by Wally Richards
SOLUTIONS TO CURRENT PROBLEMS
Two noticeable problems are happening at this time; one is curly leaf on stone fruit trees.
I have discovered that grafted stone fruit trees are prone to the disease in the early part of the season and is near impossible to prevent.
I spoke to an elderly gardener some years ago who had a big orchard and asked her the question about what she did to control curly leaf on her stone fruit. Her reply was; ‘I do nothing and my trees do not get curly leaf.’
So I asked, how come? Her reply was that all her trees were grown from stones or pips by placing the stone/pip in the place where she wanted a mature tree. OK, I know when any plant grows from seed in the area that it germinates and matures you have a far better specimen than anything that is transplanted, a fact of gardening.
Then she told me about one time when at a garden centre she spotted the dwarf nectarine and peach trees that only grow about a metre tall. Thinking they were cute she purchased one of each and planted them in her orchard. These two dwarfs give her no end of curly leaf problems every season — but it does not affect her stone-grown trees! So the graft is the weakness that is the problem.
Curly leaf in stone fruit is a disease about which you can do everything under the sun and still have curly leaf and some seasons do nothing and have little or no curly leaf — which means it is weather, temperature and humidity related.
So I have given up with all the possible controls and now I use the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff approach. Leaves and blossoms come, fruit sets, leaves curl which means they are not generating enough carbohydrates to hold the crop and some or all the fruit fall off. Then new leaves from that are not affected (conditions have past), the old curly leaves fall off but the crop is either small or none.
The simple answer is we need to get as much carbohydrates as possible into the tree to hold the fruit while the new clean foliage is establishing. Wallys Liquid Sunshine is the method: spray as often as able like every day or two till the new clean leaves can take over and even then a few more sprays to be sure. You are spraying the curly leaves and the branches and the fruit.
You make the Liquid Sunshine by dissolving a tablespoon of molasses into a litre of hot water then add 10 ml of Magic Botanic Liquid and your ready to spray. (Buy a bucket of molasses from stock and station agents such as Farmlands, PGG Wrightson it cheap when compared to small supermarket amounts)
Garlic rust is happening already because of the weather; this disease has attacked some gardeners’ garlic early this season.
Like curly leaf there is no simple answer, but by spraying the foliage every day or so with Wallys Liquid Sunshine you stand a chance of maturing reasonable size bulbs.
You can boost this by adding one 100 mg uncoated aspirin tablet. Dissolve it thoroughly in a small cup of warm water first (to avoid clogs), then add it to the one litre of Liquid Sunshine.
I have noted that the initial rust that appeared on my garlic has not so far spread; maybe as a result of a daily spray of the above. Time will tell.
I, along with several gardeners I have talked to who are using Liquid Sunshine on garden plants such as tomatoes, roses etc are noticing a great improvement in the plants treated.
A spray once or twice a week on plants that you want to be better is ideal.
With strawberries spray them every few days with Mycorrcin and watch them perform, an increase in your crop by 400% can happen.
Now a more important topic in regards to your health and well-being.
Your body needs a daily small amount of sulphur; your body uses what sulphur is available but does not store it for future use.
What sulphur does:
Protein and DNA Structure:
Sulphur is required to build and fix DNA, form structural proteins via the amino acids methionine and cysteine, and create disulfide bonds that maintain the shape and function of cellular enzymes.
Antioxidant and Detoxification Support:
It is a core component of glutathioneone of the body’s primary endogenous antioxidantswhich helps neutralize reactive oxygen species, protect cells from oxidative stress, and detoxify xenobiotics (harmful chemicals and drugs)
Connective Tissues: Sulphur supports the maintenance and repair of skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bones, which is why compounds like glucosamine sulfate and MSM are frequently used to support joint health.
Metabolic and Cellular Health:
It assists in metabolizing food, regulating insulin, and activating cellular pathways like NRF2, which play a role in lowering chronic inflammation and protecting against metabolic issues.
Metabolic issues commonly known as metabolic disorders or metabolic dysfunction.
When metabolism fails, your cells either lack essential energy and nutrients, or toxic byproducts and excess sugars build up in your body.
In the 1950’s & 1960’s when the Chinese market gardeners grew the vegetables we ate, they used Real Blood & Bone.
In those days when you cooked a cabbage it would stink the house out, remember? That was the sulphur from the blood & bone they used to grow the veggies. Hence we were getting our body-required sulphur from our food.
That all changed when NPK fertilisers and superphosphate were used to grow food!
We have also lost about 90% of the nutritional values in our food chain from those days to now! Look at any pics of people at the beach back in the 1950’s and 1960’s see how healthy they looked: slim and trim. Nowadays it is a very different picture.
The difference is the lack of a daily intake of sulphur. To get it as, was done 50 odd years ago, use Wallys Real Blood & Bone in your food crops. Place about a tablespoon of Real Blood & Bone in the planting hole along with Rok Solid then pop in your cabbage, lettuce or whatever food you are growing.
As the plants are growing spray them with Wallys Liquid Sunshine for all the benefits of this.
If you are unable to grow your own food, other than say doing sprouts, then you can take a supplement, MSM twice a day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night and see how your health improves and your weight balances out.
Through lack of funding our health system is broke, so you need to look after your health and cure yourselves. Sulphur is a major aspect of that.
Products mentioned including MSM are available on our mail order website.
Phone 0800 466464
Garden Pages and News at www.gardenews.co.nz
Shar Pei pages at www.sharpei.co.nz
Mail Order products at www.0800466464.co.nz
