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Lime Sulfur : general purpose Organic fungicide you can make at home

22/10/2014

29 Comments

 
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 A note and caution.

This is a relatively easy process, you don't need to be a chemist or a wizard.  All the ingredients are natural and safe if used with respect.  Wear gloves, a mask and eye protection of course and be warned you may end up smelling a little like a volcano.

Introduction :

Lime-sulfur is a fungicide composed of inorganic sulfur and lime and is commonly used today to control a variety of agricultural fungal diseases. In Australia it is most commonly used as a winter protectant on roses applied after pruning and you will see it for sale under a number of commercial brands in most hardware and gardening stores.

Lime-sulfur is believed to be the earliest synthetic chemical used as a pesticide, being used in the 1840s in France to control grapevine powdery mildew and save their precious wine crop!

Anti fungal preparations are common place in food production, in the 'conventional' farming world the anti-fungal arsenal is extensive and generally toxic to people, to the soil and the environment. 
To avoid putting poisons on our food Organic solutions are however significantly limited. 

While there are a range of options for combating fungal problems in the home garden, from sprays made with garlic , whey, bi-carb, Epsom salts and essential oils, for the farmer the volumes required for crop protection are at a scale that requires some something more practical.

Directions :

Lime-sulfur is a mixture of calcium polysulphides formed by reacting calcium hydroxide (commonly called “brickies lime”) with sulfur.   It is normally used as an aqueous solution for ease of application, and produces a reddish-yellow liquid with that familiar sulfuric smell.


Ingredients and Equipment
I make up 100L at a time but the ratio's can easily be reduced to make a smaller batch. However it will store well and Sulfur is much cheaper when bought by the sack.

Pure (98%) Sulfur should be available from your agricultural supplier and brickies lime / quick lime will be available from any hardware store.

20kg pure Sulfur
10kg hydrated lime / quick lime / 'brickies' lime
100L water

Step 1 :
Put your drum on some bricks and get a hot fire going under it.
Fill the drum 1/2 full with water (approx 100L) and keep the hose handy.

Step 2 :
As the water is coming to the boil, mix the sulfur with a small amount of water to form a paste

Step 3 :
When the water is boiling add all the lime at once and stir until it is dissolved.  You will need a solid stick or broom handle.

Step 4 :
Add the sulfur paste slowly so you don't splash yourself and settle in for a stir-a-thon.
Cook the liquid down for 1-2 hours.

...

You might want to tag team so your arm doesn't fall off.  Moving the thick sediment in the bottom can be a good workout that's best shared with two or more.  Its also a good idea to have an extra pair of hands on deck to keep the fire stoked and the drum topped up the water to maintain the volume as it evaporates.

All the while channel your inner alchemist, enjoy the fragrant aroma of boiling sulfur and marvel at the reaction as the color of your broth changes from pasty white, through hues or orange to a deep red.

Finally :
Allow the liquid to cool (probably overnight),  and depending on how it will be used you may need to strain it through a sieve, or sock etc.
Take the solution from the top of the sediment and strain into bottles.

I typically use a dilution of 1L in 10L water.
Most recently I have been using this application over a custard apple orchard to hopefully treat the
phytophthora fungus typical in the tropics and subtropics.   Spraying out about 1L over the trunk, lower branches (avoiding leaves) and drenching the root zone.

Notes :
  • Lime-sulfur spray is applied to the woody part of the tree only. Do not spray on foliage as it can burn the leaves.
  • Spraying time for fruit trees is dependent on location, weather conditions and indications of disease.
  • Spray when there is little or no wind and on a cooler day. Spraying when the weather is warm can stress young fruit trees.

Warnings :
  • Wear long-sleeved gloves, protective clothing and protective eye wear when handling lime-sulfur spray. The liquid is caustic and can cause burns to the skin. Keep the liquid away from children. If you have skin contact with the liquid or breathe or ingest the material, seek immediate medical assistance. Wear a face mask for spray application.
  • Bees are very susceptible to all fungicides, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Do not spray while the trees are flowering and bees are in attendance to pollinate the blooms.
  • Do not spray lime-sulfur on apricot trees.

Hope this is helpful!



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29 Comments
Sathya link
5/1/2015 08:06:36 pm

Why you take so much precaution and use it! try some organic stuff.
I use neem oil + water mixed and sprayed over the leaves
add neem cakes+tobacco to the root

Reply
Hameed
9/1/2016 03:41:42 am

Could you mention the details that how you make it

Reply
Dani Seakey link
15/9/2019 07:22:50 pm

Neem oil is toxic. Azatrol even nite do that it is not allowed to be sold in Oregon. I’m lol go with lime sulfur.

Reply
Prakash Tilara link
15/2/2020 12:20:48 am

Dear Dani,
We are biggest manufacturer of Lime Sulfur in Asia. We have branches in Australia, USA, India etc. You can buy it.

BIJAY KUMAR MANDAL
14/12/2015 07:58:56 am

VERY NICE IWANT TO START BUSINESS WITH U

Reply
MClark
29/3/2018 04:38:31 am

Thank you so very much! We have been searching for this for our vineyard to use before the vines push out their buds.

