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pests Copper as pest deterrent?

dub_sauces

dub_sauces

Im a computer nerd at heart who just got sick of technology and needed to play with something that didnt have a display or plug into the wall so last year i started growing ghost peppers. it was just a hobby but i enjoyed it and i liked making various sauces out of the peppers, but im technically a novice when it comes to gardening.  anyway, now on to my question...
 
i know that copper is used to deter pests like rodents and its an amazing anti-microbial metal but I'm not sure what it does with the soil based insects... has anyone heard of someone putting perforated sheets of copper around the base of their plants? I have dozens of square feet of sheet copper that I used to use for RF shielding on sensitive electronics and I'm really tempted to try it out, I just don't want to hurt my plants.  does anyone have any thoughts on this? Id appreciate any sort of dialogue and if it sounds plausible I may risk it with one of my habs and ill document what happens for everyone.
 
regards!
 
dub_sauces said:
Im a computer nerd at heart who just got sick of technology and needed to play with something that didnt have a display or plug into the wall so last year i started growing ghost peppers. it was just a hobby but i enjoyed it and i liked making various sauces out of the peppers, but im technically a novice when it comes to gardening.  anyway, now on to my question...
 
i know that copper is used to deter pests like rodents and its an amazing anti-microbial metal but I'm not sure what it does with the soil based insects... has anyone heard of someone putting perforated sheets of copper around the base of their plants? I have dozens of square feet of sheet copper that I used to use for RF shielding on sensitive electronics and I'm really tempted to try it out, I just don't want to hurt my plants.  does anyone have any thoughts on this? Id appreciate any sort of dialogue and if it sounds plausible I may risk it with one of my habs and ill document what happens for everyone.
 
regards!
Click to expand...
 

That's not going to anything for insects, but as nzchili says, it's kyrptonite for mollusks.
.
Toilet paper rolls around young plants will keep cutworms from climbing your plant, and defoliating it.  If you made a cylinder out of copper, it may achieve the same thing.
 
nzchili said:
Yep
I have bent copper tubing into circles to create copper rings around the base of plants. 
Slugs and snails wont cross it :)
Click to expand...
 
so did you notice any adverse effects from the copper runoff? i have a very healthy eco system in my backyard due to the fact that we have never ever used pesticides but many of our neighbors do. i would like to use as little chemical pest deterrents as possible, even though they may be organic...
 
Copper is generally chosen by particular growers such as bonsai enthusiasts due to its gentle cohabitatoin (non-sexual definition) with live plant tissue. In other words, concerned plant people use it often because it is very safe for plants. Some metals react with plant tissue causing problems, but copper if a favorite when training branches on bonsai, etc. However, a lot of people skimp because copper is an expensive metal, so if you have some laying around, BONUS!
 
Also, it is an intense irritant on the soft tissue of many pests such as snails and slugs.
 
dub_sauces said:
 
so did you notice any adverse effects from the copper runoff? i have a very healthy eco system in my backyard due to the fact that we have never ever used pesticides but many of our neighbors do. i would like to use as little chemical pest deterrents as possible, even though they may be organic...
Click to expand...
 
Nope never noticed any problems. I always figured if there was any run off then it would only be a small amount, and copper is an element that plants make use of anyway.
 
mrgrowguy said:
Copper is generally chosen by particular growers such as bonsai enthusiasts due to its gentle cohabitatoin (non-sexual definition) with live plant tissue. In other words, concerned plant people use it often because it is very safe for plants. Some metals react with plant tissue causing problems, but copper if a favorite when training branches on bonsai, etc. However, a lot of people skimp because copper is an expensive metal, so if you have some laying around, BONUS!
 
Also, it is an intense irritant on the soft tissue of many pests such as snails and slugs.
Click to expand...
 
thanks for the info. i def have extra lying around so im going to try it out.  at the end of the experiment i will post my results.
 
I should add that the copper rings did work for stopping the slugs and snails. I had a pretty big issue with them and at the time didnt want to use slug poison due to having dogs.
I got mine from a scrap metal buyer guy..they should have lots (of copper tube) for next to nothing.
 
 
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