Phil Ryan from the Brisbane Organic Growers says he has good results with this recipe below and says it is a good deterrent to just about all the insects that affect our fruit trees especially scale, aphids, borers and sap-suckers. Its main attraction is the paste’s ability to feed the tree through the pores in the bark.
Give the trunk of each tree a good brushing to remove loose bark etc.
Apply with a clean paint brush or use rubber gloves and apply by hand.
Do this in the afternoon and only to brown wood – not the green parts of the tree.
Mix well together and use a little Maxicrop seaweed liquid to make into a rich sloppy paintable paste.
1/4 part diatomaceous earth
1/4 part powdered cow manure
1/4 part fine dry clay
1/4 part blood and bone
One cup sieved wood-ash
One cup molasses