tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668778.post-1082070796239042652004-04-15T16:13:00.000-07:002004-04-15T16:27:54.873-07:00Messenger is a new miracle plant vaccine that was approved by the EPA in 2000 and is endorsed by the ARS. It's called Messenger because when you inoculate a plant it sends a "message" to wake up the plants immune system and make it fight disease. It's biodegradable and non-toxic. You can spray it on vegetables. <br /> <br />So far the product isn't selling as well as the producer, Eden Bioscience, had hoped, but they are still gradually expanding, despite losing money. California now (as of October, 2003) allows it to be used on citrus crops but has not approved it for home use yet. Read it for yourself at <a href="http://www.edenbio.com/nw/nwmain.html">EDEN Bioscience Messenger - News and Events</a> <br /> <br />I have been checking up on the Messenger situation every now and then since I first heard about it. My main frustration is that it is not sold or delivered to California so I can’t get any to try. If Messenger is really as good as it seems based on the reports from scientific trials it’s a shame it’s not sold here. I haven’t seen many comments by rosarians. A few have said it works, a few have said it doesn’t, the rest said they were going to try it. Then nothing. <br /> <br />I saw an objection that it seemed pretty expensive. By my computation this isn’t true. You can buy it on the <a href="https://www.ars.org/d5web/1001124/explore.cfm?STORE=Y&N=125&SN=100&CT=101&PG=101&O=1&W=STORE&P=N&S=1001124&U=1&SS=1&CR=Y&modify=0">ARS Mall</a> for $36.35 for 9 packets or $4.04/packet for ARS members. Each packet makes 3 gallons which covers 1500-3000 sq.ft. The typical residential lot is 50x150 or 7500 sq ft. If half of it is covered with roses (typical rose nut) you get 3750 sq ft. I have about 600 roses in about 4000 sq ft. If I use 2 packets I’m near the higher end of the recommended usage rate and it costs me $8.08. The recommended frequency is about every 15 days. If I spray Compass I need 30 gallons to spray my roses. The reason is that with Compass I need to have full coverage of all leaf surfaces. <br /> <br />Messenger supposedly inoculates the plant with just a small portion of it sprayed (according to the manufacturer.) I’m about out of Compass at the old price I paid over a year ago. Currently <a href="http://rosemania.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page5.html">Rosemania</a> sells Compass for $210 for 8 oz, which at ¼ tsp/gallon makes 192 gallons or $1.10/gal or $33 every two weeks. For me Compass is over four times as much as Messenger. Plus I can spray 3 gallons in almost one tenth the time I spray 30. That’s really nice! <br /> <br />On the other hand, Compass works very well on mildew. If Messenger doesn’t work then I’m not buying it, but even if it’s only 80% as good I’d switch to Messenger because of the ecological factor. That would be true even if I had to spray 30 gallons of Messenger. It only costs $40 vs $33 for Compass. And if ARS has a sale… <br /> <br />Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16071610466263249283noreply@blogger.com