Ask the Plant Doctor – January 2010

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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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.

*Sucussion  : Shake vigorously with powerful downward strokes on a flexible but firm surface.

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Ed:  Below these Q & A there are more articles on plants and homeopathy .

Dear plant doctor,

I am hoping for a homeopathic treatment to get rid of horehound and marshmallow. I pulled out all the horehound plants last year in a paddock that has since been intermittently grazed by ponies. This year as the warm weather has come on, the plants are emerging again in bare patches where the soil was disturbed from over grazing and a new fence. The plants are small as yet and much less than last year, but his time I would like to spray them! I would be grateful for any suggestions

With thanks

Judy Medlrum

Dear Judy,

Weeds can be got rid of in several ways. First you can use any of the following          3 acids – Citric acid, Acetic acid or Oxalic acid. These are part of the respiration-cycle in plants and by disturbing it the plants cannot survive. Citric acid must be given twice in a row in the evening. Acetic acid or Oxalic acid should be given in the morning, twice in a row on successive days.

Not all plants can be eradicated like that though, so it is wise to also have Juglans nigra or Juglone at hand. These latter 2 remedies inhibit the germination of seeds, so it is imperative to use them 48 hours BEFORE you plant any other seeds. After 48 hours, the remedy has been absorbed by the seeds in the ground and the residue has been destroyed by UV light. Then it is safe to plant other seeds.

Dear Kaviraj

I was hoping you could suggest a remedy for my apple trees, they are three years old, five types with the same problem.  The problem is, when the fruit is ripe and falling from the trees, it is sour and has a slight powdery after taste. I feed the trees with homemade compost and blood and bone before flowering.  The fruits are only small probably due to their age. They are in full sun, are in a bed of their own which is kept moist, free draining, and is mulched. Last year one suffered from “rust” on the leaves which Belladonna cured very quickly.  A few this year have moth damage and one has a “scab” on it.

Thank you for your time,

Lonie

Dear Lonie,

It is wise to spray the trees with Silicea 6X at the beginning of flowering. This will ensure more flowers and fruits and will eradicate any mould, scab and rust this year. Do not spray the trees more than once – if so, you will get no fruits at all.
Dear Kaviraj,

I had been wondering about homeopathic fertilization of plants and was very excited when you wrote about ferrum metallicum 6x, and silicea 6x, for fertilization this month.  Would these two remedies suffice, or is there a combination which I could mix in the watering can to fertilize the plants?  Is there a difference in the ingredients for fertilization of indoor and outdoor plants, and vegetable gardens?

Thanks so much.

Marilyn Freedman, DHMHS  HD

Dear Marilyn,

Depending what fertiliser your plants need, you can adapt the remedies from that. In the case of flowering plants, Phosphorus is best. In the case of plants that bear fruit, a single dose of Silicea will ensure more flowers and thus more fruits. The Biodyn organisation has a product, B501, which is also Silicea, but made in a different manner. It is a good alternative and has been in use for at least 80 years.

If a plant requires another fertiliser – such as nitrogen or potassium, Nitric acid in a single dose is useful or Kali-carb, Kali phos, or Kali sulph.

Ed. note:   See “Homoeopathic Remedies As Fertilisers” below

Dear Kaviraj,

Last summer I grew some wonderful peppers, but then aphids attacked the plants. I wasn’t able to find ladybugs to thwart them. Is there another solution to the aphid problem?

Thank you!

Sally Lyons – North Carolina

Dear Sally,

You can buy Coccinella 6X from the homoeopathic store. It is made of ladybugs and will repel all aphids from any plant. Another way is the gauzefly, Syphilinida, which is available from some dealers in IPM – Integrated Pest Management. There are firms that breed predators and they can be ordered straight from them. With that batch of insects you can make a remedy yourself. Grind the insects up in a mortar and pestle, with some lactose or sucrose, for about 1 hour. Dissolve the sugar in water and dilute 1:10. Give 10 succussions and from the mixture obtained again dilute 1:10, with the same 10 succussions. Repeat till the 6^th decimal solution. See above for the further instructions of use. At the top of the page these can be found.

Dear  Mr. Kaviraj

In the winter months I grow wheatgrass indoors. I juice it and my cats eat it. The last few times I planted, my trays molded over.  What can I do?

Appreciatively

Steven Payne

Dear Steven,

One solution is to boil your trays for 20 minutes, to eradicate all traces of hyphae from the mould. Another is to soak the seeds overnight in a solution of Silicea 6X – instructions on dilution at the top of the page. This should both grow stronger seedlings and eradicate the mould.

Homeopathy For Farm And Garden By V.D. Kaviraj Is Now Available In German:

Homoeopathie Für Garten Und Landwirtschaft

http://www.narayana-verlag.de/Homoeopathie-fuer-Garten-und-Landwirtschaft/Kaviraj-Vaikunthanath-Das/b4671

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3 files to download (OpenOffice Format)

Soil | Nutrient Imbalance | Remedies and Fertilizers

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V.D. Kaviraj is a Dutch homeopath, author, researcher and pioneer in Agrohomeopathy. He has written textbooks on various aspects of homeopathy including “Homeopathy for Farm and Garden”.

Homeopathy for Farm and Garden is now available in German:

Homoeopathie für Garten und Landwirtschaft

http://www.narayana-verlag.de/Homoeopathie-fuer-Garten-und-Landwirtschaft/Kaviraj-Vaikunthanath-Das/b4671