[CH] Re: Aphids
Allen L Marshall (crataegus@yhc.edu)
Sun, 1 Feb 1998 04:24:50 -0500
>I use the contents of many an ashtray. Put all the
>butts in a 5 litre bottle and fill it with water.
>Let it soak and ferment for about a week.
I can see a few problems with this mix being used on tomatoes and peppers.
They are as follows:
1. Increased risk of fusarium wilt, TMV, TEV, and other viri that affect
Solanaceae.
2. That oh so wonderful aroma of fermented tobacco tea. I chainsmoke, and
while I use tobacco tea for whiteflies on some of my house plants, I throw
it out as soon as possible.
3. The ash will clog the spray bottle unless it is well filtered through
many layers of fine cloth. (You can use coffee filters, but it's a long
wait for all the juice to come down. If you spill any ash over the top of
the filter, it'll still get into the nozzle.)
4. Not everyone smokes. Those that don't might not want to go around
begging friends for their habit-leavings. Sure, you could buy a package of
tobacco (like Top, Bugler, etc.), but why?
I've heard that woodash helps prevent a lot of insect infestations.
However, not everyone has a fireplace either. (Ash from the smoker,
maybe?) I don't know how effective woodash is against aphids.
--
<mailto:crataegus@yhc.edu>
Allen Marshall