Pennies for Tomatoes?

[lesa]

I once lined my garden with copper pipe, to keep the slugs away. I think it helped. I love the penny "gazing ball". I am currently hoarding several bowling balls, for some kind of project. I was thinking mosaic bits... but the pennies are fun!

 

[baymule]

What if you used pennies and mosaic mirrors?

 

[vfem]

I sprinkle DE around my beds (lettuce, strawberries, ect) and it keeps the snails and slugs away when the weather is dry. When it gets went, I have to reapply. Its affordable though and worth every penny!

 

[Dave2000]

You shouldn't have to use old all copper pennies, even new ones have enough copper plating that it will have oxidized a coating at the same rate, be effective for just as long as an all copper one if not longer since a newer penny has had less time to oxidize.

 

[Dave2000]

Once I took a scrap piece of copper pipe to a belt sander to make powder I mixed into a fertilizer mix. The plants seemed indifferent to it. Then again I keep reusing soil in pots by amending it every season so maybe maintaining the same results is a good outcome.

 

[Kassaundra]

They are suppose to help with tomato blight, don't know if it works though.

 

[so lucky]

Copper is sold as a fungicide; tomato blight is one of the things it is sold for. Can't verify its effectiveness, though.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Out of curiosity I did a web search on the effects of copper on plants, well actually copper sulfate but I’m pretty sure the copper is the active ingredient. This article is pretty short but I think it sums it up pretty well.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/effects-copper-sulfate-plants-27633.html

An even shorter summary. Plants need some copper but too much can cause problems. Copper sulfate when sprayed on can be a fungicide.

 

[897tgigvib]

At first I thought this was going to be about Penny's tomato plants and seeds...Lol!

copper does get the fungus though

 

[digitS']

I think caution is a good idea when thinking of applying copper to the soil. The toxicity issues mentioned in RidgeRunner's article should be heeded.

I worked in a greenhouse where some of the houses had been built and in use for over 50 years. That amounts to 365 day production in each of those 50+ years. The owners contracted with a soil and plant tissue test service and the guy showed up each month. One report was that the copper levels had reached toxic levels in one of the greenhouses and the soil should be replaced!

The owners got a bit of a start from this - enough so that they managed to discuss it around the employees. Swapping out the soil was dismissed but the idea was that copper based fungicides had been the problem. Wow! Enough to overload the soil?! Yeah, I guess so - a lot was sprayed on those roses growing in there!

Steve