Wiscoregon
New member
Greetings, so I was hoping you all could give me some help and suggestions. I need a few heads on this.
I've been at battle with flying Root Aphids (or something a lot like it) for a while now, probably more than a year. Up until now, all efforts have not succeed in eliminating the problem it (they) always return. I've come to a point in my growing tenure that I just categorically refuse to use toxic chemicals in my sacred herb. My impression is, all other known organic strategies (neem seed meal, diam earth, various sprays, sticky traps, hot water dunks, misquito dunks, etc etc etc) more often than not fail at eliminating the pest.
I started brainstorming and starting thinking about forces I could treat the soil with without harming the plants. That's when I thought of electricity as a potential tool to harness that seems currently untapped. I began to imagine ways of zapping the dirt. My thought was, drench, or maybe even dunk the pots in water (soil coir blend) and take a small bug zapper, say 15-20 watts and bring it into contact with the water inhabiting the pots so the current goes through it. Apply it long enough that you kill the bugs (maybe their larvae and eggs) leaving the plant itself unharmed. Is this a sense worthy idea? Is there the potential I electrocute myself applying the bug zapper to the wet pots (My thought was if it was only putting out 20 watts its probably pretty safe). Now assuming it works, how long do you apply it to kill the bugs, and leave the plants unharmed? Would it kill the plants? It seems like an idea worth investigating...What other considerations am I missing? Would the pot need to be off the ground or grounded for it to work?
Perhaps there's another means of running a current through the wet pots I haven't considered? Taser? Would love anyone's input / ideas on this.
I've been at battle with flying Root Aphids (or something a lot like it) for a while now, probably more than a year. Up until now, all efforts have not succeed in eliminating the problem it (they) always return. I've come to a point in my growing tenure that I just categorically refuse to use toxic chemicals in my sacred herb. My impression is, all other known organic strategies (neem seed meal, diam earth, various sprays, sticky traps, hot water dunks, misquito dunks, etc etc etc) more often than not fail at eliminating the pest.
I started brainstorming and starting thinking about forces I could treat the soil with without harming the plants. That's when I thought of electricity as a potential tool to harness that seems currently untapped. I began to imagine ways of zapping the dirt. My thought was, drench, or maybe even dunk the pots in water (soil coir blend) and take a small bug zapper, say 15-20 watts and bring it into contact with the water inhabiting the pots so the current goes through it. Apply it long enough that you kill the bugs (maybe their larvae and eggs) leaving the plant itself unharmed. Is this a sense worthy idea? Is there the potential I electrocute myself applying the bug zapper to the wet pots (My thought was if it was only putting out 20 watts its probably pretty safe). Now assuming it works, how long do you apply it to kill the bugs, and leave the plants unharmed? Would it kill the plants? It seems like an idea worth investigating...What other considerations am I missing? Would the pot need to be off the ground or grounded for it to work?
Perhaps there's another means of running a current through the wet pots I haven't considered? Taser? Would love anyone's input / ideas on this.
