beckygardener said:Claud - I will probably sound really stupid, but what is Horsetail tea and Lactobacillus????
Your veggie gardens look amazing! Wow!!! I am impressed. What time of the year do you grow them?
Thanks Becky and Toni. I don't use any commercial pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. I'm not organic and don't have any desire to be. All natural is what I work on and strive for. I spend a lot of time and effort trying to turn problems into assets. Horsetail tea and Lactobacillus are two of the tools I use to help me do this.
Horsetail tea is made from Equisetum arvense. General info about horse tails:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...
Specific info about Equisetum Arvense. The common horsetail (and the only variety which is edible):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...
Horsetail tea is high in silicon, potassium, and calcium which most plants can benefit from. I use it as a preventative spray to strengthen my plants, but it is an effective fungicide and will stop many active infections of blights dead in their tracks if applied at the first sighs of an attack. It won't bring dead or dying plants back to life.
Toni, I make my Lactobacillus inocculant from organic plain yogurt, specifically Stonyfield whole milk plain yogurt available from Kroger. It has more (7) types of Lactobacillus than most (2 or even 1). Also Stonyfield's has Lactobacillus from all three groups. The more the merrier. I separate the curds from the whey. The curds will become some of the most delicious cream cheese you'll ever put in your mouth. The whey (One quart of yogurt will yield about 2/3 pint of whey) is placed in a clean quart jar and add 1/3 pint (2/3 cup) of table molasses. Stir until all of the molasses is dissolved. Cover with a stocking and place the jar in a dark place where it won't be disturbed for 10 days. I also fill seven 2 liter bottles with tap water and leave them loosely capped when I mix the whey and molasses. This allows the clorine in the water to evaporate. After 10 days I pour 6 of the 2 liter bottles of water into an enameled steel canner and stir in the whey (no heat) then pour back into the 2 liter bottles. Use the seventh 2 liter bottle of water to wash your hands or utensils while bottleing the Lactobacillus, no fresh tap water at this stage.
The quart of yogurt will make about 3 gallons of inocculant, requires no refrigeration and will keep for 3 years if stored in a dark place. I keep mine in a closet. To use mix 1/8 cup per gallon of spray. It helps to prevent mildew.
When do I grow them? After the soil temp reaches 70 degrees and I think the danger of frost is over. Coincidentally I planted the cucumbers, squash, and pole beans this afternoon. Claud
