Copper Sulphate is an old natural garden remedy that has many practical uses. It is also one of the main ingredients of Bordeaux (no this is not a wine!), once the most commonly used fungicides available to gardeners. This was made up of one table spoon of bluestone, one & a half tablespoons of hydrated or quicklime to five litres of water. This solution can be made up a little stronger or weaker depending on the sensitivity of the plants you wish to spray, as some plants will burn easier than others, & we don’t want burnt plants now do we! If there is any doubt about likely damage, do a bit of test spraying first just to be sure that you won’t total your plant. This was originally used in Bordeaux, France for the protection of grape vines (what else?) from fungus diseases as well as protection from some insect pests. This spray being totally organic can protect your plants from such things as Mildew, & Black spot to name just a few.
Copper Sulphate is also ideal for protecting plants such as tomatoes from fungal diseases by adding a teaspoonful to the hole when planting out seedlings (remember unless you have a surplus of teaspoons, please remove the teaspoon), BUT, as with all young plants, roots are tender & should not be put in direct contact with the copper, as the roots are likely to burn off rather quickly. If the Copper Sulphate is buried into the ground first the plants roots will pick up a dilute solution & this will give the plant an inner protection.
NOW HERE”S THE BIGGY!!!!!
Slugs & snails hate this stuff! A tablespoon full dissolved in 5 litres of water & then sprayed around any areas that snails & slugs cross to get at your lovely plants. The copper causes these greeblies to get an electric shock when they try to cross it. If you are a real sadist, you may want to double the dose (Ha Ha Ha Ha ). Certainly a regular spray around the outside of your house will prevent the beasties from entering & then it is only a matter of dealing with those within. |
