Armillatox is sold in the UK and Europe as an all natural, totally biodegradable, non polluting ‘soap-based outdoor cleaner’, intended for use on greenhouses, paths and patios. However, in America and elsewhere exactly the same formulation is popular as a herbicide, pesticide and fungicide, solving problems from black spot to vine weevil to club root and indeed white rot. So why is it not sold as such in the EU? Apparently in 2003, the EU ruled that any garden chemical registered for use before 1993 had to be re-tested, and safety data brought up to date. The cost of such testing was around £3 million – completely prohibitive to many small companies, and as a result more than 80 brands were taken off the shelves purely for economic reasons. (See this Telegraph article for more.)
I hate to use chemicals on my plot, and keep things as natural as I can, but the white rot was only getting worse and I do love my shallots and leeks, and they do say this stuff is completely natural and environmentally friendly. A bit more Googling showed that many UK gardeners still use Armillatox to treat their soil against all kinds of things, and they love it. So out I went and bought a bottle...
Okay, now for the embarrassing bit. To treat soil for white rot, the (US) product’s website recommends using a dilution of 1:100, and applying 5 litres per square metre. An easy enough calculation, you might think. Well, don’t ask me what was going on in my addled brain yesterday when it came to applying the stuff, but I got it wrong. Waaaaay wrong… I think I put 6 or 7 times too much of the stuff on. I was mortified when I realised and spent the rest of the evening in a state of misery, combing the internet for signs of hope. Was my soil ruined? Would I have to wait 7 times as long before I plant my onions? (The recommended period is three weeks after application.)
Some people said as long as we got a few heavy rain showers it’d be fine. Some said my onions might taste of the stuff. Some pointed out that using anything not licensed as a pesticide/fungicide as such was illegal (a fair point, actually, but it’s exactly as illegal as making your own soap-spray or garlic infusion to ward off greenfly, and show me a gardener who’s never done that). A certain major UK gardening forum promptly told me off and locked my thread to prevent further discussion; a rather unfriendly overreaction considering I was just asking for advice. And some told me they most certainly wouldn’t eat vegetables grown on soil contaminated with carcinogenic coal tar, thank you very much.
Well, that was a new one. Off I went to Google again. But there’s even more confusion on that matter…
Coal tar, traditionally used in soap and in treating nasty skin conditions, especially psoriasis, and also commonly used in food additives, cosmetics and for coating playgrounds and car parks, was withdrawn from many products (information is painfully vague) in the EU in 2006.
Cancer scientists say that preparations with more than 5% crude coal tar are carcinogenic. (Remember Armillatox’s recommended dilution is 1:100, and it can’t all be crude coal tar. With the amount of water applied too, not even my accidental overdose would have come close to 5%. Oh, and I'm putting it on my soil, not my skin.) But evidence is apparently sketchy, with results of animal tests completely unsupported by evidence in humans, and controversy everywhere. Psoriasis sufferers are certainly keen to insist it is not harmful.
Environmentalists say that coal tar releases harmful PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) into the environment. But PAHs are everywhere in our environment anyway; they’re released by any combustion of carbon-based fuels. Wood, coal, diesel, cigarettes, incense… oh, and by grilling, frying or smoking food. Studies on places where coal tar was used industrially but then banned show no reduction in PAH levels even five years later. PAHs also occur in space, and some scientists believe they may have more than a little to do with how we all got here in the first place. Seems a little like banning beaches to protect us from sun exposure to me.
Then I received a pleasant and reassuring message from the makers of Armillatox:
“Don't worry, it will not have contaminated your soil - Armillatox is totally biodegradable. …Leave 21 days before planting your onions and you should have no adverse effects.”
Well, now. They didn’t reprimand me for unlicensed use and are quite happy for me to plant in the treated soil. But then, perhaps they thought I was American; my email address doesn't really give anything away...
Confused? So am I.
But if anyone has any wisdom to share, please do, because I’ve got 100 Stuttgarter Giant onions, a load of Picasso shallots and French Cledor garlic and three varieties of Leek seedlings (Malabar, Musselburgh, Autumn Giant 3) preparing to go into that plot and I'm still kinda worried…
Update: Since this is one of my most-viewed blog posts, I thought I should update it with the results of this little accidental experiment! I'm pleased to say that my onions etc. had no funny taste and didn't seem to be at all affected by the armillatox. However, it didn't stop my white rot problem either!
20 comments:
Armatillox should know what they're talking about where their own product is concerned. I wouldn't worry.
I'd love to know which forum it was (but I know you won't want to say) as I have one forum that I avoid due to someone from it sending me abusive messages!
I find it incredible that the EU can / should insist on testing that costs £3 Million! I thought governments were supposed to ENCORAGE business and trade, not kill it!
I don't have any expertise in this area, but I have seen lots of people praise Armillatox.
