Ask the Plant Doctor – October 2009

Each month V.D. Kaviraj will answer selected 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 sufficient detail and pictures when possible (JPG or GIF format) to [email protected] with the subject “Plant Doctor”.

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Dear Kaviraj

I am very familiar with the practices of homeopathy in treating people and pets and I am an organic gardener however I was just introduced to the concept of agro-homeopathy in this month’s Hpathy ezine.

I have a long standing problem in my gardens – as you know in organic gardening we don’t use pesticides and herbicides. I have few pests and good yields and superior produce. I have lived here 7 years and have never used anything but organics. However each season I struggle against Cynodon dactylon (bermuda grass) overtaking the gardens. Each fall I pull it all out manually and cover the areas with landscape cloth but by this time each summer it is back in force – invading both flower gardens and vegetable gardens. It grows right through the landscape cloth. It seems to be getting stronger not weaker and even if Round Up would kill it (which I doubt) and I am frustrated at the increasing effort to get back to normal each season.

I walk about town and notice that some gardens have the same problem while others don’t have the problem at all. I don’t understand it. I have attached a picture of the pest but probably you are familiar with it. Is there any remedy other that digging up the gardens every single year? I appreciate any ideas or insights to this issue.

Sincerely,

Roxann Roe

Hi Roxann,

This type of grass is a menace – each small piece of root will grow again and spread through each node in the root. They also grow to quite deep and you would have to dig it up that deep and sieve the soil to eradicate it. Each piece you leave will re-infest it.

The Acids do nothing against grasses, although most other plants are killed by them. I suggest to use Juglans nigra, which does not tolerate much to grow under it. Since it also uses root multiplication, Silicea is also useless for this purpose and would possibly achieve the opposite of what you want. So Juglans nigra is your best option, as far as I can see. A 6X potency in liquid, 20 drops to a litre and 50 succussions. With 1 litre you make 20 litres – first throw in the remedy, then fill up with water, which is the product to use. I would be very surprised if that would not do the trick. Keep us posted with the progress please.

If you eradicate seven years in a row with this method, it should not come back. Always spray before you plant anything else – Walnut inhibits most other plants too. It requires 48 hours for the remedy to be neutralised by UV. After that, it is safe to plant or seed other things. If you rotate more than one crop on the same land in the same year in follow-up seasons – winter cabbage after corn, for instance – it pays to spray again between crops. Corn can be planted before spraying, because Juglans is its stimulant.
Success!
Kaviraj
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Dear Kaviraj

I have a mango tree and every year the flowers come, but some kind of fungi destroys all the flowers and I do not get the mangoes. What is the remedy?
Thanks
Banaras Khan

Dear Banaras,

“some kind of fungus” is too vague to prescribe on. Are you sure it is a fungus? Could it be a fertilisation problem? Half the fungal diseases come from the fact that the plant is starved of certain nutrients. Apply dried and old cow dung, soaked in a bucket, and water the tree with it.

What happens first? Is it during blooming or after? Is the tree thirsty?

What type of soil does it grow in? If it is a fungus, do you ever check the surrounding plants in the off season when the fungus is not present on the Mango? Fungi often need two hosts and removal or eradication of the winter host will stop it too, without the use of a remedy.

Can you answer those questions please?

regards,
Kaviraj.

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Dear Kaviraj

I have a four year old nectarine tree which seems to be covered in a large crop of fruit each Spring but within just a few weeks it gets “leaf curl”. It then suffers from a terrible infestation of green and reddish-brown aphids which causes the fruit to distort and eventually fall before ripening. Could you suggest anything?

Thanks
Lonie

Hi Lonie,
Aphids are best repelled by applying Coccinella septempunctata or the Lady bug, in potency 6X, diluted as above in the first answer. Leafcurl points to nutrient deficiency. Apply old cow dung as in answer number 2 above and see what happens. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. If you live Down Under, now is the time to apply both the dung and the remedy.

Success!
Kaviraj

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Dear Kaviraj,

Can you tell me what to do if I have slugs eating the tomatoes on my tomato plants. They seem to eat at night.
Thanks
Irma Boyle

Hi Irma,

Slugs and snails are voracious eaters and can wreck havoc in the garden. Helix tosta in a 6X potency will send them to the neighbours – who then can be introduced to homoeopathy for plants too.
Alternatively, if you are careful in spraying, snails and slugs can be set to work for you. Avoid studiously to spray the weeds and the snails and slugs will start eating them, for lack of any better.

Success!
Kaviraj.