Question on Tobacco Tea

[McGerm]

I have been catching up on my garden reading here in Zone 6. One of the things I picked up at the library was a DVD on tree and shrub care. Among the things it said to do was to use a 'clean-up tonic' once every two weeks to discourage insects and diseases. The DVD made it sound like a very good thing to do.

Clean-Up Tonic

1 Cup lemon-scented liquid dish soap 1 Cup of antiseptic mouthwash 1 Cup of chewing tobacco tea

The tobacco concerns me, specifically tobacco mosaic virus. Will this treatment spread the virus? According to sources online TMV infects and kills tomatoes/peppers/eggplant/ cubits, annual flowers, orchids, and hundreds of other ornamentals.

Jim

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Question: What bug problems are you trying to deal with? In other words, I assume you have sat in the garden with bug identification books, and specifically identified all the different bugs you see. Please tell me which "bad" bugs you're trying to get rid of.

I'm asking because it never makes sense to create extra work for yourself if there's no reason to do so. And, the tea you're thinking of making could also kill beneficial insects.

I will eagerly await your complete list of bugs you've identified.

[McGerm]

The video was part of a Jerry Baker's Master Gardener series... It was presented as something you just do as regular maintenance; as a Best Practice in landscape care. His premise appears to be that stopping diseases and insect problems before they start by using safe non-toxic preventative care, is better than reactively treating once a problem appears.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

I don't care who presented it. Did he say the tobacco tea would only kill the problem bugs? Do you realize that you need bugs to pollinate some of your vegetables?

[Val]

Sounds like you got hold of some Jerry Baker schlock. Our PBS stations stopped carrying his programs years ago as well as his Sunday radio programs. More than a few organic gardening groups suggested he be strung up by the thumbs. The NW Flower and Garden show hasn't had him for a speaker in years because of the flack they got from "real" garden educators and the Master Gardeners Association about his misinformation and use of the unearned title "Master Gardener". I was riveted in the doorway (early 90s as I recall) when passing by one his seminars (everyone loves a good train wreck) when a gentleman stood and introduced himself as a professor and head of the U of W Horticultural Dept and went into a "what the hell are you thinking" demanding for a basis of his unfounded and potentially harmful formulas. Ol' Jerry was red in the face and sputtering when he just walked off the stage without replying......so ended a very short seminar. Never saw him again on the roster of speakers.

Here's an article you might find interesting. Rather enlightening about his qualifications and expertise.

Val

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Interesting! Thanks.

To the OP: Go to

and find a used copy of "Crockett's Victory Garden", by James Underwood Crockett. Do everything he does.....

***********EXCEPT**********

.....that you should ignore all his advice about the endless use of sprays & powders. He went way overboard. Maybe that's what killed him. Ignore all of it until you've managed to locate your public library and brought home some books (made of paper).

[Janet Baraclough]

The message

from McGerm contains these words:

Well I know that commercial tomato growers here, don't permit employees smoking in the glasshouses for that reason. BTW, nicotine insecticides were banned here (UK ) years ago, because they are a health hazard to people by skin contact. (and, to all insects, including beneficial).

UNless you have an uncontrollable outbreak of pests, there's no point applying "clean up" stuff.. Far better, to feed the soil (home made compost, humus, mulches), so plants grow strong and healthy.

Encourage natural predators ( frogs birds and insects etc ) in the garden and they will do all the necessary pest control.

Janet

[enigma]

McGerm wrote in news: [e-mail] oups.com:

Jerry Baker is a garden quack. if you really like your yard & garden, please do not follow his silly formulas & poor advice. lee

[Val]

If it were prudent to be treating *everything* bad before it appears wouldn't that liken to everyone with a stray dog, skunk, squirrel wandering within 5 miles go in for 10 days of Rabies treatment just because? And what is "non-toxic" about tobacco and antiseptic mouth wash? What you spray up will drip down, never mind that you are killing everything good, bad or otherwise for no rational reason....what do you think this stuff will do to earthworms when it leaches into the soil?

Val

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Observation: In biology class, 1970, we saw a movie in which a drop of pure nicotine was placed on the pink inside of a rabbit's ear. It died quickly.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Yeah...you talk about these natural predators like they're all sweet little creatures, but this bastard attacked me back in September. Went right for my throat, but I frightened it off with a blade of grass.

[Cheryl Isaak]

He's so cute!!!!

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from "JoeSpareBedroom" contains these words:

Huh, well that's the last time I offer you a kiss, you ungrateful peasant.

Rich Princess.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

That's Julius. He's also the local union manager. Mr. Tough Guy. He thinks he's Tony Soprano.

[David Hare-Scott]

Tobacco extract is very poisonous. It will kill a great many insects and other small organisms and you and your pets if you get enough into you. Smokers survive (in the short term anyway) because most of the nicotine and related chemicals are destroyed when the tobacco burns. Eat a few cigarettes and go to hospital.

Plus antiseptic mouth wash! Just in case some microorganisms survive the nicotine.

Your garden relies upon small living organisms don't sterilize it with such a brew.

David

[mleblanca]

innews: [e-mail]

A big round of applause for wreck gardens! Do we have the best advice givers here or what? All of you/us are great. I think poor ol Jerry will never fade away, and we are doomed to be hearing his mal-advised-advice for years...............

Maybe we all should visit our libraries and find out if there are copies of this available and request that they be withdrawn, destroyed, or "lost" Our little Wreck Gardens Project for 2008

Emilie NorCal

[Val]

Yer not s'posed to destroy books because you disagree about or not approve of what's in them. Can you say "First Amendment"? You might as well also forget about trying to legislate stupidity. Usenet would be among the first to vanish.

Val

[JoeSpareBedroom]

What if a book in the library said it sex with minors was a swell idea?

[FarmI]

Eeeew. This person sounds like they belong to the "Nuke it till it Glows" Brigade.

If you start on this journey, you will always have to do it all the time as you will kill all the good insects in your garden and if you stop the nasties arrive and may do a lot of damage before the natural predators can build up their numbers to counteract them. If you garden organically, you might occasionally have problems but the goodies and the baddies generally balance each other out (and it's less work).

[George.com]

best advice I can give with those ingredients is this, in the following order:

Enjoy the tobacco in some paper with a filter whilst drinking a cup of tea in the morning. Wash the cup in the lemon scented dish washing liquid & set aside to drain. Gargle with mouthwash before you kiss your wife good bye in the morning. Sounds like a far better use for the 'clean up tonic' to me.

rob