Sterilize plants before sharing them?

Hello

Is it possible to sterilize plants or cuts to avoid diseases

  • before sending them to a friend ?
  • when I receive clones from friends ?

Is quarantine the unique technique or can I spray the plants and maybe the roots with a treatment and do it in one time (Something easy lol) ?

Thank you and all the best

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Nothing is bullet-proof. However, I spray cuts and seedlings with 1-1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1 tsp ag soap in a gallon of water. That kills mites and mite eggs. It kills PM and other fungus, and most species of insects and their eggs. It also kills a lot of other micro critters. Use enough to drench the soil. The roots like the H2O2 oxygen given off. I use this spray and quarantine any new cuts or clones, no matter the source or what the grower tells me. I assume that all new plants have mites, ants, aphids, scale, whitefly, PM, phylloxera and soil gnats. This spray is pretty cheap, and non-toxic for the most part. As long as you do not drink the stuff, you should be OK.

If you want to go full nuclear, you can add Avid (abamectin) to the formula but that is toxic and you need a spray suit and respirator and goggles when spraying that stuff. But it works. It is the only spray certified by the USDA to kill 100% of broad mites. You always need to use an activator with Avid, and the ag soap works as that. Avid will beak down in about 6 weeks to undetectable levels. Spray it at night, as Avid is photo-degraded. A far less toxic upgrade spray and drench additive is refined Neem Oil. But you want to spray refined neem oil when it is 78 degrees or less at nightfall or lights out, or the oil can burn the leaves. You do not need a suit or respirator with Neem oil. Also you do not need an activator (ag soap spreader) with refined neem oil. Raw neem oil is different, and very hard to dissolve in water and work with as a spray. It works well as a drench though.

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What is AG soap? Didnt need 20 characters

Thank you so much for taking your time your answer is very good and complete !

All the best

Ag soap is agricultural soap. AKA: insecticidal soap. Its a sticker-spreader designed for spraying on plants. It dissolves the wax and oil coating on bugs and eggs and kills them. It also makes water “wetter” by interfering with the hydrogen bond of water so sprays spread thinner and coat things better. Safer’s insecticidal soap is an example. I use an industrial ag soap from the local farm store. Many people claim that Dawn dish detergent works for this, but that is actually a detergent designed for removing heavy oils on dishes, and as such it will remove the wax coating on plants as well as bugs. Read: avoid. Safer’s is far better for your plants.

Ag soap can also be used at double strength to herbicides to make them more effective. But that is to kill plants, and not bugs.

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To expand on what Pancho said, agricultural / horticultural soaps are listed as Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids on the bottles.

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I use what I call “protocol zero” to make sure nothing is transmitted into my room. My room is a temple :wink: but seriously I get rid of anything about the plant. I get rid of the leaves and dirt or anything clinging to the roots. Once it is like a stick, Place it underwater for 30min. Then take it out and spray it off with the vegetable sprayer. Afterwards I slam it into hydro and let it rip. This method requires nothing from the store or any toxins. Safe for babies. Or whatever… If you perform the protocol like I said, you will kill all aphids, mites, thrips. never got the chance to test it on broad mites, but they should drown as well.

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