Ask the Plant Doctor – January 2012

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.

The completely revised and enlarged edition with an additional 176 pages is now available:

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 Kaviraj,

I have planted a bunch of bamboo plants in the house in a glass pot and I change the water after 5-7 days. One of the plants was yellowing, so I checked and found that the 1st layer of the same was rotten. I removed them with a knife and it stopped rotting but yellowing remains, and at the same time almost all leaves of all plants are yellowing. The days are very cold here. During summer, the tips of the leaves gets dry .

Please suggest medicine for both cases of yellowing and drying. I have kept them for the past 04 years and love them a lot.

with regards,

S.N.Ojha

India

Kaviraj: Dear Mr Ojha,

First replant them in larger pots. If the pots are too small, the earth is all gone and thus they dry out faster. Plants need earth to grow in. Then also give Ferrum phos.

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Dear Dr.Kaviraj

I wish you a Happy NEW Year. In the Chikku plant during rainy season, Phytopthera really creates havoc. Can you please suggest the remedy.

Regards

Prashant Raut

Kaviraj: Prashant, the best remedy is Silicea. If that does not work, try Carbo veg.

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Dear Kaviraj,

Last year, in spite of much hard work, we developed blossom end rot on our tomatoes. Is there a way to prevent that?

Thank you

Christine DePaul

Kaviraj:

Christine,
These symptoms indicate there is not enough calcium, so that the fruit cannot properly form. The best remedy is Calcarea carbonica.

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Dear Dr. Kaviraj,

The third year I planted cabbage it was attacked by cabbage worms. It seems to be common here in Australia. Can I use some holistic method?

Many thanks

Joseph Dowling

Kaviraj :

Hi Joseph,

The best remedy for this is Syrphinilida, but if that is not available, Thuja or Ledum will also do.