hi allen I agree with hugh about the seed source, in the experimental work ongoing here seeds do make a big difference which is why i like to grow my own . i'd be glad to donate some of my seed to you for you to trial next to whatever you plant to see if you see a difference . I noticed when i gave up planting any hybrid seed and began using old heirlooms(not all did well) and especially native seed that i no longer had the insect problems. of course also tied in with that is having the other things in place that plants need like enough space food and water ,good rotations ect. we have lots of extra seed , would love to donate to the cause. would like to come to your conference with dylan but, have 0 income this season. on the nettle ,i use one large handful of nettle leaf to one quart of water. happy trails :) sharon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allan Balliett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 8:11 AM Subject: Making Fresh Nettle Tea
> Still working on the cucumber beetle problem. > > I spoke with Hugh Courtney yesterday. He recommended making a fresh > tea just as one would 508, only 'boil' it for 1 hour and then, after > cooling, spray it directly on the affected plants. (Didn't discuss > stirring...hmmm...) > > I'm using nettle leaf from the coop, which is surprisingly > economical: $8.95 a lb which makes a cup of it pretty darn cheap. > > Right now I'm simmering 1/3 cup of nettle leaf in a gallon of water. > That's what I'm getting around to: would that be the appropriate > ration of leaf to water? (Anyone?) > > I sprayed fresh nettle tea (24hr) from fresh nettle earlier this > week. Courtney was right: at the first spritz of the sprayer squash > bugs FLEW from the affected plants. Cucumber beetles got antsie in a > way that I hadn't seen them before and, eventually, they all flew. > Unfortunately, cucumber beetles were back the next day, but I haven't > seen any squash bugs since the first application. The biggest problem > I'm having is attacks on seedling trays or in emerging seedlings in > the field. (Courtney concurs that this is a seed-source problem. My > seed came from Johnny's. I'll be seedsoaking in the future to give > the plants a chance at a pest-free start.) > > It didn't really dawn on me earlier that for the first couple of > weeks the classic nettle anaerobic tea is a different item with > different uses almost every other day and that Thun's unction to > spray three times has as much to do with the evolution of the brew > (i.e. you're applying different elements in each spraying) as it has > to do with persistence. > > -Allan > > >
