Diluted Bleach as Spray? - Page 8

Gerardo · July 25, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

That is some pricey stuff.

Bill

How can we make the transition away from conventional products, if these companies keep dancing to the Genentech-pricing-scheme-boogie?

I understand fungal cultures are tricky and bioreactors are expensive toys, but come on.

I guess formulating it RT-stable is the big leap and hence the pricing, but still, ouch.

Cole_Robbie · July 25, 2015

I can understand the sticker shock. I doubt I used half the bottle, though. A little goes a long way.

I remember once trying to find an herbicide that would kill the grass around pumpkins without killing the vines. Prices were all over the place. Some products were $200-300 for a quart bottle. I never did order any of them.

noinwi · August 4, 2015

Well, I hope I was in time to save my plants. Whatever the crud turns out to be...gray mold, septoria, whatever, I didn't spray right away and it spread like wildfire. I only have 12 plants but most in little clumps and the clumps are a few feet from one an other. Some are in containers, some in raised beds. I have one plant that is not affected at all and it is about 8ft north of the rest of the plants in a 5gal bucket. It gets pretty breezy here at times and the wind is usually moving East or West...I'm assuming the one good plant is out of the line of 'fire', so to speak.

I did spray once last week but I messed up the mixture. I grabbed a 1/4c measuring cup instead of a 1/2c one(using Clorox Concentrated 8.25%) and didn't realize it until I went to put it away. It did kill off some of the diseased leaves but not many and I couldn't get back out there to spray a proper concentration due to my body's 'fatigue schedule' and the hot weather we've been having(I'm usually watering mid-day). So last night I forced myself to mix up about 4.5oz in a gallon of water and went to town on my plants. I even hit the unaffected plant but just toward the bottom. Some of the plants were already spotting at the top and bloom trusses were crispy. Hearts seemed to have mostly the(whatever)spot, where my potato leaf plants seemed to have both spot and(maybe) gray mold(black leaf edges and margins, rag-like wilting). My rugose plants(Czech's Bush) seemed to be more resistant and showed only slight spotting and yellowing. Anyway my one gallon sprayer was enough to go over everything twice(and my one rose bush).
Today I was afraid of what I'd find but I still had plants(yay). I went about removing A LOT of foliage and branches. You could definitely see where the stem damage was. My potato leafs(Black Sea Man)did not start out with heavy foliage to begin with so they're looking pretty sad. My one Sun Gold is bare 3/4 of the way up. The hearts are still looking ok...they just look like I was pruning for air circulation. My two Bradleys are looking a bit bare too. We're having a bit of a cool down right now but if the heat picks up I'll have to put up some type of shade cloth because I have several large toms on that I don't want to loose to sun scald which has already happened to a few.
My few pepper plants are unaffected in spite of being in the middle of the carnage.
So I have a couple questions after all this. Should I give everything a fert boost to get new growth started? I have two types of MG, one higher in N, and one higher in P.
How soon should I use fungicide? Tonight when it cools down or should I use the bleach spray again?
Thanks Bill for all this info...I'm just trying to wrap my little pea-brain around it.

namwah · October 17, 2015

Agree.

b54red · October 18, 2015

Just for the record. I used the DE mixed with soapy water and added some Permethrin to it and it did a fantastic job on spider mites, whiteflies and leaf footed bugs. The great thing about the mix was the Permethrin worked fast on things but the DE had a much longer lasting affect. I didn't start seeing a return of insects until nearly three weeks later after a couple of heavy rains that washed most of the DE completely off the plants. I found that the DE needed to be mixed at a rate of about 2/3rds of a cup of DE to a gallon of water and strained into the sprayer to prevent clogging. This stronger mix gave a much heavier coating of DE to the leaves which was much more effective than adding a few tablespoons to the gallon.

The only real problem I see with using the DE is that it seems to affect almost all insects in the garden both good and bad; but now I am seeing a good return of ladybugs and lacewings without many of the more problem bugs now that it is cooler. Next year at the first sign of leaf footed bugs, whiteflies or spider mites I plan on coating everything with the DE solution plus Permethrin and get them under control early, instead of waiting til they are a real problem.

Since it is so late in the season now with nights finally getting down into the 40s I am only using the bleach spray to control fall mold issues and I have only used that once in the past couple of weeks.

I have some fall cucumbers and beans which are usually eaten alive by whiteflies but that one spraying a month or so ago with the DE solution has kept them away.

Bill

bajaOne · November 3, 2015

For us newbies DE is?

kunosoura · November 3, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by bajaOne

For us newbies DE is?

diatomaceous earth

BlackBear · November 3, 2015

I say ! ... this thread is very interesting in the "Flex" treatment and mixes..

using the "science treatment " ....but the "Art " of application ....

namwah · November 4, 2015

I meant to say I agree that this bleach spray should be a sticky.
Ever since I read the post by B54red, I have included chlorine spray in my arsenal to fight fungus here in central Florida. It works surprisingly well if you can stay on a regular schedule. I also use copper and daconil. Thank you B54red.

Zenbaas · November 4, 2015

How much should be used per gallon if there Is a 3.5% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite in the bleach?

Also any though on using milk solutions to combat fungus as well?

b54red · November 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenbaas

How much should be used per gallon if there Is a 3.5% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite in the bleach?

Also any though on using milk solutions to combat fungus as well?

I have never seen bleach with that low a percentage of sodium hypochlorite. The one I use has 8.25% and I add 5 oz. to a full gallon of water along with a little dishwashing soap. I would think you would need slightly over twice that amount but I would experiment with it first before using it wholesale on all my plants. Are you sure about the concentration? I always use the Clorox brand because they are usually more consistent in quality than some other brands.

Bill

Zenbaas · November 6, 2015

Thanks Bill. We unfortunately don't have the Clorox brand in South Africa. I looked through many brands here and from what I could see 3.5% was actually the highest. Go figure.

loulac · November 7, 2015

Zenbass's question is quite sensible : different countries seem to have different dosages, in France it may fall to 2%, but most people here buy concentrate to be diluted in water (dosage 9.6%), it's less expensive.
Some math will be welcome and tell you how to increase the dosage in order to find the right concentration !

Zenbaas · November 7, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I have never seen bleach with that low a percentage of sodium hypochlorite. The one I use has 8.25% and I add 5 oz. to a full gallon of water along with a little dishwashing soap. I would think you would need slightly over twice that amount but I would experiment with it first before using it wholesale on all my plants. Are you sure about the concentration? I always use the Clorox brand because they are usually more consistent in quality than some other brands.

Bill

Once mixed how long is the solution viable for...?

Gerardo · November 7, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenbaas

How much should be used per gallon if there Is a 3.5% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite in the bleach?

Also any though on using milk solutions to combat fungus as well?

Start on the low end and work your way up, in terms of concentration. The affected leaves will shrivel and some of the ones you thought were intact will go down also. They rebound afterwards. Minimal sunlight or dusk for application.

I tried the milk solution and it appears to help. It requires sun to work, however, the mist + hot sunlight produces an odor that...let's just say it wasn't for me. I've no doubt it's appealing to others.

Good luck against the fungus.

November 3, 2015	#113
BlackBear Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Nanaimo , BC Posts: 961	I say ! ... this thread is very interesting in the "Flex" treatment and mixes.. using the "science treatment " ....but the "Art " of application .... __________________ So Many Tomatoes ...So Little Time !

July 25, 2015	#107
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I can understand the sticker shock. I doubt I used half the bottle, though. A little goes a long way. I remember once trying to find an herbicide that would kill the grass around pumpkins without killing the vines. Prices were all over the place. Some products were $200-300 for a quart bottle. I never did order any of them.

