How to Preparation of bordeaux mixture & paste: 4 Easy steps

In this article we will discuss about how to Preparation of Bordeaux mixture and paste. Bordeaux mixture is a solution made by dissolving lime (slaked lime Ca (OH),) and  (copper sulphate CuSO4) separately. 

This mixture was first made and used in France in the nineteenth century.  Especially in vegetable gardens and fruit farms, Bordeaux mixture, paste, or paint is used to avoid mold-borne bacteria.

Method of preparation of Bordeaux mixture 

The mixture made by mixing blue tooth, lime, and a certain amount of water is called the Bordeaux mixture.  The lime used in this method should be lumpy.  Lime that has become dusty after absorbing water in the air is not of good quality.  Similarly, because copper sulphate is lumpy, it should be ground into a fine powder or water and the amount of pure copper sulphate should be hung on a thin cloth so that only half of the is submerged in a pot of water.

 A bag of copper sulphate in a metal vessel will cause a hole in the vessel as it will burn immediately.  Therefore, plastic or wooden or earthen pots should be used while preparation of Bordeaux mixtures.

4 steps of preparation of Bordeaux mixture 

• Divide 1 liter of water into two pots.
• Dissolve 10 grams of copper sulphate in a pot with half water. 
• Put 10 grams of powdered lime in a pot with half the water.  
• Mix both the solution in a third pot.

In the third vessel, lime and copper sulphate solution should be slowly poured simultaneously and mixed with wood or if there is no third vessel, copper sulphate should be slowly poured into the lime solution and stirred with wood.  Pouring lime at once or pouring lime into a solution of the blue tooth will cause the Bordeaux mixture to crack and cause scalding.

It is not necessary to spread the solution.  To check whether the solution of the Bordeaux mixture has been properly formed, dip a clean blade or something made of shiny iron, fork, knife, or stick for 1 minute.  And when the gray color stops coming, it should be understood that the Bordeaux mixture is ready.

The preparation of Bordeaux mixture in this way should be used within 24 hours.  If an untested mixture of rust is used, it will burn the leaves of the plant.

No matter how much copper sulphate is, it dissolves in water in a short time.  When preparation of Bordeaux mixture, 1 percent Bordeaux mixture is made from a solution made by mixing 10 grams of blue tooth, 10 grams of lime, and 1 liter of water.  There is a practice of sowing Bordeaux mixture by making 0.5 to 1 percent according to the condition of the leaves of the plant.  

When sowing the mixture, it should be sown on all parts of the leaves, stems, and branches of the plant.  The container in which the mixture was made and the metal sprayer after spraying should be thoroughly washed and dried.  It does not directly affect human health and the environment like other pesticides.

 How to make and use Bordeaux paste:

To make Bordeaux paste, 100 grams of powdered blue tooth, 150 grams of powdered lime, and 1 liter of water are required. 

These three items should be dissolved in separate vessels as if making a Bordeaux mixture, and the solution mixed with lime and Copper sulphate should be slowly poured into the third vessel. 

In this way, the paste that is gradually thickened is ready to be applied to the pruned branches or the base of the plant.

 Methods of preparation of Bordeaux paint:

Grind 1 kg of powdered Copper sulphate (Monohydrated copper sulphate) in clay or in an earthen pot and roast it until it turns white. 

Break 2 kg of hydrated lime dust and fry again lightly so that all the water in the lime evaporates. 

Boil 3 liters of castor oil for a while and allow it to cool down.  

After the lime and copper sulphate are thoroughly dissolved, both of them should be dissolved by slowly pouring another pot or by slowly pouring the copper sulphate solution into the lime solution.  The product made in this way is called Bordeaux paint. 

Bordeaux paint is applied to the plant up to one meter above the ground level with the help of a brush and after one application it is used on the plant for 4-5 years. No need to do it.

Things to consider when making Bordeaux mixtures

• Metal utensils should not be used when making Bordeaux mixtures.
• The pH value of the preparation solution should be 7-8. 
• Use Bordeaux mixture within 24 hours of preparation.
• Mix the right amount of water, lime, and lime should be prepared.
• Bordeaux mixture should not be used when there is a lot of sun, and rain, and when the leaves of the plant are overgrown.
• Bordeaux mixture should not be mixed with any chemicals or pesticides.  If zinc sulphate is to be sown, it should be sown at least one week after the preparation of Bordeaux mixture is sown. 
• Bordeaux mixture can block the nozzle of the sprayer, so it should be spread carefully and used periodically to prevent the bag from freezing.
• In particular, apples and pears should not be sprinkled with the mixture after fruiting.
• Excess Bordeaux mixture should also be kept on the ground in a safe and non-vegetable place.

Benefits of Bordeaux Mixtures:

• Extremely simple, and farmers may prepare it themselves.
• Fungicide, bactericide, and algaecide properties.
• Tomato, potato, chili, other vegetables, fruits (orange, lime, lemon), beetel vine, ginger, flower, and ornamental plant diseases such as foot rot, stem rot, leaf spot, leaf blight, anthracnose, canker, damping off, black spot, downy mildew, late and early blight, and so on are all susceptible.
• The ingredients needed for this include copper sulphate and lime, both of which are readily available on the market.
• This can control all of the diseases handled by copper-based fungicides, such as leaf spot and blight diseases.
• When compared to other commercial fungicides, it is less harmful to humans.

Disadvantages of Bordeaux Mixtures:

• It cannot be stored for an extended amount of time (More than 2 days after preparation).
• It cannot be used in cold and overcast weather since it produces phytotoxicity in plants.
• It cannot be used on apples, maize, and several dwarf rice cultivars.

Crops and diseases where Bordeaux mixture can be used:

 It is used to protect against the following plant diseases:

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FAQs:

Conclusion:

This are the method of preparation of Bordeaux mixture. Bordeaux mixtures, pastes, or paints can supply many types of diseases as well as micronutrients and manage mites.  Bordeaux mixture is especially used for the prevention of downy mildew, powdery mildew, and other fungal diseases.  Apart from the above crops, the Bordeaux mixture can be used to effectively and cheaply manage diseases caused by powdery mildew in vegetables, fruits, and flowers in the case of potato and tomato stems and branch aphids, and peach leaves.