View Single Post
Old August 8, 2010   #3
b54red
Tomatovillian™
 
b54red's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
Default

I have been using a dilute solution of Clorox for over 5 years and have found it the most effective treatment for foliage diseases. I have tried most of the commercial fungicides over the years and found that for diseases that are already established none have been very good. The Clorox spray will not help with systemic diseases but I have found it very effective on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, squash,onions and roses for most foliar diseases.
I mix 8 ounces of regular strength into one full gallon of water which gives approximately a 6% solution. Make sure to spray late in the day to reduce the chance of leaf burn. Make sure to use a fine spray and get the undersides of the leaves and the stems. I have used a stronger solution of between 7 and 8 percent during those rare times when it rains nearly every day for weeks but this increases the risk of some leaf burn; but I am usually desperate to slow the diseases down during those times.
If you spray this on plants with extensive disease you may be alarmed at the number of leaves that will wither and die within a couple of days; but your healthy growth should show no damage and will actually improve and if the plant doesn't have some kind of systemic disease it will continue to grow and produce. I use daconil as a preventative but eventually the Clorox becomes necessary and I occaisionaly use the daconil a few days after the Clorox spray if there isn't too much rain.
b54red is offline   Reply With Quote