Bordeaux mixture got its name from the place of its creation - the city of Bordeaux. In France, this fluid has been successfully used since the 19th century. Bordeaux mixture can be prepared by yourself. In this article, you will learn how to do this, how to breed a Bordeaux mixture, methods of its application and security measures.
The composition and principle of Bordeaux mixture
Consider Bordeaux fluid in more detail what it is, composition and application. Bordeaux liquid is a mixture of copper sulphate and diluted lime. Liquid is used as a fungicide - against fungal infections of garden and garden plants. Compared with other drugs of the same action, Bordeaux mixture contains calcium, which allows fruit crops to compensate for its deficiency, which is often found on poor soils. In addition to calcium, the active elements in the Bordeaux mixture are copper compounds formed after the reaction of copper sulfate with lime. These compounds are poorly soluble and are deposited on plants in the form of small crystals, protecting them from fungi and parasites for a long time. The mechanism of action Bordeaux mixture based on the negative effect of copper ions on fungi, their spores simply die. Lime in the mixture softens the aggressive effect of copper on plants and helps to hold on crops for a long period.
Compatibility with other drugs
Bordeaux mixture according to the instructions for use is not compatible with soap and other chemicals insecticidal action, with the exception of colloidal sulfur. It is not advisable to mix the liquid with karbofos, with organic phosphorus compounds. The liquid can interact with systemic fungicides to enhance the protective effects and destroy infections in severe cases, but there are exceptions - drugs that have in the composition of the shooting gallery. The mixture is used with fungicides such as "Oxadixyl", "Alet", "Cymoxanil", "Metalaxyl".
Did you know? Copper sulfate is used not only as a fungicide, it is used in the food industry, in medicine, metallurgy, construction, paint and varnish products, in animal husbandry and many other industries.
How to prepare a solution Bordeaux fluid
Understand the preparation Bordeaux liquid. For processing plants using one-percent and three-percent mixture, consider both options. To prepare a 1% mixture, it is necessary to prepare 100 g of copper sulphate and 120 g of quicklime. Copper powder is dissolved in a liter of hot water in a glass or clay container. After that, pour cold water into the solution - five liters. In another container, the lime is quenched with a liter of hot water and also diluted with five liters of cold water. Both mixtures are filtered and neatly mixed: copper sulfate is poured into the lime while stirring. The mixture is ready.
Important! It is unacceptable to use plastic utensils when working with lime, it will melt and you may suffer. For the preparation of copper sulfate do not use metal containers.
Cooking three-percent liquid. To do this, you will need: 300 g of copper sulfate and 450 g of lime (quicklime). The principle of preparation is the same as in the one-percent solution. For the preparation of both variants of the liquid, it is desirable to take lime in a sealed, sealed package. Open lime loses its qualities by reacting with oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Safety at work
In working with Bordeaux liquids, it is important to observe both their own safety and the safety of plants. Spraying trees Bordeaux liquid after a period of flowering leads to sad consequences: burns foliage, dumping ovaries, cracking and deterioration of taste and quality of fruits. If it is necessary to use fungicides during this period, use drugs that do not contain copper: Kuproksat, HOM, Oxyf, or Champion. Recommended spring garden treatment Bordeaux liquid, thus carried out prevention against infection by fungi. And Bordeaux liquid keeps on plants even in the conditions of frequent rains. Gardeners reasonably interested in the question when you can spray Bordeaux liquid. Optimal conditions for processing - morning or evening, in cloudy and windless weather.
Attention! It is forbidden to use burgundy mixture in intense heat or rain. This will leave burns on the foliage and shoots. It is desirable to exclude hit on the soil during processing.
For your own safety, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:
- During the preparation and work with Bordeaux mixture you need to be in a protective suit, respirator, headgear, and gloves.
- It is unacceptable to eat, drink, smoke when applying the mixture or in the short breaks between work.
- Attention should be paid to the wind, it is important that the spray does not fall on you, as well as plants that you were not going to handle.
- If it started to rain, work with the fungicide should be stopped.
Bordeaux liquid is harmful to the human body, it is forbidden to use the fruit directly after processing. You can eat vegetables 20 days after processing, fruits - 15 days, berries - 25 days. But in any case, before eating previously processed vegetables or fruits, they should be washed under running water.
Storage conditions
The prepared solution Bordeaux mixture immediately goes into use, you can save it during the day by adding sugar to the solution (five grams per ten liters). Bordeaux mixture is stored in a sealed package, the storage temperature is not lower than -30 degrees and not higher than +30. Do not store in open packaging, near food or animal feed. In order not to be mistaken with the shelf life, do not tear off the factory label: it contains the date of manufacture and how long Bordeaux liquid can be stored. Subject to all rules, it is suitable for up to two years.
Interesting fact! In ancient Rome, lime was used in construction as a grasping material, adding to it pork fat or coagulated animal blood. It was from here that the catch phrase "to build on blood" went. By the way, these recipes were also used in Ancient Russia, but neither fat of animals nor blood was used in the construction of Christian churches: the church condemned it. Flax cut, cottage cheese and decoctions of pine bark were added.
More than a hundred years of use, this mixture has not received negative reviews, on the contrary, despite its venerable age, the tool is successfully used in our days.
