Pests in orchards, vegetable gardens, vineyards - the real scourge of the owners. In order to fight them, you have to spend a lot of time and effort. A Bordeaux mixture can be a good help in such a struggle, the preparation of which is a very easy matter. And the effect is wonderful.
What is a Bordeaux mixture?
Bordeaux mixture, or Bordeaux liquid, is called a solution, which includes copper sulfate and lime. According to experienced owners, its effectiveness is much higher than that of ordinary vitriol. It was first used at the end of the 19th century by P. Millard, a French gardener and botanist. He used this composition in order to protect the vineyards from such a dangerous disease as mold.
What is it used for?
There is a large group of fungicides, that is, substances that help in the fight against fungal diseases. This is where the Bordeaux mixture belongs . Application in gardening, she found very wide. It is used to treat plants in order to protect against various fungal diseases, as well as to prevent scab. It treats wounds that remain after trimming tree branches. It is also effective to add this composition when whitewashing. Despite the fact that they have been using this substance for more than a hundred years, gardeners and gardeners do not refuse it. The reason for this is ease of preparation and efficiency. You can purchase a ready-made solution for processing, but it is much better to prepare a substance such as Bordeaux mixture on your own. Cooking it is not particularly difficult. The finished substance is a turquoise liquid.
How to cook?
The store usually sells not the finished substance, but its components in two separate bags. One of them contains copper sulfate, and the second contains lime. Following the attached instructions, get the composition, which is called the Bordeaux mixture. Its preparation in this case is facilitated by the fact that the proportions of the constituent components are measured in advance. However, the amount of substance that will end up is small. It may not be enough to process a large vineyard or garden. Therefore, it makes sense to purchase separately two substances that are part of it, and prepare the necessary amount of solution as needed. Moreover, lime and vitriol can be used in orchards and vineyards as part of other solutions, not only such as Bordeaux mixture. The preparation of this composition has one subtlety: vitriol and lime are dissolved separately in water, and only then mixed. In order to get 10 liters of a one percent Bordeaux mixture, take 100 g of copper sulfate and the same amount of lime (it may need a little more, even 150 g). Dissolve them separately in a roomy container made of plastic or glass (metal will not work). Vitriol should be thoroughly mixed in warm water. If necessary, extinguish lime in a small amount of water, then dilute in 5 liters of water to make milk of lime. It is advisable to strain it immediately. In a thin stream, stirring, pour the solution of vitriol. And then the total volume of liquid is adjusted to 10 liters. The Bordeaux mixture, the preparation of which was carried out correctly, should have a bright turquoise color.
It is important that the solution does not give an acid reaction, otherwise it can damage the green leaves. To test this, a regular nail is dipped in the prepared liquid for 3 minutes. If it turns red, then a little more milk of lime should be added. If the question of how to properly prepare a Bordeaux mixture of higher concentration (for example, three percent) is being decided, then you just need to change the content of its components proportionally. That is, for a three percent mixture, take three times the most (300 grams of vitriol and 300-400 lime). Use the resulting solution immediately, it will not be stored. And we should not forget about the means of protection - the mixture is dangerous if it comes into contact with the skin.
Bordeaux mixture is an indispensable composition in gardening. It helps rid trees and shrubs of many diseases. Do not forget about this simple and reliable, time-tested tool.