Radko Tichavsky is a Czech born Mexican Agrohomeopath. He is a co-founder and director of Instituto Comenius in Mexico and author of Handbook of Agrohomeopathy, 2007 (Spanish) and Homeopathy for Plants, 2009 (Spanish), Organon de la Holohomeopatía and creator and teacher of Holohomeopathy.
He is now offering a one semester virtual course in Holohomeopathy (in English). You can learn how to define and analyze holons and how to repertorize the specific homeopathic treatment beyond just disease or pest names. You can find out more here: www.icomenius.edu.mx
NEW BOOK:
Organon de la Holohomeopatía
Six years in the making, it is the latest book by Radko Tichavsky, researcher on the application of homeopathy in agriculture. This Spanish language book covers homeopathic interventions in agriculture from the holistic view, allowing greater certainty in repertorizations. It addresses a novel concept of metabolic similarity, not only among plants, but also among different species of the animal and plant kingdom. It studies the formation and dynamics of attractors, areas of greater vitality within the holons and coexistence units of different living organisms Holohomeopathy is a fascinating contribution to the application of homeopathy to plants. It allows one to discover a universe of surprising relations in vital dynamism. It puts into the hands of the agricultural producer, a valuable tool for the successful handling of pests and diseases in crops of any size. For ordering or information: [email protected]
Dear Mr. Tichavsky,
My squash plants have lots of big green healthy-looking leaves, but only male flowers are being produced. The females never open to get pollinated, and so no squash (Zuccini) are being produced. I’m in Camden New Jersey, (USA) (zip 08030) with moderate rainfall and up to 90’s F in the summer. I give them plenty of water.
Thank you
Gerald
Radko Tichavsky:
Dear Gerald,
The advice on this occasion does not require homeopathy, but rather cutting the male leaves (which have the thinnest and longest stem), leaving only two male flowers per plant. By cutting the male flowers, the plant will proceed to produce the female flowers (those with a slightly thicker ovary underneath the flower), which will eventually bear fruit. Remember to keep a good humidity and a low mulching of the plants and place some Calendula, Sage, Basil, Thyme and other aromatic plants around to attract pollinators (bees, bumblebees and others) who will finally make possible the pollination. The male flowers can be prepared in a stew by adding a little olive oil, and onions to enrich your vegetarian dishes.
Hi Radko,
We planted a small crop of cabbage for the first time this year, and it’s growing nicely, but many of the leaves have holes in them. Some leaves have been totally destroyed. I have not seen any caterpillars or other insects that could account for it, but they’re probable there. What is the holistic solution to this problem? We are in Vermillion Valley, Ohio (U.S.) (ZIP- 44089). Temperatures go to the low 80’s (Fahrenheit) in the summer. We get gets 38 inches of rain a year and 40 inches of snow.
Many thanks!
Gracie
Radko Tichavsky:
Dear Gracie,
The damage on your cabbages seems to be produced by snails. There are very small species of snails, which work at night and during the day they hide from the heat of the sun on the soil making it difficult to detect them.
In organic farming, traps are traditionally placed in the form of plates with a bit of craft beer and every morning the snails have to be removed manually.
Another way frequently recommended in the agrohomeopathic repertoires is the application of the homeopathic remedy Helix tosta (elaborated from the burnt lastura of a snail).
This remedy has only palliative character since the snails are quickly learning how to distinguish between the smell of burnt snail (unpleasant for them) and the danger of the real fire. And after a while they do not react to the remedy in any way.
In holohomeopathy there are many effective remedies, for example Euphorbia splendens var. hislopii, also known as the “Crown of Christ”, is a relatively easy to get plant, and like all Euphorbiaceae plants it produces a latex, toxic to snails. However, this does not affect other parts of the holon nor the plants.
You have to collect about 30 drops of latex and place it in 20 ml of 30% alcohol and let it extract for a week. Then dynamize the remedy to the potency 3JT, ie perform dilution in water in proportion 1:100 making 500 vigorous succussions and getting 2 liters of potency 1 JT, then put these two liters in 200 liters of water and make 500 vigorous turns to the right and 500 vigorous turns to the left with a wooden stick. Then use this water as irrigation water for the vegetables.
Dear Dr. Tichavsky,
My cucumbers vines have these yellow beetles and also red beetles which are eating other flowering plants. I live in Toronto, Canada. The temperature here now is 26 degrees C (78F), sunny, not too much rain.
Thank you
Ranjit Grewal
Radko Tichavsky:
Dear Ranjit,
The yellow beetle in your picture is Acalymma vittatum (Yellow Striped Cucumber Beetle). It is a specialist herbivore (preference for cucumber and muskmelon). Adult beetles feed on leaves, stems, and flowers and lay eggs. Hatched larvae move underground and feed on roots.
Adult A.vittatum can transmit bacterial wilt disease (Erwinia tracheiphila) that is usually devastating to crops. This beetle reduces the plant’s attraction of pollinators and even the proliferation of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi.
The best choice of holohomeopathic intervention always lies in the connections in your holon. Increasing overall diversity in the holon improves plant resilience to pathogens. In this sense the best treatment options are always derived from the resources of the holon.
When plant-herbivore-microbial pathogens coevolve in time together in the same area, they all develop various survival and fitness strategies.
