Growing tips for particular crops

All the following suggestions are as an addition to good remineralisation and composting.

Apples

Use Etherics 1000, 5 times a season, with liquid manures or other organic sprays. See the spray program

Use SilicaMax (501) at least 3 times during the growing season.  two after fruit set one month later and three weeks prior to harvest.

FG4 should be used three weekly from the beginning of the season. Some Lime Sulphur will be necessary however these should be less than normal

Other considerations
For codling Moth use pheromone traps, however do not be surprised if they are not a huge problem. Etherics 1000 seems to help with them.

A lignin rich mulch is beneficial under the trees

Avocados

Use Etherics 1000, 5 times a season, with liquid manures or other organic sprays.

Use SilicaMax (501) at least 3 times during the growing season.  two after fruit set one month later and three weeks prior to harvest.

ThermoMax has shown good results on frost and in helping to set fruit during cold periods.

BDMax Phytophera spray has shown good results. It needs to be sprayed over the soil and trees at monthly intervals till the growth returns strongly.

Other considerations

Maintain a good mulch under the trees. Magnesium, Zinc and Boron levels need to be maintained.

.

Basil

Use Etherics x 3 and 501 x3 comp.

Basil likes warm weather so to get an early start and to overcome slugs, so use ThermoMax between September and November. ThermoMax can encourage seeding so if seeding starts pick off the heads and spray Etherics 1000 twice in a row

Brassica

All brassica respond well to BdMax sprays.

White Cabbage butterfly and Slugs
Apply a Etherics 1000, by spray or watering can as soon in the plants life as possible. If you have bought punnets then water them with etherics 1000, about four days prior to planting out. It is best to wait until the new leaves have started to grow in the middle of the plant. Once they are planted out water them in with Etherics 1000 or Etherics Seaweed.

Pest protection or Etherics 1000 maybe needed every three weeks or so to keep the bugs at bay, especially through February March. Also spray SilicaMax 501 at a twic throughout the life of the plant .

Heading can be controlled
Too much Etherics 1000 or will stop brassica head or hearting up. Spray SilicaMax 501 more often or not as your plants require.

Other considerations
Brassica are very heavy feeding so they like a good amount of compost and minerals with particular emphasis on lime and sulphur. The Chocolate spot that comes in the second or third season is often a sign they need to be rotated to another area to rest that piece of garden
Brassica and Tomatoes do not like each other.

Beans & Peas

Use Etherics 1000 or Etherics Seaweed as a foliar and soil feed every three weeks.

Spray 501 @ 6 inches and before flowering

Flowering and fruit set.
BloomMax works very well on peas and beans

Other considerations
Avoid over fertilisation with nitrogen based fertilisers, they prefer lime or dolomite.

Beetroot

Use Etherics 1000 or Etherics Seaweed as a foliar and soil feed monthly.

501 comp. at three weeks old on a root day.

Other considerations
Beetroots like a slightly salty soil. Add a pinch of salt per sq ft.

 

Carrots.

Carrots like good but not over manured sandy soil.

Use Etherics 1000 5 times throughout the season and SilicaMax 501 twice.
In heavy soils sow in a drill of sand and when pulling the carrots always back fill the hole with some soil, to stop fly strike.

Celery

Use Etherics x3 and 501 comp x2 on leaf days.

Other considerations
Feed and water them well, Etheric Seaweed.
Plant at least one meter apart from each other. They are best interplanted with other crops. Brassica and tomatoes work well

Coriander

Use Etherics x 2  and 501 x 1 comp.

 

Citrus

Use Etherics x3 and 501 comp x 2 pa.  501 comp. is useful against spring aphids

Other considerations
Maintain Zinc, Magnesium and Sulphur levels, Etherics Seaweed is a good source of Zinc as well as many other elements

Cucurbits

Use Etherics x3 and 501 x2 comp.

FG4 should be sprayed every 3 weeks. Start using it from the beginning of growth.

SilicaMax works well if the spring and summer is wet and fruit set is inhibited.
Ripening Spray should be used a few times prior to harvest starting 6 weeks before you wish to harvest.

Other considerations
Cucurbits love Sulphur and Lime and generous compost that is not too mature.

Eggplant

Use Etherics x 2 and 501 x2 comp.

Other considerations
Hollow heart to the eggplant indicates a boron deficiency
Eggplant does not seem to like rich soils. They put on lots of leaf and little fruit. Best to be planted on a clayish soil.

Grapes

Use Etherics x4 and 501 x 3 comp. See the spray program

FG4 has shown benefit,
Ripening, ZeroIn and ThermoMax sprays have all worked well

Kiwifruit

Use Etherics x4 and 501 comp x3. See the Spray program
BloomMax can be used 5 times from October to January to encourage this seasons pollination and the setting of flowers for the following season. BloomMax can replace 501 applications

Insect peppers have worked well here too

Other considerations
Do the right job at the right time.
Kiwifruit is very heavy feeding.

Lettuce

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp.x2 

Use 501 on leaf constellation (Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer) days

Other considerations
Mulch and water help a lot.

Leeks and onions.

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp x2
Other considerations.
They are heavy feeders so compost well and use some Etherics Seaweed.

Passionfruit

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp.x3

FG4 should be used three weekly
Flowering Spray works well if the light and warmth are slow to come in the spring.

Other considerations
Feed them well.

Peaches

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp.x2
FG4 should be added to the other sprays from August till February. Seaweed helps with curly leaf

Other considerations
Balanced nutrition is vital for organic peaches.

Potatoes

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp.x2
Fortnightly applications of FG4 helps against blight.
Other considerations, follow pasture or green crop well. Companion plant to brassica.

Sweet Corn

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp. x2
For Cut worm and Army worm
Before sowing spray Etherics 1000 or Etherics Seaweed. Followed by two Pest Protection sprays as soon as leaves appear and one week apart.
The cob fruit worm should not be a problem

Other considerations
Feed them well and plant them close together in clumps to get good pollination.
Companion to cucurbits

Tamarillos

Use Etherics 1000 x3 and 501 comp.x2
White fly is contained well with this program.

Other considerations
They love compost with cow manure in it. ThermoMax helps to promote growth in cooler weather and protects against frost.

Tomatoes

Use Etherics Seaweed as a foliar and soil feed every two weeks

On each second feed add a 4 ml capful of 501 comp to the watering can full of water.

FG4 every two weeks

Other considerations
They are heavy feeders and likes immature compost, especially one with old tomato vines in it.

Specific bugs

Green Shield beetle

Pest protection & Etherics 1000 every two weeks

Aphids

501 compound

Bronze Beetle

Compost, Pest Protection and peppers

Cabbage butterfly

Pest Protection or Etherics 1000 every few weeks

Slugs

For lettuce and Brassica – Pest Protection
Basil – ThermoMax

Thrips

Etherics Seaweed and compost. Keep spraying all season. Next season will be better

Mealy Bug

501 comp. on the vines and Worm castings around the vines has helped

Birds

BirdScare sprayed twice a week apart and then 2-3 weekly and then as needed, best on stonefruit

Rabbits

RabbitChase sprayed twice a week apart and then 2-3 weekly and then as needed

Possums

PossumChase sprayed twice a week apart and then 2-3 weekly and then as needed

 

 

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