August 4, 2015	#108
noinwi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: PNW Posts: 486	Well, I hope I was in time to save my plants. Whatever the crud turns out to be...gray mold, septoria, whatever, I didn't spray right away and it spread like wildfire. I only have 12 plants but most in little clumps and the clumps are a few feet from one an other. Some are in containers, some in raised beds. I have one plant that is not affected at all and it is about 8ft north of the rest of the plants in a 5gal bucket. It gets pretty breezy here at times and the wind is usually moving East or West...I'm assuming the one good plant is out of the line of 'fire', so to speak. I did spray once last week but I messed up the mixture. I grabbed a 1/4c measuring cup instead of a 1/2c one(using Clorox Concentrated 8.25%) and didn't realize it until I went to put it away. It did kill off some of the diseased leaves but not many and I couldn't get back out there to spray a proper concentration due to my body's 'fatigue schedule' and the hot weather we've been having(I'm usually watering mid-day). So last night I forced myself to mix up about 4.5oz in a gallon of water and went to town on my plants. I even hit the unaffected plant but just toward the bottom. Some of the plants were already spotting at the top and bloom trusses were crispy. Hearts seemed to have mostly the(whatever)spot, where my potato leaf plants seemed to have both spot and(maybe) gray mold(black leaf edges and margins, rag-like wilting). My rugose plants(Czech's Bush) seemed to be more resistant and showed only slight spotting and yellowing. Anyway my one gallon sprayer was enough to go over everything twice(and my one rose bush). Today I was afraid of what I'd find but I still had plants(yay). I went about removing A LOT of foliage and branches. You could definitely see where the stem damage was. My potato leafs(Black Sea Man)did not start out with heavy foliage to begin with so they're looking pretty sad. My one Sun Gold is bare 3/4 of the way up. The hearts are still looking ok...they just look like I was pruning for air circulation. My two Bradleys are looking a bit bare too. We're having a bit of a cool down right now but if the heat picks up I'll have to put up some type of shade cloth because I have several large toms on that I don't want to loose to sun scald which has already happened to a few. My few pepper plants are unaffected in spite of being in the middle of the carnage. So I have a couple questions after all this. Should I give everything a fert boost to get new growth started? I have two types of MG, one higher in N, and one higher in P. How soon should I use fungicide? Tonight when it cools down or should I use the bleach spray again? Thanks Bill for all this info...I'm just trying to wrap my little pea-brain around it.

October 17, 2015	#109
namwah Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: palmetto, florida Posts: 47	Agree.

October 18, 2015	#110
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Just for the record. I used the DE mixed with soapy water and added some Permethrin to it and it did a fantastic job on spider mites, whiteflies and leaf footed bugs. The great thing about the mix was the Permethrin worked fast on things but the DE had a much longer lasting affect. I didn't start seeing a return of insects until nearly three weeks later after a couple of heavy rains that washed most of the DE completely off the plants. I found that the DE needed to be mixed at a rate of about 2/3rds of a cup of DE to a gallon of water and strained into the sprayer to prevent clogging. This stronger mix gave a much heavier coating of DE to the leaves which was much more effective than adding a few tablespoons to the gallon. The only real problem I see with using the DE is that it seems to affect almost all insects in the garden both good and bad; but now I am seeing a good return of ladybugs and lacewings without many of the more problem bugs now that it is cooler. Next year at the first sign of leaf footed bugs, whiteflies or spider mites I plan on coating everything with the DE solution plus Permethrin and get them under control early, instead of waiting til they are a real problem. Since it is so late in the season now with nights finally getting down into the 40s I am only using the bleach spray to control fall mold issues and I have only used that once in the past couple of weeks. I have some fall cucumbers and beans which are usually eaten alive by whiteflies but that one spraying a month or so ago with the DE solution has kept them away. Bill

November 3, 2015	#111
bajaOne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: baja Mexico Posts: 12	For us newbies DE is?

November 4, 2015	#114
namwah Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: palmetto, florida Posts: 47	I meant to say I agree that this bleach spray should be a sticky. Ever since I read the post by B54red, I have included chlorine spray in my arsenal to fight fungus here in central Florida. It works surprisingly well if you can stay on a regular schedule. I also use copper and daconil. Thank you B54red.

November 4, 2015	#115
Zenbaas Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: South Africa Posts: 340	How much should be used per gallon if there Is a 3.5% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite in the bleach? Also any though on using milk solutions to combat fungus as well?

November 6, 2015	#117
Zenbaas Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: South Africa Posts: 340	Thanks Bill. We unfortunately don't have the Clorox brand in South Africa. I looked through many brands here and from what I could see 3.5% was actually the highest. Go figure.

November 7, 2015	#118
loulac Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: France Posts: 554	Zenbass's question is quite sensible : different countries seem to have different dosages, in France it may fall to 2%, but most people here buy concentrate to be diluted in water (dosage 9.6%), it's less expensive. Some math will be welcome and tell you how to increase the dosage in order to find the right concentration !