This is not the case of Cucumis sativus, which is native to Southern Asia and was introduced into a temperate climate. It requires a warm climate with the optimal temperature about 30C.
E. tracheiphila does not reproduce well in hotter climates, but in temperate climates its vitality is enhanced, especially when the crops are genetically homogenous and are monocrops.
Moreover, it appears that E. tracheiphila is developing abilities to manipulate both the host (cucumber) and the vector (beetle). The cucumber plant cannot produce acquired resistance response, but instead produces in its leaves the volatile organic compounds (VOC) that attracts yellow striped cucumber beetles, and even induces its compulsory feeding on this plant.
The beetles also accumulate large amounts of the plant’s cucurbitacins (secondary metabolites from cucumber), which makes them non-palatable to potential predators, parasitoids or nematodes.
To control the Yellow Striped Cucumber Beetle it will be helpful to do interplanting/companion planting, or border planting with species that can deter the beetles, as well as plant traps (Blue Hubbard squash, which is more attractive to A.vittatum and also invite natural predators like spider Phidippus andax by planting Lantana camara, Salvia sp., and Rumex sp.
Holohomeopathic strategies include application of living bionosode of beneficial bacteria and the use of antifeedants and deterrant remedies.
The living bionosode of beneficial bacteria to use against A. vittatum can be produced from the following plants: Ananas comosus, Glycine max, Oryza sativa, Sacharum officinarum.
Boil some rice, then let it cool to room temperature. Add a small amount of either rice sprouts, or soybean sprouts (organic ones are better), or easier – ananas leaves or saccharum stem (fresh juicing stores have it); blend together, cover with fabric, leave for 24 hours at room temperature, then take 20ml of this, dilute in 2L of water and shake vigorously 500 times.
Then dilute that depending on the volume you need in 1:100 proportion for example 1L to 99L of water – or 200ml in 19.8 L(a standard bucket), stir it making 500 rotations with a wooden stick clockwise, and then the 500 counterclockwise. Then spray it on the plants and the soil.
As antifeedants remedies you can use Cedrela odorata 6 CH elaborated from essential oil, Melia azedarach (elaborated from the seeds of this tree), Nux vomica 6 CH, Berberis vulgaris 6 CH, Hydrastis canadiensis 6 CH, or Larrea tridentata 12 CH
Dear Dr. Tichavsky,
My garden soil has leeches. Do they serve any useful purpose for the soil? They wander into my house frequently. Kindly suggest how to keep them away. I live in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India and the temperature here currently is: Max 36 C , Min 28 C. Mailing code: 247667
Thank you
Gurucharan
Radko Tichavsky:
Dear Gurucharan,
The land leeches you possibly have in your soil are called the jawed leches or Gnatbobdellida. They have jaws equipped with teeth with which they bite the host, normally feeding on insect larvae, snails, crustaceans and other worms, controlling their populations. They occasionally parasitize humans and their natural enemies are birds, frogs, turtles and even dragonflies.
To quickly repel them from their land you can use a mixture of apple vinegar diluted in water mixed with essential oil of Eucalyptus globosus dynamized to the potency 3 CH. Or you can simply apply a dilution of some potassium soap in water. Lavender essential oil, Melaleuca alternifolia oil (tea tree) all dynamizated at 3 CH potency also work effectively.
Leeches produce vasodilators and anticoagulants such as the enzyme compound hirundin and are an important source of homeopathic remedies for humans.
Dear Mr. Tichavsky,
For some reason there are very few pollinating insects this year where I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (U.S.) (19148). My small garden crops of pumpkin, squash and cucumber are not producing vegetables. Is there a way to attract pollinating insects? The weather is hot (90 F) but there is sufficient rainfall.
Thank you
Elana Rossi
Radko Tichavsky
Dear Elana,
The pollinators of which the most important is Apis mellifera actively respond to aggregation hormones or also called semiochemicals.
These substances occur naturally and more intensively in so-called honey plants and especially in aromatic plants. In the case of Apis mellifera there are four substances of aggregation: citral, geraniol, nerolic acid and geranic acid.
The first thing you should do to attract pollinators to your garden is to plant not only economically important plants but also some plants that will attract pollinators.
They will beautify your garden and attract pollinators powerfully, and maybe it would not be a bad idea to put a small electric fountain with clean water somewhere in your garden so that they can drink water.
Once the bees and other pollinators arrive in your garden, attracted by the smell of the attractant plants, then they will do their pollination work on the cucurbit plants as well.
Cucurbitaceous plants are an attraction for bees, bumblebees and other pollinators, but their scent unfortunately does not have a long range and insects may find it difficult to locate them.
If we add to this picture the massive and widespread application of insecticides in agriculture (especially neonicotinoids, which are particularly harmful to bees and bumblebees), together with climate changes, it is easy to understand why many insects are approaching extinction (including bees).
Aromatic species such as Melissa, Rose, Coriander, Mugwort, Oregano, Basil, Thymus, Lantana camara, Lavender, Citrus, Cymbopogon citratus, Salvia spp., Carrot amd Mint, can perform this job of attraction since they contain precisely the four semio-chemicals responsible for the aggregation of bees: citral, geraniol, nerolic acid and geranic acid.
Another way of attracting pollinators that you can do in parallel is to apply sprayed Propoleo 3 CH on the crops. One application per week is enough to attract a large number of pollinators.
