Homeopathy for plants?

An
An Posts: 42 ✭✭
edited September 2018 in Our Garden: Growing Food
Interesting. I just googled because I’ve never heard of this and had no idea what you meant!

Comments

  • An
    An Posts: 42 ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    I am new to the idea as well. I use homeopathy frequently to care for my family and recently came across articles on the internet discussing use on the farm and in the garden. I am particularly interested in getting rid of some kind of burrowing pest in my garden that likes to eat my veggies. I think it is a vole. As the articles were from Europe and India, I was hoping a fellow American might have experience to share. I will be trying Arvicolinae D6 as soon as I can get it ordered.
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Aconite napellus – light rust
    Allium cepa – onion and carrot fly, weevils
    Belladonna – red-brown rust
    Bombyx processionea – caterpillars
    Bufo rana – pests
    Bovista – spider mites
    Calendula – mechanical damage, repotting
    Camphora – ants
    Carbo vegetabilis – strengthening weak plants
    Coccinella septempunctata – aphids
    Cuprum metallicum – mildew
    Helix tosta – snails
    Manganum – monilia, chlorosis
    Mentha – pests of cruciferous plants
    Natrum sulphuricum – fungus in rainy weather, brown rot
    Ocymum – to keep tomatoes healthy
    Ricinus communis – pests in viticulture
    Salicylic acidum – aphids, fungus
    Sambucus nigra – prevention of pests
    Silicea terra – strengthening resistance, healthy soil
    Tanacetum vulgare – pests, black vine weevil
    Thuja occidentalis – leaf curl, scale insects, spider mites
    Zincum metallicum – nematodes

    this is a great resource https://www.amazon.com/Homeopathy-for-Farm-and-Garden/dp/3941706470
    -Heather
  • peppypoblano
    peppypoblano Posts: 92
    edited September 2018
    Great list.  Thanks for sharing.
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    I should have noted how to use them...use the homeopathic pellets and add "safe" water..not tap..spring or distilled are best. You can fill a small 1 ounce spray bottle with the pellets and dissolve in water and spray remedy on the plants. You can also mix up a cup of water with the pellets if you dont need to spray the plant and are simply treating the soil

    I also use herbal and natural remedies when gardening issues arise..https://www.veggiegardener.com/12-homemade-natural-remedies-for-the-garden/ as well as essential oil remedies for plants mostly peppermint and tea tree oils to remove pests and you can also use oils like Lavender, Hyssop, Marjoram, Helichrysum, Basil, Sage, and Rosemary to attract pollinators . Also, use Lavender, Yarrow, Catmint, Fennel, Helichrysum, and/or Sage essential oils to attract more butterflies to your garden.

    Heather
  • StacyLou
    StacyLou Posts: 89 ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Thanks for the great info, Heather!
  • AndreaDennin
    AndreaDennin Posts: 41 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Wow Heather. What an awesome list! I wish I’d known this years ago when I had my first garden. Would have saved me massive headaches. But I’m glad to know now.
  • Alison
    Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Very interesting ideas. I hadn't thought of homeopathy for plants. Where are the pellets purchased?

    I've been considering homeopathy for my dairy goats. I think I'll start a post asking if people have used homeopathy for their livestock.
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Alison

    homeopathy works fantastic for animals, even better than in a human person because they have no preconceived ideas what you're giving them, unlike a person who always will have a or want an idea of what they are taking which can cause anything to be ineffective (kind of the opposite of a positive placebo effect). I love using Bach flower and other flower remedies (both are homeopathic in nature) with my animals and plants as well. I have used it with my dogs and horses quite successfully. You can get the remedies at any health food store or online. Remedies are chosen by analyzing specific symptoms you experience along with what makes the symptoms better or worse, where the symptoms are located in the body etc. ITs a very effective method of using medicine in a very inexpensive and sustainable way :).
  • Alison
    Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    That makes sense.

    Do you have an idea as to what homeopathic remedy could be used with goats as a parasite treatment?

    I currently use natural herbal treatments but homeopathy has been a thought I've had. I might start a new post on the topic though, so as to not change the nature of the thread.

     
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Knowing the parasite would make choosing the remedy more accurate however the following remedies are most often used for parasites

    Abrotanum, cina, filix mas, granatum, natrum phos, sabadilla, spigelia and teucrium marum are what is in most formulas for animal parasites

    Cina 3x being the most effective for parasites along with added copper sulfate and DE made available to the goats to use on their own.
  • An
    An Posts: 42 ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Alison, hello,,,,, I posted over in the Raising Livestock forum a few links to using homeopathy with animals.  Joette gives free advise in her emails and blog.  Often all you have to do is search "Joette Calabrese and 'name your problem here' " and you will find an article where she covers your question.  She writes for the Weston Price Foundation and a number of other publications and blogs.
  • Alison
    Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Thankyou An, that's very helpful. I will look into that. Much appreciated!
  • Angela
    Angela Posts: 42
    edited October 2018
    Today I read an article about someone who was making essential oil blends for organic farmers here in France, including for large scale farms.  His products were very effective, especially for fungal diseases, and the farmers claimed they rivaled in effectiveness to any chemical solution on the market.  His products came about because he had learned what blends worked solely by experimentation, researching on his own land, on his own plants, and when he realized how good they did work he started selling them to organic farmers, and he was very successful...Until the government stepped in and said his products were not safe, and that he was outside of his legal rights to make the claims that they did do what they had proven to do.  His operation was shut down, and is not operational at this moment.  This is the same government who has just recently defeated a proposal to renew a 5 year ban on glyphoste, so it is more than obvious who this decision (and government) is really protecting.

