Kaviraj for your wonderful work in the field of Agro Homeopathy. May God bless you a hundred years of age and opportunity so that mankind will be immensely benefited by his work. I thank you with all my heart for your wonderful work.

Kindly advise, can we take care of all the mineral deficiencies using Tissue Remedies? Have you ever worked on these? Can we take care of many diseases using these 12 Remedies and by basal application of decomposed compost? Where can I get your book “Homeopathy for Farm and Garden” in India?

I am giving below a few pictures of sweet orange (India) and shall thank you to suggest some remedies. These are the persistent pests and diseases in sweet orange in this region. I have been working with small and marginal scale farmers whose annual income is very low. I am working on low-cost agriculture. Your early reply is highly appreciated. Most of the gardens are under flowering stage. Shall I start with Silicea 6X? I am using 501 preparation with some success in controlling some diseases.

Sweet orange mite                                      Anthracnose

With Regards,

Krishna (India) Murali Krishna

VDK: Dear Murali,

I have not used the tissue salts. I am a homoeopath. That said, you could give them a try, but I cannot guarantee anything. You have some serious problems there. Anthracnose can be fixed with either Carbo vegetabilis or Salicylic acid. Scale and other soft-bodied pests do well under Coccinella. Silicea is good for flowering and fruit setting. Nutrient problems can be fixed too. Excess potassium (K) can be fixed with Kali phos. Likewise excess, of P can be fixed with the same remedy, since excess P locks up K and vice versa. Excess of either can cause aphid explosion.