Ask the Plant Doctor – November 2010

Each month V.D. Kaviraj will answer 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.

Hello Doctor,

I applied Silicea 3C to the soil by spray and presently the plant grew vigorously. The stem height 50% is more than the control plants. The flower stem is thick and straight, and the stem nearly 29 cm in length. The color is so beautiful. Your research is the 8th wonder of world.

I have one quart of 10 gram availed for the mountain side. How do I produce Silicea liquid mother tincture? Which are the right raw materials to use? Silica tera, quartz, rock crust, flint? Rock crust (silicon dioxide micronized powder 99.9%) is easily available. Thank you for for your valuable advice.
Thiyagarajan

Hi Thiyagarajan,

You must be very happy with those results! Thank you for sending me those pics. Do you also have pics of the controls that received no Silicea? Then it can be nicely compared. Here is how to make the tincture and potencies of Silicea. Rock dust (99% Si2O) is quite ok to use making Silicea.

Take 1 part of rock dust to 9 parts of lactose (sugar of milk). 1 gram of Si2O is mixed with 3 grams of lactose and ground for 1 hour in the mortar and pestle. After 1 hour add another 3 grams of lactose and repeat the trituration for 1 hour. Then add the last 3 grams of lactose and again repeat grinding for 1 hour.

This is dissolved in water. After dissolution, add 50% medicinal alcohol. This is your tincture. From the tincture, you take 1ml to 9 ml of water or alcohol and give 10 succussions. This is 1X. From the 1X take 1 ml and mix with 9 ml of alcohol. Again give 10 succussions. This is 2X. Repeat this procedure till you come to 6X, which must receive 50 succussions. This is the potency used on the soil in the manner you already know.

Dear Dr. Kaviraj
I have a Lime plant at home that’s almost 5 yrs old. It is 2 feet tall and does not flower. Some say it is a male plant and won’t give fruit, but I doubt that. Also what is the best way to make any given soil fertile? Thank you and keep up the great work.

Warm Regards,
Vinod P. D.

Hi Vinod,

You can give your plant some Phosphorus. Water it on the roots as described above at the beginning of this column and see the results.

Dear Dr. Kaviraj,

If I want to use Zinc for potato scab next year, how should I apply it? On the soil before I plant potatoes, or on the plants once they come up?

Thank you,
Ingrid

Hi Ingrid,

You water the remedy onto the roots of the plant once they are in the ground.

Dear Dr Kaviraj,

Cuscuta reflexa (parasitic plant) is sucking nourishment from my mango trees and hedge plants resulting in their destruction. We are unable to eradicate this menace by mechanical means. Can you suggest some homeopathic spray to prevent its growth and root out this problem from my home garden.
Thank you,
Dr. V.N. Bhargava – India

Dear Dr. Bhargava,

You can use Juglans nigra, to curb the spread and growth of the weed. Make sure you don’t water too much, because you do not want to also suppress your trees and hedge. So water them with the remedy as little as possible, but make sure the roots of the parasite get a dose.

Dear Kaviraj,

Leaves in my pumpkin plants have started showing whiteness along their veins which is of immediate concern to me. Also, is there such a thing as a general purpose homeopathic spray for either fungi or insects? I’m in Northern India. Thank you

Ramanuj

Hi Ramanuj

Yes, there is a general purpose remedy, which is Silicea. This is a general anti-fungal remedy, which is applicable to many fungi. However, fungi can have symptoms not covered by Silicea, in which case Carbo veg or Salicylic acid may need to be used.