Gardening with Wally Richards: An old problem and a new vegetable

Problem first: Black sooty mold is a fungus that grows on Honeydew which we see on the foliage of plants that have an infestation of insect pests which are feeding on the plant.

Sucking insects such as aphids, thrips, scale and mealy bugs feed on plants taking the sap which is carbohydrates, that is the life blood of the plants for their energy and growth.

Plants convert sunlight into to sugars, which sustains all life forms in one way or another.

When insects feed on the plants they pee and their pee is full of sugars not used by the insects and we call that Honeydew.

Another aspect of Honeydew is a Nelson apiary’s bees collect beach forest honeydew and is sold as Honeydew Honey and that would be one of the best honeys I have ever tasted.

It is reputed to have more benefits than Manuka honey and at a fraction of the price.

See this link.

I buy a few jars every year and it is great for sore throats and colds.

Which is another interesting aspect that years ago farmers would buy from the local bee keepers kerosine tins full of set clover honey which the farmers would spread thickly on their toast first thing in the morning before going out to milk the cows.

By in large that prevented them from getting colds. Some of these old ways we used to do have been forgotten over the years and we have lost the great advantages of doing them.

Back to the Honeydew on our plants which creates a fungus called ‘Black Sooty Mold’ it not only looks unsightly but also greatly reduces our plants ability from getting their energy from the sunlight.

If we get rid of the insects that are peeing out honeydew it will take many months for the black sooty mold to wash off and in the meantime your plants are suffering.

We have a product called Karbyon in a 500 gram container.

Used at 50 grams per 5 litres of water. (Scoop provided in container is 50grams when filled level)

To mix place 2.5 litres of water in spray tank, while stirring slowly add the 50 grams of Karbyon then the other 2.5 litres of water. (Warm water will be better to use)

When spraying ensure a good spray coverage to run off for optimum control. 48 hours later spray the target plant with a jet of water from the hose. If not all the sooty mold is removed then a second application of Karbyon maybe needed.

There is a withholding period which is; Do not apply within 7 days of harvest of food crops.

Storage Instructions: Store below 35o C. Keep out of reach of children. Store out of direct sunlight. Keep container tightly closed. Do not store diluted product.

Karbyon is used for not only removing black sooty mold off plants but also for the prevention of powdery mildew on plants. That means it will also help prevent black spot on plants.

For either of these uses I would recommend adding Raingard to the spray so it does not wash off in rain for up to 14 days. If using for black sooty mold then do not add Raingard to the spray as you do want to wash it off after 48 hours.

Before or after using Karbyon, you need to deal with the pests peeing out Honeydew.

Best spray the affected plants foliage with Wallys Super Neem Tree Oil and combined with Wallys Super Pyrethrum. Only spray these two combined products just before sunset.

A sprinkling of Wallys Neem Tree Granules or Powder in the root zone will also help keep the plant clean of sucking insects and in particular root Mealy Bugs.

Then your plants will be back to clean and green.

Now for our new vegetable called Yacon: An elderly Maori woman gardener gave me some tubers of Yacon to grow many years ago but unfortunately when I moved to Marton I forgot to dig them up and lost them.

This week I received an email and found a nursery supplier that was selling Yacon and l have brought a couple of starter tubers. See this link.

Yacon is taking the world by storm- it’s a delicious, unique tasting vegetable, best known for being a prebiotic superfood.

This particular strain of Yacon has been many years in the making – selective breeding by some of NZ’s best, has created a breed which is believed to have the highest percentage of healthy Fructooligosaccharides in the world… in other words, it’s great for gut health.

Yacon Tubers (which grow from the crowns) are delicious eaten raw – they have a sweet, juicy, apple-like flavouring, with a lovely crunch. Perfect for adding into salads, coleslaws, or juicing.

Yacon should be planted around October – they will grow into a lovely tall 2m plant.

Once the plant dies back, that’s when you can get in and harvest the Tubers (Tubers are the edible part… you want to keep the crown to regrow for next season)

A Yacon plant (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a tall, productive perennial in the daisy family, closely related to sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes.

I like growing both Jerusalem artichokes and Yacon for food security as they can be harvested and replanted or just left in the ground to die down in winter and return again to their full glory in spring/summer.

For those that not sure what prebiotic means (like me) I looked it up and found: Prebiotics are specialised plant fibers and complex carbohydrates, indigestible by humans, that act as food for beneficial microbes in the gut.

Found in foods like garlic, onions, bananas and whole grains, they travel to the colon to be fermented by gut bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acid that support gut health, immune function, and overall metabolic health.

Prebiotics are distinct from probiotics, which are the live microorganisms themselves.

Grow your own medicines, cheaper than buying capsules and there are a lot of people that need to help their immune systems after what we have all been though in last few years.

If you would like to grow Jerusalem artichokes see this link – they are available for a short time now.

Jerusalem artichokes are very good for you, offering benefits such as improved gut health, stable blood sugar levels, and a good source of essential nutrients like iron and potassium.

They are rich in the prebiotic fiber inulin, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and have a low glycemic index, making them a suitable carbohydrate for people managing diabetes.

However, the inulin content can cause gas and bloating for some people, especially when first consumed.

Image credit: Public Domain, CC BY-SA 3.0.