Horticultural Myths

I wanted to post this website I ran into, thought it was a worthwhile read for folks in the perennial forum and I wanted to share it with you...I think I'll post it on the Rose forum also as some articles are specific to rose folks.....The lady that wrote the articles, there are a few, wrote them in the spirit of being critical in your reading and I know you will be critical in reading her conclusions too....Like I said a worthwhile read whether you agree with them in part or whole......Hey food for thought...and I never turn down food, how about you?.......:)

http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/index.html

Paul from Alabama

I'm not sure what to think about those myths. Some of them are just confusing, but I think it's the author who is confused. For instance, she talks about cedar mulch, but then the Latin names don't match what is cedar mulch here in Indiana, which is Juniperus. She is talking Cedrus and Thuja...I don't believe those are the species used for mulch, at least East of the Mississippi.

Each and every one of her "startling" myth statements has a caveat where you think, "Well, duh, lady!"

I did learn that I should quite telling people to use bleach on seedlings LOL! I have done it for years, but she says it's bad...I guess we all ought to get a spray bottle/can of Lysol. I can do that!

Thanks for the link!

Suzy

Hey Suzy......

The best thing I took from those articles was the thing about using Lysol instead of bleach to disinfect my pruners....If what she said was true and Lysol is better at disinfecting but more importantly less destructive of the metal my pruners are made of, well...So I ran right out and bought some Lysol, mixed as directed and made me up a container of it....You see I'm not easily influenced.......:)

I hope the articles at least help somebody, the ones that are solid and have the right information, knowing which ones are which is the tricky part......but glad you got something outta them......You have a nice evening......

Paul from Alabama

Yes, I was in the steel business and bleach is considered highly corrosive to most all metals.

Cleaning products containing bleach (and possibly the Clorox bottle, too) usually say to stay away from...and then list a host of items including metals, and porous stones like marble and also grout. I always laugh at them covering the bases because in your bathroom, you might have tile floor with grout; a sink with a metal faucet, and handle or two and that escutcheon and pop up at the drain of the sink. On the shower, you might have a glass door with a metal frame, a threshold, shelf, or seat made from marble, and a metal drain, handles, shower head, etc. In other words, use at your own risk and don't come crying to customer support when their product discolors or pits your fixtures!

Suzy

FWIW, the Lysol product she mentions in her article is not the Lysol you find at the store today, it's an older product with some phenol compound as the active, the stuff you buy at the store has quaternary ammonium salts as the active (not sure what effect those would have on plants)

I didn't think the article was that old! Dagnabbit! I thought I had it licked.

Gee e why didn't you just leave me to live in ignorance.......:)

But seriously I didn't buy the ready to use stuff but some small bottle of concentrate that looked like it had been on the shelf since before the First World War...I'm going to checkout the ingredients on the label today.....thanks e for the heads up on it

Paul from Alabama

I'm going to try Listerine, then. It kills germs. :))

Suzy

The phenols that they used to use for actives in disinfectants like Lysol are not the most safe or environmentally friendly chemicals, I think that's why they don't get used anymore, so even if you do find one around somewhere I probably wouldn't use it. If you want something that works similar but is a more friendly chemical, look for something that's made from Thymol or Thyme oil, it's a similar structure chemically but isn't chlorinated like the old disinfectant actives (chlorinated anything is usually environmentally questionable)

Hey suzy....Let's put ecrane on the payroll......:)

Thanks e.....I appreciate the info.....

Paul from Alabama

Sure thing! I've gone in to Chapter 11, but I bet you're good for it! :))

Ecrane, what has Thymol or Thyme oil in it?

Suzy

I'm not sure what all's out there now--there was a George Foreman branded disinfectant a couple years ago that had it as the active but I'm not sure if it's still sold or not. It's also in some mouthwashes (although I've never really looked into it to figure out which ones), or you can buy the essential oil and make your own. Personally I use bleach for pots and pruning implements (I do rinse quickly on anything with metal...and I also don't buy super high quality pruning implements since I lose things all the time, so chances are before the bleach does any significant damage, the pruning shears have already disappeared into the Bermuda triangle in my garage! LOL) And for seedlings and plants, I use hydrogen peroxide.

As a chemist, I was curious to know what things had thymol as an ingredient, and when I did the search, found out that Bee balm (Monarda didyma and fistulosa) are a natural source of thymol. I guess the tea that can be made using the leaves has antiseptic properties, and was used to fight cavities and gingivitis. Interesting the things I learn everyday.