Agro Homeopathy

The Plant Doctor – September 2021

Written by Radko Tichavsky

The Plant Doctor, Radko Tichavsky, answers questions this month on diseases in Dahalias, mold on strawberries, growing healthy Ash trees, bottom rot on tomatoes, and sick grape vines. Send questions by the 6th of the month to [email protected]

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]

Editor’s Note: JT (Jenichen/Tichavsky) potency is centesimal dilution followed by 500 succussions or five hundred continuous turns with a wooden stick to the right and 500 turns to the left (if handling larger volume). The JT potency frequently has a better reaction in plants and it is very important in preparation of live bionosodes.

Greetings Mr. Tichavsky,
I planted strawberries last year and had an excellent crop, but my current crop has grey mold on the fruit.  I’m in Cinnaminson New Jersey (U. S.) Zipcode 08077.     I don’t use any chemical pesticides or herbicides.

Summer High: the July high is around 87 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 24
Rain: averages 47 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 12 inches of snow a year


Thank you
Sheila Aronowitz

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear Sheila,
In this case we are dealing with a disease caused by Botrytis cinerea, which can cause losses of up to 50% of production, frustrating many growers. It is important to keep a good distance between plants to ensure good aeration, and remove damaged fruits and leaves and then burning them. It is also important not to use sprinkler irrigation and replace it with drip irrigation, which is more suitable for strawberries.

As far as homeopathic remedies are concerned you can apply Calcarea carbonica 6 CH in addition to Pinus silvestris resinae at potency 4 JT. This remedy is made from pine resin prepared in alcohol ™ , in this case ethyl alcohol at 97%. After a week of extraction, it is then dynamized in water and applied by micro-spraying foliarly and on the fruits alternately with Borax 6 CH once a week or every two weeks.


Hello Mr. Tichavsky,
There are two problems that I faced this year. I live in San Diego, CA, USA

  • Three of my grape vines have exhibited severe disease that include Powdery mildew and some other fungal infections. In all three the fruits were completely destroyed. In one the fruits started to crack after achieving 50% of the mature size and then slowly dried up. The stem of this plant has the black spots that seems to be on the epidermis only since it can be scratched off. Last year this tree was infected with scale insects and I had used Petroleum 30C with good results. This year the insects did not return but the fungus destroyed it. Photos are enclosed. All three have very similar issues. Any advice is appreciated.
  • I love Dahlias but never have good luck in keeping them disease free. I grow them in the ground, in pots and raised beds. After the first crop in spring, they usually suffer from leaf miners, powdery mildew and soon have white spots on the leaves. The leaves are seldom lush green. Obviously when all these diseases manifest the flower yield decreases and in some cases are distorted.

When leaves turn chalky, I have used Calcarea Carb 30C with good success. However they soon suffer from Mildew and the cycle continues. Photos are enclosed. Any help is appreciated.

Temperature in San Diego:

Average monthly temperatures range from 57.3 °F (14.1 °C)

Precipitation:

In San Diego the average annual precipitation is less than 12 inches. Rainfall is strongly concentrated in the cooler half of the year, particularly the months December through March.
Regards,
Vijay    

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear Vijai,
For the affections on grapes caused by Uncinula necator you can use the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris dynamized at potency 6 JT applied once every two weeks by spraying. It is also important to maintain a good inoculation of the vines with mycorhizic fungi such as Funneliformis mosseae mixed with Glomus spp.and apply once every two weeks Phosphorus 6 CH foliarly.

Applications of Reynoutria sachalinensis (Pllygonaceae) at 4 JT potency help control this pathogenic fungus and also prevent future infections by increasing the ability of grapevine plants to develop systemic resistance.

Another possibility is the application of wild grape endophytic fungi Albifimbria verrucaria. Live bionosode is prepared from wild grapevine leaves in non-chlorinated water and foliar applied at 4 JT potency on the crop plants.

As far as Dahlia sp. is concerned, the application of Calcarea carbonica is correct, but at the potency 6 CH, moreover to control fungi belonging of ascomycetes such as Botrytis spp. forming clusters of collaboration with oomycetes commonly known as “water molds” Pythium sp. and Phytophthora sp. and also the fungi Fusarium sp. or Rhizoctonia sp., it is required to remove and compost very well or burn the damaged leaves since the disease overwinters in the infected dead plant material and reinserts itself to the plants of the next cycle.

It is important to keep nitrogen levels low as excess nitrogen produces large, soft-surfaced tissues susceptible to fungal attack.  Applications of Ganoderma lucidum 4 JT can quickly control the problem.

To control leaf miners, look for Tilandsia usneoides, an epiphytic plant, which is commonly used in Christmas decorations. Prepare a mother tincture and apply at 4 JT strength which will quickly dry out the leaf miner (this usually happens 24 hours after application) and leave your leaves intact.


Hi Mr. Tichavsky,
Some friends have recently purchased land in Wales that has a lot of ash trees.

Do you have any management advice and homeopathic remedies please?

The warm season lasts for 2.9 months, from June 12 to September 10, with an average daily high temperature above 65°F.

The cool season lasts for 4.0 months, from November 16 to March 15, with an average daily high temperature below 49°F.

