[greentiger87]

Umm. I might be crazy, but this is actually working.

I haven't used a synthetic fungicide on my roses since March, just my actinovate brew. Plants that would normally be half defoliated with blackspot without fungicide treatments every other week.. are pristine. What the heck. I'm also using a horticultural oil once a month or so, but I know that isn't effective against blackspot alone. The peppers that have been bathed in the stuff (along with bacillus subtilis) aren't getting the bacterial disease that had made it impossible to grow them for the last two seasons. None of my treated basils are showing any sign of downy mildew, which had seriously defoliated them in years past. (Untreated basils are definitely suffering. I have a lot of basil).


The most important thing about brewing my own is that.. I just have so much of it! I have enough that I don't even bother with a sprayer, I just pour it onto the leaves with a watering can...which greatly increases the chances that I'll actually do it. I mean seriously, I have so much of it that I can use it on every single plant I have... without worrying. I have so much I don't know what to do with it!

Thick streptomycete mycelium grows wherever I pour the stuff.. it's gorgeous!

I don't even feel bad about extending the product.. because I actually am going to end up buying more of it. I usually use two packs a year.. this year I've ordered three. Why? Culturing it has made it much easier for me to use. It's allowed me to confirm that it works for multiple serious problems I've been having - which takes away that fear that I'm wasting my money on "organic gardening magic". Plus, I've become a major brand ambassador.

I should really start a new thread on this.

My next project is to culture a useful strain of trichoderma viride!