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Subject: gardenwriters-on-gardening

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Nancy Szerlag <szerlag@earthlink.net>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: Nancy Szerlag <szerlag@earthlink.net>
  • Subject: [gwl-g] By By Beetles
  • Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:32:29 -0400

For those who haven't the time to hand pick Japanese Beetles or find the job discusting, you may want to check out this new insecticide  I discovered.   AzaMax from General Hydroponics is an organic, OMRI approved vegetable based product that’s a broad spectrum insecticide, miticide and nematicide approved for use indoors and outdoors and on edible crops right to harvest.  While its active ingredient Azadirachtin comes from the Neem tree, don't confuse it with neem oil products.  

AzaMax does not kill on contact, as do most insecticides, but acts as an anti-feedant, a growth disruptor and a repellant. Think of it as an appetite suppressant for insect pests. They starve to death. Three applications in thirty days provide complete plant protection.   

The good news is only insects, caterpillars and worms that suck or chew on leaves are affected. It’s listed for use on more than 200 species of insects including difficult to eradicate soil born critters, such as soil gnats, nematodes and root weevils. Beneficial insects including bees do not feed on plant material and are free from harm.  Test have shown that bees, butterflies and hummingbirds that drink nectar and collect pollen from treated plants do not accumulate a significant amount of AzaMax to do them harm.

AzaMax works best when used as both a foliar spray and a root drench. And, timing of the application is also key, foliar spray plants at dusk and root drench early in the morning. When spraying, be sure to wet the undersides of leaves to hit any insect eggs deposited on the bottom of the foliage. Once combined with water, AzaMax should be applied within 15 minutes of mixing, so mix it fresh every time it’s used. 

Like most concentrated liquid pesticides and fertilizers, when mixed with water the efficacy of AzaMax is sustained if the mix is acidified to a pH between 6.5 to 7 (neutral).  If you use Detroit water, a pH of 7.89, adjusting the pH is a snap. To a gallon of water mixed with AzaMax, add 1 tsp of household vinegar to reduce it to a pH of 6.5. 

Neem products have been used as an anti microbial for eons. In India, tiny branches of the tree have been used to clean teeth for hundreds of years. While not labeled as fungicide, using AzaMax as an insecticide according to the package label, als may also knock back and surpress powdery mildew.

 

To read more about AzaMax and find a garden center dealer near you check out the General Hydroponics website at www.generalhydroponics.com .

If you're going to Raleigh, GH will have a booth at the trade show.

Nancy


Nancy Szerlag
Columnist for Detroit News





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