Reply
Reuben Daniel
18/9/2018 04:59:44 am

Dear sir,
You can even use your garden weeds as a good source of nutrition and as an organic pest repeller.
You can take a 200 ltr barrel (Empty drum).
Steps are
1)Collect all the weeds before flowering like ageratum, Eupatorium,Borreria,lantana camera,and all the soft weeds.25kgs
2)and chop all the weeds.
3)put the mixture of chipped weeds in the 200ltr drum
4)Add 25kgs cow dung wet
5)Add 4kgs of molasis for fermentation
6)rest add cow urine till the drum is full.
No water required
7)Cover the lid property that the aerobic reaction takes place.and not even a single gap should there for the gas to get released
8)every morning for few minutes stir the concoction firmly
9)and cover the lid
This process should be carried out for 15 days
10)Filter the concoction were nicely
11)Spray with the volume of 5LTR concoction in 200ltr of water.
It can be applied any time of year.

Reply
jess c. consulta link
18/6/2018 02:00:37 am

How about the sediments?No need to save it or to include in the solutions?

Reply
Reuben Daniel
18/9/2018 05:01:40 am

For lime sulphur the sediment will be wasted and the concoction after made should be finished within 72hours.more than that there won't be any action on pest

Reply
Rebecca
7/11/2018 05:43:10 pm

Lime Sulphur spray stays potent for a very long time.

Reuben Daniel
18/9/2018 05:09:59 am

Dear sir/Madam
You can even use your garden weeds as a good source of nutrition and as an organic pest repeller.
You can take a 200 ltr barrel (Empty drum).
Steps are
1)Collect all the weeds before flowering like ageratum, Eupatorium,Borreria,lantana camera,and all the soft weeds.25kgs
2)and chop all the weeds.
3)put the mixture of chipped weeds in the 200ltr drum
4)Add 25kgs cow dung wet
5)Add 4kgs of molasis for fermentation
6)rest add cow urine till the drum is full.
No water required
7)Cover the lid property that the aerobic reaction takes place.and not even a single gap should there for the gas to get released
8)every morning for few minutes stir the concoction firmly
9)and cover the lid
This process should be carried out for 15 days
10)Filter the concoction were nicely
11)Spray with the volume of 5LTR concoction in 200ltr of water.
It can be applied any time of year.

Reply
randy link
21/10/2018 05:40:50 pm

I love having home remedies for these kinds of things. Thanks so much for the suggestion.

Reply
Gary Puntman link
23/10/2018 08:20:14 am

It's good to know that lime is used to control agricultural fungal diseases, like you said. I didn't realize that this could be used to control the acidity of soil. I will have to look into using it for my own home garden as an organic option.

Reply
Prakash Tilara
15/2/2020 12:25:59 am

Dear Gray,
Lime Sulfur can act as buffer for both type (acidic or alkaline). So it able to control soil pH on either side.

Reply
Angela Johnson
5/8/2019 07:49:42 pm

May this product, be use as an pest control for fleas?

Reply
Prakash Tilara link
15/2/2020 12:24:05 am

Dear All,
We are biggest manufacturer of Lime Sulfur in Asia. Generally potency of Lime Sulfur is depend on how long chain of sulfur you have in your product. You can contact us for more detail on prakash.tilara@classicchem.com

Reply
Zander
20/7/2021 12:55:11 pm

what happens with the residue inside lime sulphur liquid

Reply
jay abad link
27/2/2020 10:21:56 pm

I was so comfused lately,I try to some plant but so tiny.Now i havei dea,Thank you,

Reply
Neil
24/9/2020 12:42:21 am

How do you collect cow urine?

Reply
Lucas link
23/10/2020 04:25:28 am

Thank you for sharing this article. Have nice content Keep sharing.

Reply
Pam link
23/10/2020 04:44:11 am

Very useful. I will definitely try them. Thanks and keep sharing.

Reply
prerna link
26/3/2021 03:04:16 am

Very Informative post. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
<b><a><a href="http://www.ampac1.com/blog/methods-to-have-safe-drinking-water-by-removing-sulfur-and-iron-from-the-well-water/" title= "sulfur water treatment">sulfur water treatment</a></b>

Reply
pest control Porirua link
26/3/2021 04:57:37 am

This is really appreciated that you have presented this data over here, I love all the information shared. It will be very helpful to understand about lime sulfur general purpose organic fungicide you can make at home . Great post to share, thanks for publishing this here!!

Reply
www.pestcontrolwellingtonprosnz.info/ link
7/4/2021 12:52:15 am

Is Vinegar a fungicide?

Reply
contact us link
20/5/2021 06:26:58 pm

Mixing baking soda with water, about 4 teaspoons or 1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) to 1 gallon (4 L.) of water (Note: many resources recommend using potassium bicarbonate as a substitute for baking soda.). Dishwashing soap, without degreaser or bleach, is a popular ingredient for homemade plant fungicide.

Reply
Andrea link
7/7/2021 09:45:42 pm

Well-informed article. Thank you for sharing this post. Keep posting!

Reply
Aaron link
7/7/2021 09:50:27 pm

Never been informed not after reading this article. Thanks for this good post.

Reply
Tanya Sharma link
2/8/2021 05:32:13 am

This article is very helpful for me.Very educative,thanks so much for this informative article about Organic fungicide composed. it is very good.

Reply
Michael link
3/11/2021 10:53:46 pm

Great Article! Thank you for sharing this very informative post, and looking forward to the latest one.

Reply



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