Tam, I've been using it every summer for over 5 years and my worm population has done nothing but get larger and healthier so it can't be doing much damage to the soil. Very little of it gets on the soil since I use a highly pressurized sprayer and a fine spray on the leaves and stems and I don't get a lot of runoff.
No it doesn't affect the taste. Remember I'm talking about a very dilute mixture. It oxidizes in a very short time so there is little if any residual effect.
The only time it might harm the plants in the strength I am talking about is if you spray it when the midday sun will hit the plants while wet with the solution. In other words don't spray until late in the day near sundown; this is a procedure I use with all foliar sprays to prevent leaf burn.
The diseased leaves will wither and die within a day or two after spraying so if you consider that damaging the plant then I guess it does; but it doesn't hurt the healthy parts of the plant or the new growth.
As for safety I feel much better using it than any commercially available fungicide.
Besides Daconil it is the only 'chemical' fungicide I use in my garden now.
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Originally Posted by tam91
Pea soup color - yuck. Ah well, as long as it works...
b54red - I have seen your use of bleach discussed. I guess it would kill fungus on the surface of plants, it certainly kills molds and all. And it must be working well for you of course, or you wouldn't recommend it.
I just wonder - it doesn't harm the plants at all? Or the dirt (especially as I am growing in containers)? Or make the tomatoes taste bad (I have a lot of fruit at the moment).
Sorry to ask questions, I'm just a little *wowed* that regular 'ol bleach would work so well.
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