Quassio is a useful preparation for the defense of the garden against pests which is obtained from the bark of the bitter quassia, a plant of tropical origin.
This plant looks like a bush or a small tree, which grows very tall, even reaching six or seven meters. Quassia wood is known for its medicinal properties and is used in herbal medicine as a digestive thanks to its alkaloid content.
The quassio decoction is simple to make, it is used in the garden to drive away pests such as aphids and altica. we discovered the preparation and use of this natural remedy .
Contents [Ocultar]
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Prepare the quassio decoction
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insecticidal operation
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Contents
Prepare the quassio decoction
With the bark of the bitter quassia, a decoction is used to extract the active principles, useful for biological control in the natural garden. The preparation of the quassio is very simple: the bark is left to macerate for a day, at the rate of 3 etti for 10 litres, then it is brought to the boil for one hour over low heat. If the quassia is sprayed, the time is reduced. Then it is diluted by adding water 7 or 8 times its amount.
Insecticide performance
The quasins, active principles contained in the wood of diquassia, are responsible for the bitterness and act on the nervous system of the insects by slowing it down until paralysis. In this sense, the decoction has a similar insecticidal action dependent on that of pyrethrum. The advantage of quasium is that it affects smaller insects, being less potent than pyrethrins, so it does not harm pollinators (bees and wasps) while it is a good remedy against aphids, nettles and cochineal.
Use and precautions
To carry. The quassio decoction is sprayed on the infested plants once diluted as explained above. It acts by contact against insects and can be improved by mixing it with Marseille soap, which makes it more adherent. Spraying the plants with this natural preparation, in addition to its insecticidal action, deters pests from eating the leaves of the sprayed plant due to the bitter taste that the quasio gives.
Precautions. Quasium is completely natural and non-toxic to humans, as well as to all warm-blooded animals and bees. Although there is no lean season, the bitter taste makes its use inadvisable on vegetables to be harvested.
In conclusion, the quassio is a low-intensity, completely non-toxic and natural insecticide , very useful in the organic garden. The raw material, being of tropical origin, must necessarily be purchased.
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The quassio being used as officinal, it is possible get bark and wood from a well-stocked herbalist can also be found in some agricultural consortia who maintain products for organic farming. If you can’t find it in physical stores, you can find it online. It is normally offered in the form of sawdust or flakes.
Unfortunately, it is often only found in too small quantities, or in large bags, which makes it expensive.
Bibliography to deepen:
- Defend the garden with natural remedies by Francesco Beldi.