![]() Subtropicals, such as avocados, citrus and passionfruit, also routinely get copper sprays.Ĭopper fungicides are synthetic pesticides that disrupt and kill the cells of a wide range of organisms. However, for home gardens there are no such restrictions and gardeners might spray roses, potatoes or tomatoes every two weeks during the growing season and undertake winter sprays for pipfruit and stonefruit. In recognition of this, international organic standards list copper as a restricted or sometimes even a banned product. In fact, copper sprays are some of the most toxic and persistent pesticides used in gardens and orchards. It is commonly accepted that copper sprays are organic sprays, which leads people to believe that they are safe to use. It is found throughout nature and most soils have natural copper levels of 10-30 parts per million (ppm) with some soils having natural levels up to 100ppm. It is a short-lived protective spray, so repeated applications are sometimes needed to prevent diseases becoming established.Ĭopper is both a heavy metal and an essential trace element for plants and animals. Copper is usually applied as either copper oxychloride or copper hydroxide, but is sold under many different brand names. The use of copper sprays is one of these quite effective as protection against the fungi that cause downy mildew, late blight, early blight, black spot, brown rot, and various bacterial diseases, but with side-effects that most people are unaware of.Ĭopper has been used for more than 100 years as a fungicide, most famously in the Bordeaux mixture developed in 1882 in France to combat grape diseases. ![]() In gardening circles, some practices have been in long use without a lot of scrutiny as to their effectiveness or side effects.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |