Secret Ingredient: Natural Fungicide Spray 

You just provided an answer to my question I had in mind about "does it count as spray if you spray organically?!" You are simply a godsend teacher to me :D Thanks for sharing such wonderful info with us. As a home gardener, I found many kitchen/home ingredients super helpful to fend off black spot and powdery mildew. Diluted milk, orange peel water, baking soda, oxygen peroxide are all on my good list. Egg shell powder is extremely good for the soil and hence makes plants stronger to defend themselves against a lot of diseases. Somehow I don't find neem meal/oil that helpful as it's claimed. Hope people will find roses are not that hard to keep.

Thanks for bringing sanity to you tube gardening practices...The key is low doseage. While I live in the standard measurement world I use metric measurements for gardening

This was excellent Jason, I've trialled with Potassium bicarbonate and Sodium bicarbonate and had better success with the former, great stuff- good to see - the worst problem areas I deal with on on south facing walls with climbing roses where the mildew is exacerbated by dryness at the roots which can be hard to combat (on a once-a-week visit basis!) so it certainly helped. Another great video.

All of your videos are no nonsense and right to the point. I’ve been so successful with your Tomato video last year. This year Rose propagation. Thank you

A great video rationalizing the use of natural pest and disease control. Just as an FYI, I watch a fairly popular Canadian cooking channel and he is constantly re-educating his USA, subscribers that they need to use the measurements based upon either liquid or dry measures. Because between countries they are often confused. Cheers!

Excellent tip Jason! I have been so focused on coffee that I totally forgot about Sodium Bicarbonate as a fungal treatment. We actually spread it out on the ground as a coque frog eliminator, but the benefits as a fungal remedy are enormous, especially with the humidity and tropical shading. I actually used to spray the apple and peach orchards twice a year in Northeastern Washington state as a kid. What a great reminder.👌🤙

Pesticide is a immunity booster every plant likes it. I always use neem oil on my plants. Thank you Jason sir👍👍

I love all the detail and science you provided here! Thanks also for the 'what this looks like IRL' -- so many of us are visual learners and I came away from this video feeling confident and like I actually get what you're saying!

I’m definitely going to try that mixture. I’ve tried camomile tea as a spray for fungus with mixed results. Great information thank you

Great info. The addition of chitosan was new to me.

Thank-you for the excellent information! Chitosan is new to me. The use of Imperial measure in these situations drive me bats sometimes. (Or more bats than I already am.) Particularly when instructions on the package say something like "milliliters per gallon". And if I just need a tiny amount ..... well..... Really, I should just get a digital scale with metric capability. I already have liquid measuring cups with metric gradations. No measuring cups with small amounts of milliliters, so I have used a syringe. In a past career of baking and pastry work folks would go into all manner of gyrations converting metric to Imperial, when it would have been right much easier to simply get metric measuring devices.

Just sprayed my Mango Tree bloom with a Neem oil solution hoping to ward off powdery mildew & spider mites. Next month I'm planting a 35 foot long hedge of roses for the first time.(zone 10a in Florida) Slightly worried about black spot and every thing else that comes with subtropical humidity & high temps. I'm sure I'm going to need a spray routine of sorts. I'll be watching what you do closely 👀

This is so use full Jason. I have problems with mildew on squash plants and I've heard of it on tomatoes. I'm betting this would be good for them as well. Thank you.

As always, interesting and practical, thank you! I’ll definitely try this on my artichoke seedlings

I didn't know you can spray in the winter. Great information as I have both black spit and powers mildew. We have wineries in South Jersey so I will look for the smaller quantities trick. I only have three rose bushes. Thanks again Jason!

I was just about to use a need oil orchard spray. This sound even better. Thank you

Yes, you are right ! Never heard of that product ! See, I even forgot the name..haha . 😂🤣 I am glad I don't get powdery mildew in FL but good to learn something new everytime I watch your video. I love your sprayer !

Chitin is a good source of fiber for the human gut. The supplement is called chitosan. I didn't know it's a fungicid. It is the preferred food of Bifidobacterium breve, which produces lactic acid, which kills anaerobe bacteria in the gut.

Thanks. A great video for winter thinking

Jason: Good input. One thing... I'd be surprised if you're getting a uniform solution without better agitation. I suggest a paint stirring blade on a cordless drill. This would best be done in a 5 gallon pail, then poured into the tank. Both ingredients may be soluble, but not instantaneously. A word to the wise. ron

Excellent stuff. I'm glad you stick to published studies. I use lacto bacteria sprays that I cultured myself and it's been working wonders with regards to fungal infections on my plants, I wonder if there are studies about that but I can see how it's harder to do a paper on it (diy lacto culture most likely vary dramatically based on number of live cultures and species diversity). I will do a trial with potassium salts and chidosan this year, I think.

Best wishes for 2022! Thanks for all the info you share with us.

You are correct, sir. "Spray" is, in fact, not a four-lettered word.

Thank you, Jason. Think I'll try that this year.

The aversion to sprays and the like never made a ton of sense to me. It's especially baffling when the chemical(s) used are things found in nature - e.g. potassium bicarbonate. In every single plant across the world, potassium ions are present throughout plant tissue in many roles, and bicarbonate ions are also present in several processes such as photosynthesis or nutrient uptake - to uptake negatively-charged nutrients like nitrate (NO3-) or various forms of phosphorus (e.g. HPO4-) the root cells basically swap a bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) for one of those ions to maintain the electrical balance of the plant. Once your potassium bicarbonate is dissolved into water, it breaks up into potassium ions and bicarbonate ions anyway, and there is literally no way to differentiate "sprayed" potassium/bicarbonate ions from those found in the plant or in the soil. Ditto for chitosan, which can be produced when a plant tries to break down chitin found in fungal cell walls and in insect exoskeletons through chitinases. If something is already present in, or synthesised by the plant anyway, it's extremely unlikely that a plant will become hazardous in some way if you apply a bit more of the thing. This applies to things like potassium bicarbonate, chitosan, acetylsalicylic acid (aka aspirin), the various plant growth regulators present in kelp, or even molasses (which are basically purified sugarcane!). I'm even more baffled when someone ridicules sprays but then advocates for a "natural" way of applying the same chemical in concentrated form to the soil. I'm willing to bet that that same customer would have no problems if they were told instead that the apple tree was grown in soil amended with neem cake and kelp meal.

Try mixing wood ash with water while bubbling air into it. Makes natural potassium bicarbonate which is a pretty good fungicide. Use it on putting greens from time to time on the lower mainland.

Thanks Jason, your info is alwaysw spot on and very helpful. :)

Thank you Jason. ❄️💚🙃

❤yup....organic is the green way😊

And now I am going to try...

That’s interesting information, and from the man who taught me how to eliminate my ant problem! As a winemaker I already have the potassium bicarbonate. Last season I sprayed my grapes and garden with white oil made from canola, I wonder if the potassium bicarbonate would be a good addition to my white oil spray.

I for one was so happy to learn there was organic environmentally friendly ways to fight black spot! Have you looked in to Dr Earths natural organic fungicide? It seems to have lots of interesting natural ingredients! Also Are you going to be spraying copper this winter as well?

Yikes!! I'm driving and can't watch!! Ok, I'll listen while driving and watch later if I need to. Sounds like a good one!! Oh, what am I saying? They're ALL good!

Brilliant Jason! Really like that spray system, too. Will this do for Codling moth!? I'm down here in southern Australia & I can't believe I lost all my apples to this pest (we picked all the affected fruit, so the risk of reinfestation is probably over, nothing left for them to eat - other than my quinces...) - I've never had a problem before, & to be honest I was ignorant of them being a problem with fruit here - I now know better - This spring/summer seems especially bad for black spot, whatever eats rose leaves (ants or bees?) & even rust, will this 'spray' help those & when are the best times to use it - obviously not on a hot summer's day? Whether it be roses or fruit trees? Thanks a bunch.

Precious information, thank you! Please let me know how frequent can I apply this solution?

lime sulfur is a cornerstone "organic" spray but it's been delisted for home use in the US for some reason. can still be found pretty easily. use PPE while applying it (eyes especially) but once applied it's one of the most benign things out there as far as the environment and eating. is it allowed for home use in canada?

Thanks for this Jason! Does this replace lime sulphur dormant spray?

Hi Jason, As always, another informative video. I'm wondering if this recipe would be effective on rust which I've recently discovered on my 20+ year old Abraham Darby? I'll be removing and destroying the infected leaves later today but wonder if you have any other suggestions on treating rust? Many thanks!

Chitosan is used as a weight loss supplement because it binds fat and removes it from the system.

Thank you. 👌

Neem oil isn't deemed safe for consumables in Canada as far as Im aware. I couldn't find it sold in Canada and that was the reason why I found. I live in/am from the same area you are so not sure who is right here but I say Chitosan and Surfacant very differently xD

Hi Jason I love your videos! Please can you tell me the g/l for potassium sorbate?

I just received my chitosan all the way from Merry ole England! Is it too late to spray on my roses. They have had a hard time with black spot

Thanks for an excellent tip! I often goes to your videos when I seek answers. I have a question about cuttings. I’ve been working in a empty little house (painting) and there was an old overgrown garden there, the main building is from 1830, the garden of course younger but still old. The owners had made a beautiful big garden with trees, a pound, orchards, flower beds and LOTS of roses. The island I live on is famous for its limestone and roses with mild climate for Sweden, hardly any snow and maybe 10-14 nights with temperature below zero Celsius a year. The plants here have already started to push some new growth. So, with owners ok I took a whole bunch of rose cuttings my last day at work there (yesterday), mostly semi hard, and I’ve got growing hormones, but I’m not sure where to put them? Only in pots in the shadow or I a plastic bin as humidity dome?

Thanks Jason. always informative. can i try only sod bicarbonate and at what dose ( g/litre)? thanks

Thanks Jason! I want to try this. Can you give an idea for a regular spray bottle amounts needed like equal parts etc? Also would this mixture harm other beneficial insects like ladybugs etc?

I will definitely be trying this thank you so much for sharing! Have you heard of Serenade Garden AGRSER32 it has Bacillus subtilis bacteria as the active ingredient and it’s a beneficial bacteria that has fungicide properties! I haven’t used it yet but it sounds so neat. It’s like when we take probiotics. 😁

Hi there, can you use potassium bicarbonate mixed with surfactant every week as a preventative or curative way ? ( or could it burn, kill the plant or damage soil ), please ? And can I use your mix ( Chitosan + potassium bicarbonate every week ? Many thanks 😊

I'd like to use this. It's actually kyto-san. Named after chitin. (kytin or kyt'n) (Just informing)

Thank you. May I ask are Spittlebugs bad bugs. If they are bad how would you treat them. What's the formula you used to repel aphids. Again thank you

Do you have a spray schedule time-wise? Or did I miss that part?

There is a study about people like the lady who was upset about spraying . It’s called the Dunning and Kruger effect. Search for it on RU-vid. We’re all guilty at one time or another…

please help. My new DA rose has this waxy scaly stuff on one of the stem. This is all new growth, not a wax coated plant from big box store. Direct purchase from DA USA, i wish I could send a photo. Remedy? Insectisidal soap?

? i am dealing with anthracnose. is it possible with your solution ?

Do you still use this mixture? I sprayed my roses with deer spray by bobbex and the weak ones (rose bushes) got black spot:/ Deer ate half of my roses (new growth) I can’t have a fence here and not sure what else to do Neem oil or this mixture? Also how often do you use this to treat disease?

I didn’t know I should be spraying now. Can I do this outdoors or just if I have a green house? Thank you

Could someone tell me how to get the very large print off of the video. There is a printed version of what Jason is saying but its so large I can't see his picture or what he's holding. Thx.

Jason what can I use on strawberry plants (only 3) I rooted in water (because I wanted to get them off the mother plant before the freeze ,didn't have enough time to root in patch and wanted to keep them for spring) I'm growing inside but it looks like they may have spider mites. Like barely visible kinda webby looking things on leaves and killed my 4th plant. It got dry and crusty. But I have them with all my succulents and other plants under my grow lights ( on my plant growing shelves, lack of better words at the moment) so is it spider mites? I don't see any insects anywhere but are they visible?

I was reading that baking soda is sodium bicarbonate not potassium bicarbonate and baking soda has a lot of sodium which is bad for plant health and soil. Is there any truth to this?

The questions on Amazon for the chitosan powder says it’s not water soluable, can you confirm or deny this?

Will this method prevent worms and insects?

what you you use to control scales, black scales

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

do you have an efficient fungicide to kill spidermites and white flies i have the biggest problem last year even i try neem oil, orange oil, dish soap but nothing stop them.

I completely got over the whole "organic" thing, which makes you drink the "cool aid" but doesnt represent the truth/reality. Evaluate every input on individual basis. Radioactivity etc are part of nature and nothing good about it, or too much copper, sulfur...natural or not. Truth is more complicated than "synthetic chemical bad". Thanks for sharing. Will have a look at the chitozan.

Everything is easier in metric. 😄

Pronounced kytosan. The H is silent. Just sayin'.