    Heather posted a useful list a few posts above, I was about to do a search about what oils to use for different concerns, I have never heard of using them in the garden before.  The only oils that were mentioned in the article were sweet orange for fungus and mint oil (pepper, spearmint? it didn't specify) for sprout suppression of potatoes.

    Anyone have any idea of how to apply the oils?  From what I have heard that if essential oils mix with water they are less effective.

     

     

     

     
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
    you would use essential oils in dilution, in a spray bottle.
    -Happy Healing
    Heather
  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited October 2018
    Interesting about that farmer, Angela. I will have to see what I can find on that.

    Heather, thank you for the awesome lists!

    I have used some herbs on my birds & horses in the past. Not everything worked as I had hoped, but some did wonders!
  • H_D
    H_D Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
    Laurie
    I find when herbs dont work there are a few logical reasons..1. they are being used in place of a prescribed pharmaceutical (this isnt how we work with herbal medicine) 2. the herb being used isnt the right one to treat the symptom, the symptom was not identified correctly, or the root cause of the symptom isnt identified. (for instance a stomach ache can be from food you ate, an allergy, eating while emotionally upset or other problems causing gas and bloating obviously if someone is simply treating a stomach ache they can get the herb completely wrong :) ) 3. improper dosing is the usual suspect, 4. the quality of said herb isnt great or it was grown is very nutrient lacking soils 5. using the wrong part of the plant for the need or the wrong type of preparation.

    We have used herbs and natural medicine exclusively for the last 7 years or so with our plants, animals and humans successfully (and we had a dog we were told should have been put down, 2 cancers a few autoimmune and mental health issues thrown in there too), its a learning curve, and sometimes you really question what you have learnt and if you are doing the right thing (especially when mental health issues are effecting your teenage children) but well worth the end result :)

    Happy Healing
    Heather
  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited October 2018
    You have good points and all good reminders.

    What didn't work was a mainly fresh herbal "salad" that I made for 3 sick chickens, along with a clove of garlic in their gallon of water & a bit of ACV. I found information online about herbs good (and safe) for general respiratory ailments in chickens and ran it by Doc of Homegrown Herbalist. These herbs focused on a few different areas that needed to be supported in the fight. I didn't want to use drugs, as they don't always work, are not cheap and are often harsh, our chickens are drug-free and often a drug makes the bird not useful for eggs nor meat.

    The problem was clearly respiratory in nature. Some respiratory diseases that poultry get are cureable and some are not. Some go into remission only to reappear when the birds are stressed. Sometimes the birds die, sometimes they don't and in some cases remain carriers. Some diseases are environmental (dust, mold), some travel in the wind, some pass from wild birds to domesticated, some pass from bird to bird or from bird to egg, or egg to bird, or people spread it through the stuff on their boots, clothes or even through their breath. Symptoms often overlap extensively. Many things can certainly factor into the whole picture. I have no idea what the dose should have been as there is no information available on that for chickens, but I gave it my best shot with what we could afford. Any friends that had chicken respiratory issues (much the same), lost their birds, some in big numbers, some in small. I would do the same again only with larger doses of the greens if it appeared again. I suspect it made a difference. I still have those birds. My friends don't.

    I know that my birds had great nutrition while they battled the issue, which is important.

    This health issue did spread to one other bird, but he recovered quickly once I removed him early on. The other two old hens that were in with him stayed in good health. The initial birds..they took a long time to seemingly recover. They appear to be free of it now, but because it might reoccur and spread, they will remain separate.

    I have a good idea what it probably was, but could only be sure if I killed them and paid $$$ to get it checked by a provincial vet. That is usually only done if it is a reportable disease and is a lot of hassle.

    Generally, poultry are not taken to vets for diagnoses and treatment unless you have a vet who deals in poultry and you show your birds.

    We have healed chicken wounds with honey. Some were close to death. They recovered and did well until a mink got them. :(

    Now, with the horses, their issue was different. It was worms. We used bucketfuls of plantain. They recovered well. Their problem was cut & dry, so it was easy to know how to treat them. With injuries, we use Fiskes (developed in Nova Scotia, Canada) as it is 100% natural and is well respected by performance horse people to heal wounds and protect from proud flesh developing. We have used it on chickens too. It is great stuff!
  • Alison
    Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
    Thanks Heather for all of the information. I found a homeopath that sells remedies for animals and has organised a remedy specifically for my goats. I am looking forward to receiving it.

    Back to homeopathy for plants:

    My goats had broken a fence and damaged some of my trees during winter [we are now in spring]. As we are going through drought as well [for the past year and a bit] a portion of my fruit and nut trees have developed bubbly curly leaves. One very badly.

    What could be recommended homoeopathically or naturally to treat these trees now and than again [if necessary] later?  This is the saddest tree I've seen. This one is a pixie fruit tree that was badly damaged by the goats and is now clearly miserable ):