SPRAY TODAY… EAT TOMORROW

GENERAL SPRAY PROGRAMME

Below are instructions on how best to use our products in an ongoing program in your garden. This general program may be used on roses, vegetables and fruit trees as well as for general use, ideally the beginning of the season.

Because our products are made with natural ingredients that break down quickly, they need to be sprayed regularly as a preventative measure.

There are 3 facets to plant care – nutrition, insect and disease control – and by mixing a cocktail of our products as shown below – all these bases are covered. Always mix the products at their minimum dosage level as there is synergy between them which enhances their efficacy.

MIX A

• Copper Soap 50ml / 5ℓ water + Biotrissol 25ml / 5ℓ water + Bioneem 50ml / 5ℓ water
• Bioneem is preventative or Pyrol / Neudosan if there is an infestation – depending on the insect pest

MIX B

• Phyta 25ml / 5ℓ water + Bioneem 50ml / 5ℓ water
• For roses use Copper Soap which gives better control for Black Spot

Ideally, these mixes should be alternated on a fortnightly basis. Otherwise use Mix A every 10 to 14 days.

• If it is necessary to apply fungicide weekly (in highly infectious periods) then only add Biotrissol into every alternate mix.
• If it rains soon after spraying, or if you pick up signs of insect or disease activity, shorten the spray interval to weekly.
• Spray in the coolest part of the day to avoid phytotoxicity.

CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS

Our aim is to control insect populations to a level where minimal damage is caused to the crop and the beneficial insects have scale insects and overwintering mealy bug.

During the growing season alternate at 10 – 14 day intervals between sprays of:

• Bioneem(at 10ml /1ℓ water) – Low insect infestation
• Neudosan (at 20 ml /1ℓ water) – High insect infestation (broad spectrum)
• Pyrol (at 20 ml /1ℓ water) – Signs of soft bodied insect activity
• Under high insect infestation and increased plant damage – Spray Pyrol at shorter intervals, every 7 days, in order to suppress the population of insects to a manageable level. Then continue with maintenance programme.

Bioneem and Neudosan are soft on beneficial insects. Pyrol is a broad-spectrum contact insecticide with low residual actions. Pyrol would be used in a crisis management situation as a spot spray where problems exist.

If there is already an insect problem Pyrol should be used instead of Bioneem, Pyrol is a contact insecticide which works best if it lands directly on the insect or is eaten by the insect within 12 hours of spraying, while Bioneem is preventative and needs to be ingested to be effective, it will disrupt the mating cycle of the insect. If the problem is aphids or soft-bodied insects only then Neudosan can be used instead of Bioneem or Pyrol. Neudosan will not offer control on any beetles or caterpillars, but will help with aphids, thrips, Psylla and whitefly. If the pest is nocturnal then Pyrol should be applied late in the day to ensure consumption by the insect while the product is still active. On edible crops the rule is SPRAY TODAY… EAT TOMORROW.

CONTROL OF FUNGAL AND BACTERIAL DISEASES

Under dry conditions alternate your fungal programme at 14-day intervals. Under wetter conditions decrease your spray interval according to infectious periods – product may be used weekly if necessary.

Cool, damp and humid weather conditions give rise to these diseases. Under these conditions spray:

• Copper Soap at 10 – 20 ml/1ℓ water, alternating with Phyta at 5ml/1ℓ water every 7 – 10 days if possible. Under dry and warm conditions you can increase the spray interval to 14 – 21 days.
• Rose growers continue with Copper Soap throughout the season.
• Excellent general spray for roses, veggies, fruit and flower beds – mix together a cocktail of Copper Soap, Biotrissol and the insecticide of your choice.

Tips

• Start spraying before disease is visible
• Re-apply after heavy rainfall
• Ensure good coverage of plant
• Spray in the early morning or late afternoon
• Read product label before use.

Copper Soap is a preventative product. It will control anthracnose, Downey and powdery mildew, botrytis and black spot. Phyta is a preventative and remedial systemic product that will control downy and powdery mildew, botrytis, phytophtora and pythium.

FOLIAR FEEDING

Biotrissol is an excellent plant food that should be sprayed:

• 5ml/ℓ water every 14 days from the beginning of Spring through to Autumn.
• It is compatible with the insecticides and may be added into these mixes, it may also be mixed in a watering can and drenched into the soil.
• Phyta is derived from P.K and trace elements which stimulate healthy growth will maximize resistance and it may be sprayed or drenched. Phyta is a Plant Tonic and contains no Nitrogen and offers additional disease benefit.
• Fortnightly or as required, spray or drench. Complete feed.

SNAIL AND SLUG CONTROL

Ferramol is a unique blend of an iron phosphate active ingredient, which originates from the soil. The bait that is not ingested will degrade and become part of the soil. Apply at a rate of 5g or 1 teaspoonful per m², depending on level of snail infestation, it may be necessary to use a bit more initially in order to bring the population under control, thereafter apply at 5g/m2 as a preventative measure. The pellets should be sprinkled on the soil around or near the plants to be protected, and not placed in piles. Re-apply as the bait is consumed, or at least every 3 weeks. Evening is the best time to apply Ferramol, as slugs and snails travel and feed mostly by night or in the early morning.

• Stops slug / snail feeding immediately
• Highly effective
• Extremely rain-fast pellets.

COMPOSTING

The best gift you can give your soil is compost. Use Radavit Compost Activator. Radavit contains compost bacteria, enzymes, fungi cultures and added nutrients which provide an easily digested nutritional medium for the micro-organisms which promote the breakdown of organic matter.

THINK! BEFORE YOU SPRAY!

• Spray in the coolest part of the day to avoid burn, but also because your beneficial insects are less active then.
• Get your timing right, our products are only active for 12 hours after spraying them, so if you are trying to treat an insect feeding at night, spray late in the afternoon so that the insecticide is still active when the insect feeds. If you spray in the morning for a nocturnal insect the product will not be effective late into the evening.