Rainfall:

Precipitation is abundant on the south-western coast and in inland hills, where it exceeds 1,500 millimeters (60 inches) per year, while it drops to 850-1,000 mm (33-40 in) on the remaining coasts.
Thank you,
Caroline

Radko Tichavsky,

Dear Carolina,
The basic condition to preserve a healthy development of any tree, including ash trees, is not to disturb the soil, i.e. not to disturb the soil layers, not to remove the surrounding plants and not to remove fallen leaves in autumn. Secondly, it is very important to apply and keep mycorhizae alive in the soil, as they prolong the roots, facilitate the connection with other plants, increase the availability of nutrients (phosphorus for example) and elaborate the systemic resistance of the trees to pests, diseases and increases their resilience to climate change.

One of the most important genera is Glomus spp. for example Glomus etunicatum, Glomus macrocarpum or Glomus fasciculatum. The good news is that you do not need to buy them anywhere.

Just select the largest and and oldest Fraxinus sp. (ash tree) on or near your property, collect the mulch from the first 5 centimeters of the soil under this tree, soak this sample in non-chlorinated water, filter the content, add a little carbonated water and perform the dynamization at the potency 2 or 3 JT applying at each step the dilution in the ratio of 1:100 together with 500 vigorous successions.

In case of larger volumes of water, the succussions are substituted by 500 turns to the right and 500 turns to the left carried out with a wooden stick.

The remedy is applied only once on the soil around the trees in the autumn season.


Dear Dr. Tichavsky,
We planted tomatoes this year but they quickly developed bottom end rot.  We expect to have more tomatoes emerge this season.  It there anything we can do to stop the problem?

My garden is in Eastbourne, in East Sussex, UK. (Mailing code 01323). Temperatures average around 50F in March and go up to 68 F in August. Precipitation here is about 931 mm | 36.7 inch per year.


Thank you
William Thompson

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear William,
In this case it is not a disease but a physiological disorder due to nutritional deficiencies, mainly calcium deficiency. In addition, it can be a too high or too low pH in the soil where your tomato plants are growing. Tomatoes require the soil pH to be approximately 6.5, i.e. moderately acidic. If your soil is too alkaline you can add a few drops of vinegar to the water at each watering to correct the pH.

This condition can also be worsened by excess nitrogen fertilization, so synthetic nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided (industrial fertilizers can also produce increased salinity which is another condition that triggers the problem). Also, the application of animal excrement and its derivatives should be avoided.

Nitrogen imbalances (excesses) decrease phosphorus bioavailability and decrease calcium fixation in plants.

Calcarea phosphorica at 6 CH potency should be applied alternately with Vitamin C at 4 CH potency and Natrum muriaticum 30 CH applied foliar and on the fruits in formation 2 times a week.

If your tomato plants are supported by wires or horizontal lines, shaking them once a day (e.g. with a wooden bar) helps to trigger the calcium pumps in the plants and increase their uptake into the cells.


Hi Mr. Tichavsky,
We grow apples here in Midway, Kentucky (near Lexington Kentucky). (mailing code 40347 ).  We don’t sell them commercially but grow them instead for ourselves, friends and relatives. This season our apples became infected with apple scab.  Can you suggest how we might prevent this in the future?

The climate in Midway Kentucky: The summers are warm and humid; the winters are short, very cold, and wet; and it is partly cloudy year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 26°F to 86°F and is rarely below 10°F or above 93°F.


Thank you
George Ryan

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear George,
The disease is caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis (Ascomycete). You can apply Salix babylonica 3 JT alternated with essential oil of Cinnamomum verum at 3 JT potency. Four applications per month will be enough to diminish and fix the condition.

The disease is transmitted through fallen and infected leaves and is perpetuated in the following year. The ill leaves should then be treated in the fall with the two homeopathic preparations mentioned above, and should be removed before snowfall, and burned or composted. After the compost matures and before it is spread in the garden, the application of the two homeopathic remedies should be carried out again.

It is also important to prune correctly the trees to open enough light access to the canopy as UV rays interfere with the development of fungal conidia of Venturia inequalis.

About the author

Radko Tichavsky

Radko Tichavsky was born in the Czech republic. He has lived in Mexico for more than 25 years and is one of the most important agrohomeopaths in Latin America. He is the author of the book "Manual de Agrohomeopatia", a homeopathy book on plants. Radko teaches agrohomeopathy in several countries and regularly publishes articles in special journals and internet portals. He works as a researcher and teacher at the university and has already taught agrohomeopathy to many students. He is the director of the Comenius Institute (comenius.edu.mx). More details can be found in the following interview: http://hpathy.com/homeopathic-interviews/radko-tichavsky/

2 Comments

  • So, JT potency is, still 1/100 dilution but 500 succussion instead of 30-40, right. First time I heard of it. What is JT stands for?

  • Dear Mr. Tichavsky,

    Please can you help. I have a morello cherry tree in front of my house, it was much loved by my late husband, so I really don’t want to lose it.

    Last Autumn I found that it was suffering from honey fungus. I couldn’t find any relevant advise. I don’t know how I arrived at the conclusion, but I made a dilution of thuja 30c and dulcamara 6c and hoped for the best. However, this Spring I found some fungus in amongst the dead leaves at the base of the tree, and I fear the worst for this Autumn.

    I live in Cheshire, in the North of England.

    Please can you advise?

    Yours sincerely,

    Marie Whitham.

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