AusBonsai

Hi there crazy kids!! I have just carved a juniper and had two questions:

With Junipers (In this case Squamata Prostata), how long should you wait for the wood to dry before applying lime sulphur? In my case, the wood on my juniper seems ready to go straight away. When you feel it with your hands it kind of feels like balsa wood. Secondly when applying lime suplhur to juniper wood, if the first coat is already "tough dry" but still yellow, is there anything wrong with applying the next coat or should you wait for it to go white?

Thanks guys


John

I always mix a bit of white oil with the lime sulphur to make it easier to apply. Using lime sulphur neat from the bottle is a bit difficult to apply, as it tends to roll off the wood when you brush it on. The white oil mix makes it go on like paint. I learnt this from Ted Poynton many years ago and it works well.

Jester wrote:, how long should you wait for the wood to dry before applying lime sulphur?

Hey there Jester, The juni will probably weep sap in a couple of days. I wait three-six months before applying sulphur. Gives the wood a chance to weather a bit too. Good tip for the white oil.

What is the 'technical' ID of white oil? It may be known as something else here in NZ. Thanks.

To clarify, its the clear oil you can spray on plant foliage to eradicate scale and other pests.
Its known as white oil in Australia. I even use it to clean and oil my bonsai tools.

googled home made white oil if this helps at all


WHITE OIL

Home Made White Oil
It is easy to make your own white oil from vegetable oil and liquid soap. Prepare the concentrate using the proportions below. Store in a suitable container. Label the container, making sure to include the dilution rate on the label for quick reference.
Ingredients
1/2litre of vegetable oil (any brand)
1/2cup Sunlight dish washing liquid


Dilution
Dilute the above mix by placing 1 tablespoon into a litre of water. Mix well and spray thoroughly over both sides of the foliage and onto the offending pest.

The contents of the stored concentrate will separate over time. Simply ensure that the concentrate is well mixed each time before you attempt to dilute it for use. Spray as often as required.


Use
Oil based sprays are useful in controlling a wide range of insect pests and mites. In most cases the oil covers the body of the insect or mite, causing it to suffocate. Scale, aphids, pimple psyllids, mites and even young grasshoppers can be killed by contact with the oil. In the case of citrus leaf miner, the shiny oil coating on the leaves repels the moth responsible for laying eggs on the new leaves of citrus plants. These eggs quickly hatch into larvae that tunnel between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves causing the characteristic silvery trails and distortion of the leaves.


Precautions
Always following the directions as to the dilution rate as oil-based sprays can burn if applied in strong concentrations. Do not apply in hot weather. Do not use on plants with hairy leaves, ferns or palms and reduce to half strength on native plants with fine foliage (eg leptospermums or tea trees). These precautions apply to home made preparations as well as commercially available oil sprays. Commercially available preparations are generally petroleum-based products and their use is not permitted under organic certification.





Home made white oil recipe
It's easy to make your own oil based spray at home and it's totally safe. All you need is a little vegetable oil and liquid soap.
Oil based sprays are very useful in controlling a wide range of insect pests in the garden. Pests like scale, aphids, smooth skinned caterpillars, mites and even young grasshoppers suffocate when their bodies are covered with oil.

You can even use oil sprays to deter the citrus leaf miner.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. In a blender, combine 2 cups of vegetable oil with ½ cup of dishwashing liquid. Blend it up until it’s well mixed. This is your concentrate and can be stored in a jar. Be sure to label it and include the dilution rate on the label.

2. To prepare the concentrate for use, dilute 1 tablespoon in a litre of water, mix it well and spray the pest as well as both sides of the foliage thoroughly.

3. Always follow this dilution rate, because you can burn the foliage if it’s too strong and there are a few other rules; don’t apply it in hot weather and avoid using it on plants with hairy foliage as well as ferns, palms and cycads as this can also cause leaf burn.

4. Regular applications of this easy to make oil based spray will help protect your plants from many common pests found in the garden.