nemo@rochester.UUCP (Wolfe) (06/21/85)
> (wrt cutworms) Direct spraying with 50% > ammonia (mixed with tap water) does not work (although it's death to slugs > and snails - also providing a mild foliar feed of nitrogen). > Lewis Tarnopol Although the body of advice concerning cutworms was correct, I urge CAUTION if you plan to use 50% ammonia to discourage the slugs. In my moist, cool western NY garden, slugs are a major pest and I am continually searching for new and better ways of fending them off my plants. So I tried this suggestion. While some plants did not seem to mind (the strawbs, and kale), many of the plants that I sprayed (spinach that was interplanted with the strawbs to discourage slugs - unsuccessfully; morning glories, a volunteer tomato, cosmos) developed wilted, yellowed leaves. So much for mild foliar feed! I haven't had much opportunity to examine the treated area for slugs, so I'll report on that later. Nemo -- Internet: nemo@rochester.arpa UUCP: {decvax, allegra, seismo, cmcl2}!rochester!nemo Phone: [USA] (716) 275-5766 work, 232-4690 home USMail: 104 Tremont Circle; Rochester, NY 14608 School: Department of Computer Science; University of Rochester; Rochester, NY 14627
levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) (06/23/85)
nemo@rochester.UUCP in <10315@rochester.UUCP>: > > > (wrt cutworms) Direct spraying with 50% > > ammonia (mixed with tap water) does not work (although it's death to slugs > > and snails - also providing a mild foliar feed of nitrogen). > > Lewis Tarnopol > Although the body of advice concerning cutworms was correct, I urge > CAUTION > if you plan to use 50% ammonia to discourage the slugs. In my moist, > cool western NY garden, slugs are a major pest and I am continually > searching for new and better ways of fending them off my plants. So > I tried this suggestion. While some plants did not seem to mind (the > strawbs, and kale), many of the plants that I sprayed (spinach that was > interplanted with the strawbs to discourage slugs - unsuccessfully; > morning glories, a volunteer tomato, cosmos) developed wilted, yellowed > leaves. So much for mild foliar feed! I haven't had much opportunity > to examine the treated area for slugs, so I'll report on that later. > Nemo Just curious, what kind of ammonia is being referred to? A 50% solution of household 'ammonia' would be less strong than a 50% solution of anhy- drous ammonia (if the latter was even possible). Is there a 'garden' ammonia? (Haven't noticed any such thing among the pesticides and garden fertilizers last time I was in a garden supply house, maybe I'll look harder.) If household ammonia was used, was it the clear or the sudsy kind? (I'd presume you would want to use the clear kind.) Also I would suppose that different brands of household ammonia differ in strength; presumably they could be equalized by testing with pH paper. Just curious; it's been years since I gardened (live in apartment) but I enjoy reading this group. Dan Levy AT&T Teletype Corp. Skokie, Ill. ...!ihnp4!ttrdc!ttbcad!levy
tarnopol@ttidcb.UUCP (Lewis Tarnopol) (06/24/85)
In article <10315@rochester.UUCP> nemo@rochester.UUCP (Wolfe) writes: >> (wrt cutworms) Direct spraying with 50% >> ammonia (mixed with tap water) does not work (although it's death to slugs >> and snails - also providing a mild foliar feed of nitrogen). >> Lewis Tarnopol >Although the body of advice concerning cutworms was correct, I urge > CAUTION >if you plan to use 50% ammonia to discourage the slugs. In my moist, >cool western NY garden, slugs are a major pest and I am continually >searching for new and better ways of fending them off my plants. So >I tried this suggestion. While some plants did not seem to mind (the >strawbs, and kale), many of the plants that I sprayed (spinach that was >interplanted with the strawbs to discourage slugs - unsuccessfully; >morning glories, a volunteer tomato, cosmos) developed wilted, yellowed >leaves. So much for mild foliar feed! I haven't had much opportunity >to examine the treated area for slugs, so I'll report on that later. >Nemo Thanks for the input, Nemo. I sprayed tomatoes, chard, spinich, basil and lettuce with the 50% ammonia mixture with no harmful results, but discontinued the practice after a few days. Maybe I was lucky but there was no wilt or yellowed leaves. The ammonia mixture was meant only as a direct kill, i.e. it must be sprayed on a slug or snail...it will not deter them. Again, I was looking for a way to eliminate the large cutworms on my vegetables without picking the squirmy little buggers off with my fingers. Ultimately, I now use my fingers (gloved!!). Perhaps a 10% solution would achieve the snail/slug kill without offending the leaves, but now, after your report, I think it would be better to drop the ammonia idea of mine. By the way, I get 100% direct spray kill using Safer's soap (nursaries carry it) solution on the ants that feed the various aphid species on my tomato plants. (Ants feed the aphids for the tasty excrement they provide). -- -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Lewis Tarnopol Citicorp/TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 (213) 450-9111, ext. 3082 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcb!tarnopol
tarnopol@ttidcb.UUCP (Lewis Tarnopol) (06/27/85)
In article <242@ttrdc.UUCP> levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) writes: >nemo@rochester.UUCP in <10315@rochester.UUCP>: >> >> > (wrt cutworms) Direct spraying with 50% >> > ammonia (mixed with tap water) does not work (although it's death to slugs >> > and snails - also providing a mild foliar feed of nitrogen). >> > Lewis Tarnopol >Just curious, what kind of ammonia is being referred to? A 50% solution >of household 'ammonia' would be less strong than a 50% solution of anhy- >drous ammonia (if the latter was even possible). Is there a 'garden' >ammonia? (Haven't noticed any such thing among the pesticides and garden >fertilizers last time I was in a garden supply house, maybe I'll look harder.) >If household ammonia was used, was it the clear or the sudsy kind? (I'd >presume you would want to use the clear kind.) Also I would suppose that >different brands of household ammonia differ in strength; presumably they >could be equalized by testing with pH paper. Just curious; it's been years >since I gardened (live in apartment) but I enjoy reading this group. > >Dan Levy >AT&T Teletype Corp. >Skokie, Ill. >...!ihnp4!ttrdc!ttbcad!levy Dear Dan, I used clear, non-soapy, plain-wrap, white (i.e. opaque white vs. green) ammonia. I don't think different brands would differ enough to make a difference here. And as an apartment dweller - try container gardening; it's great!! Lew -- -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Lewis Tarnopol Citicorp/TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 (213) 450-9111, ext. 3082 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcb!tarnopol