Scott Alexander -Organic Daylily Grower

As an organic grower of daylilies I would be really worried about rust entering the country. It is so virulent and the area in which most people live in Australia is so small, it would not be long before rust quickly spread. So what would I do if it appeared in Brisbane 80 miles away? What do I recommend that you do in the USA if you discovered it was that close? The first thing I think many gardeners need to realise that the leaves of plants are actually covered with beneficial fungi and bacteria and if you spray fungicides unnecessarily then you will kill them! Not only that, any fungicide that runs off and soaks into the soil will kill the beneficial fungi (and most likely, the beneficial bacteria, nematodes and protozoa as well).

Do I have degrees in anything to do with plants, soils and diseases? Am I qualified to vouch for this? NO, but Elaine Ingham at http://www.soilfoodweb.com/leaf.html should be well qualified. She writes:- "The work so far performed suggests that if 70% or more of the leaf surface is occupied by beneficial microorganisms, then foliar disease can be significantly reduced. Plants with 70% or more of the leaf surface occupied by beneficial microorganisms also appear to have higher leaf tissue concentrations of important nutrients."

If there is a danger of rust, I would first of all would ensure that my soil was well balanced with the appropriate minerals and micro-organisms (which should give me healthy plants). I would regularly give them a foliar fertiliser of liquid fish, seaweed and a product from my suppliers of organic inputs:- http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/ called Nutri-Life Bio-Plex. (*Please Read about it in the last paragraph)

Surely, this is a better approach, don't you think? The use of organic products has many benefits to the plant, soil AND TO YOUR OWN HEALTH. What will I do if rust does appear, even after these preventative methods? Will I put a match to the farm and give up a million dollar investment? At 60+ years of age ... and my stance about the use of chemicals ... I think I'll gracefully retire.

Someone wrote "I feel Organics without lab monitoring, is a "fools paradise," which can be far worse, or as bad as anything chemicals can do." And someone wrote in another Robin "I'm yet to be convinced that organic growing is the way to go." Statements like these are laughable! How did farmers and gardeners grow anything before chemical companies brainwashed everyone into believing that the answer was in a plastic bag?!?! Did the millions of Chinese who have been growing

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