This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

COTTAGE/SHADE- new fert/insect repel.

Hello Gardening Friends,

Bobbie here in Gloucester, Mass.  Home after a weekend in Maine!

Went to the Common Grounds Fair in Unity.   In its 22nd year, this is
the first year at their newly acquired site, but it is 'up' there in
down east Maine!  It was created to celebrate rural living and
focuses on ecological systems to sustain agriculture. It is
completely organic, full of family fun activities, booths to explore,
demonstrations and lectures from sheep dog roundups, snowshoe/canoe
making, herbal remedies, the making of linen, and spinning of wools.
Contests include the great pumpkin, veggie oddities, apple pie eating,
 and the ever famous Harry S. Truman Manure Pitch-off (poop pitching),
 as well as the well volunteered beer and wine tasting contest! <BG>
Roving musicians, the parade of children dressed as veggies, and
contra dancing, drum cirles are continuous. The lectures alone are
worth a million, but how does one take in everything?

I will be writing a separate article about visiting the fair and
descriptions of the activities, so E-mail me if you want a copy.

But I want to explore something that I found this year.

Coast of Maine Organic Products has developed a FERMENTED SALMON
ORGANIC FERTILIZER.  I stopped and talked with a rep from the company.
  It boasts that with regular feeding of seedlings and established
plants -  enhanced germination, vigorous root growth, bud development,
 rapid greening of leaves, increased fruit yields and stress recovery
from transplanting.  It is made from a natural FERMENTATION of the
Passamaquoddy Bay salmon (99%) which breaks down complex fish
proteins releasing macro and micro nutrients, and amino acids. It
also synthesizes a range of vitamins, fatty acids and other organic
compounds.  The other 1 percent is a masking agent (after all it  is'
fish!!!)  Now the next is right off the promo: Fermented Salmon
contains a wide range of nutrients, growth factors and beneficial
organic compounds which improve soil and plant health by stimulating
the vitality and diversity of the soil's microbial ecosystem.  It's
breakdown is N,1.4; P2O5, .2; K2O, .2; and ph of 6.6-6.8

OK, that is the boring stuff.  Testimonies are more exciting!  In 24
hrs the leaves of roses became dark glossy leaves, controlled black
spot and aphids were gone in 3 days (Royal River Roses).  Flea beetle
infestation immediately gone, repelled woodchucks, DEER! And rabbits
(Hadley Garden Ctr).  It cleared up rose and delphinium powdery
mildew in 24 hrs ( Kingsbrae Hort Gardens). The deer repellant with
the most staying power after a heavy rain (Paul Parent, who is a host
of a garden program here in Boston).  One spray cured bacterial leaf
spot, gray mold and rust off geraniums (columnist from the Conn.Post).


Now this is SOLD as a fertilizer, but these added benefits should
also be of interest to us!!! It is from the testimonies of users that
this rep was getting excited about too!  Greenhouse aphids and white
fly - GONE, Thrips- GONE!  Bambi control, woodchuck and rabbit
control?  WOW!
I asked then, what about the beneficial insects?  How can it be
discriminatory?  She did not know, but she had also asked and was
told that it did not destroy them.  (We will have to talk further
about that!) I also asked how it could be effective after heavy rains.
  The answer is in the oils of the fish making the spray stick to the
leaves longer.

I am having a thrips problem as are others with daylilies yet do not
want to go the pesticide route.  Sooooooooo, my next thought was,
HMMMMM, could this be effective on our thrips problems?
She gave me a bottle to test with.

But how am I going to do that?

That is where I ask for your help.  I am not a control scientist type.
  But would like to try it. Here in MA, there are no more flowers, to
how am I going to see if there is any results?  ( it is from the
scraping off color and bumpy buds that I know that I have a thrips
problem) How can I just do a section, or a plant to tell, won't they
travel?
I have the idea that if I dig a clump of a cultivar that I know had
severe problems this year, divide it into two, keep growing it in the
same area (side by side?), spray one and not the other, that I might
be able to do a simple test.  How and when would I determine the
results?  I do know the trick of taking buds or leaves off plants and
flicking any thrips onto a white piece of paper where they would show
up.  BUT we are at the end of the season here, and are the thrips
even active now?  I NEED to do something to help prevent more
problems for next year.

I would love to have your input. AND Has anyone else used this?

Or if you are interested, for you to be able to purchase it mail-
order.  Remember there are two benefits - organic fertilizer and
insect repellant, and possibly a deer repellant.

If you would like further information they do have an E-mail address:
sales@coastofmaine.com
It is expensive by the bottle ($5),  but does come in large
quantities and for those who have nurseries it can be bought
wholesale.


Bobbie Brooks



<Prodigy Distribution List>
TO: ZDST49A
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index