The fungicides Chlorthalonil and Prochloraz are carcinogenic and persistent enough to possibly present a danger to water supplies – both are in the process of being de-listed from the EU list of permitted fungicides
Acute cylindrocladium infections have been treated with a thick dusting of rock flour on the foliage. Apparently the results are surprising in their effectiveness. It is suggested that the high pH of the material is what is negatively affecting the fungus. The article goes on to suggest that soil acidity is detrimental to box health – it is a plant of calcareous soils.
From GartenPraxis 11-2008, p. 7
So – what the **** is rock flour?? Can I make bread with it?
Rock flour or rock dust is finely-ground rock which bio-dynamic companies are promoting – don’t ask me where you can get it. The bio-d brigade claim that soils are deficient in essential minerals after years of cropping which this stuff puts back in - fair enough, but since this gardening methodology is inspired by the quite honestly barmy Rudolf Steiner philosophy, there is an awful lot of guff about “life-force energy” in any of their literature. On this occasion though it looks as if one of their products may just do the trick.
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Noel,
ReplyDeleteI believe you can buy this rock dust at Garden Organic's shop at Ryton. Last time I was there they had it in small and large packs.
A neighbour on my allotment who gardens by the moon (and grows a very impressive array of produce) swears by the stuff and recommends all new allotmenteers invest in some when they begin. (No, I haven't used it yet!)