Garlic water

[jenkinsnpt]

I have used garlic water to deter slugs and snails from hostas etc. and have read that it can be used to reduce the incidence of onion white rot. Has anyone used it as a ploy to foil carrot fly by masking the smell of the carrots? Or can anyone think of a reason why it cannot be used?

[Ricard with an H]

I probably learnt about this from this forum, regarding white rot you creat a situation of bare earth during the growing season then water-in garlic or onion water. The bugs that create white rot go into action but you fooled them because no garlic or onion is growing so the spores die.

I never tried this, I did have white rot in a raised bed two seasons ago. I have since planted different crops and a green manure, now I have planted garlic. Maybe I should have watered- garlic water last autumn.

If I didn't get this information from this forum maybe from one of the RHS books I have, I didn't make it up.

I also had this idea about white rot being prevalent more-with over-wintering garlic (I did make that up) because of the amount of time spend in damp craggy earth. This year I planted my garlic a few weeks ago.

I am a novice so work around my comments rather than being led by the nose.

[Tony Hague]

I have used garlic water to deter slugs and snails from hostas etc.

Interesting. Did it work ? I had not heard of that one.

and have read that it can be used to reduce the incidence of onion white rot.

If you search "Fred Crowe", you will find a number of posts about his work at university of Oregon on this matter. I think it does work. In fact, it has created quite an interest amongst commercial growers in composted onion waste, for a similar purpose.

Has anyone used it as a ploy to foil carrot fly by masking the smell of the carrots? Or can anyone think of a reason why it cannot be used?

I have heard of that one being used commercially too. Picking an exposed, windy field can also be an effective measure.

[jenkinsnpt]

Thank you both.
Have seen the information about white rot from America but not aware that it had been used commercially for carrots. With regard to deterrent for slugs a search with 'garlic water and hostas' throws up some recipes, I add some washing up liquid to reduce surface tension.
Will be using garlic water on the allotment with repeat treatment on carrots to see what happens.