I'd tend to go with what robert said, they should know their own product you'd hope... But then I'm an incurable optimist... ;)
Anybody wanting to buy Armilitox should check out www.amenity.co.uk they are way cheaper than anyone I could find on Google! :)
Hi maybe when you were worried about the overdose of armilotox you possably watered it out of the surface of the soil and maybe thats why it didn't work for the white spot perhaps another go with the correct quantity would get rid of it and up your confidance with the product it would be interesting to find out good luck
Hi, I am 78 years of age and have been growing veg and herbacious plants for many years.I had a serious problem with black spot, so I contacted the gentleman who developed Jeyes fluid,and created it, this was many many years ago. I said that I remember using Jeyes for black spot,and for sterilizing soil, he agreed with me but he said he wasn't allowed to say so. He said it would cost millions, so he didn't register it for pesticide use. It is and always has been made with tar oils.
I have got a mole in my veg patch and I can't catch the little blighter, so this year I am going to treat the soil with Jeyes fluid to see if the strong smell makes him decide to go and look for worms somewhere else.If you treat soil for potting etc.you have to not use it until the smell has gone
I will let you know if it works.
Digger.
Hello! I'm in Finland and have a garden infested with honey fungus. I'd never heard of until 3 years ago when my lilacs started to die.Turns out the only legal advice is "dig it all up and burn it". Ridiculous! So I googled and found Armillatox, imported 4 canisters and started to use it. Several dead bushes and small trees later I am starting to see the results as roses that should have died are faring ok. Ok, not great. However, I don't get along with my neighbor who has discovered a way to get at me. He threatens to call the police if I keep using the stuff. The fool has not realized that if I succeed in deterring the fungus his next door garden will also be saved. So: I really believe in the stuff and am awfully sorry that the EU has done this to small businesses while permitting the likes of Monsanto with its Roundup to pollute the world.
I hope that the treatment has helped your onions and shallots. Personally I think that it's unlikely to be effective. Organisms such as the fungi that cause white rots are everywhere in our environment. Drenching the soil will at best treat just one little patch but the spores and mycelium will still survive in the surrounding area. May I suggest growing onion family crops away from your main site perhaps in a container of some sort in compost or soil fro elsewhere for a few years. Hope I'm wrong and you had an amazing crop.
I've used it for fungus on my grape vine and for black spot on my roses...seems to keep it at bay. I wet the earth with it and spray the plants. Use 100ml per 10litres water in watering can or 100ml per 5litres of water in sprayer. Have used jeys in the past as well mid summer I soaked all roses with a strong solution of jeys, they were covered in black spot, they lost all their leaves from the jeys but immediately grew back lush and strong and without black spot. BTW I have over 200 hundred roses and wasn't prepared to loose them all to a nasty fungus.
I've used Armillatox for decades now but today was the first time I went out to buy some and couldn't find it locally! I'm glad I found this site as I'm able to say from experience that I've found it much pleasanter to use than Jeyes fluid. I cured a Japanese Maple of the canker that was spreading on the main trunk and would have killed it - though it was by accident - I'd dug the small tree up while it was dormant and put it in a bucket of the strongest Armillatox solution (so the canker was submerged) intending to soak it for 24 hrs - but I forgot it and it stayed there for days! It still looked viable when rescued though so was replanted. It grew normally in the Spring and the area affected by the canker healed over.
I plan to contact Armillatox directly now to find out if I can pick some up somewhere as I do so hate shopping online! I want to be able to walk into a shop, pick up want I want, and pay a human being - it's not much to ask surely?
I found this comment page by accident, while looking for the name 'Amillatox'... Because a friend had asked how I had treated my honey fungus.
I thought some people might be interested to know that, with the help of Armillatox I transformed a very large garden that had completely succumbed to honey fungus - mostly through neglect.
When I first bought it for the fungus, the EU rules didn't apply. There were several things I did : 1) clear all, that is all, dead,dying and dry wood from both old and living trees and shrubs. 2) keep everything constantly watered - never let the soil dry out, but also don't over water. Give big trees long soaks overnight. 3) dilute Armillatox correctly and pour in a large ring surrounding vulnerable shrubs and trees. Repeat every few months (important).4) pour stronger Armillatox onto root stumps where trees have died. 5) change soil in the worst places 6) add nutrients to the soil, especially magnesium salts but avoid the soil becoming too acid - or too alkaline. 7) avoid mushroom compost.
This garden had been devastated - beautiful large medium trees, flowering shrubs, everything ruined, not a rose in sight. Now I have 56 happy roses! Also passiflora loves the garden and is immune to the fungus - there are also small trees that are resistant to it, Rhus I think..all doing well. Hope this helps someone.
Can somebody explain to me why Armillatox is still allowed as a patio cleaner in the UK while it is forbidden as a fungicide for plants? My local officials forbid it in any case whatsoever. i live in the EU, not the UK.
ive used Armillatox with some success for white rot, went from usually half the crop wasted to the odd one, i was so impressed i meant to do the same bed again with it in the autumn but didnt get round to it, grew onions there again and very little white rot
Role on Brexit, the White rot has been a problem this year a lot of it is due to the odd weather lately, I am having trouble with fly grub killing the leeks/onions.
John
I just pulled up my summer onions and found I had white rot, I think its only just got it as it doesnt have the black Sclerotia marks. Had to strip some of the layers of onion and cut the root off. I was hoping there may be a solution but can't afford the cost of Amillatox at £77 for 5 litres. Its cheaper to buy onions in at that price
Hi All i need some urgent help. My privet hedge is dying and I really need some form of a solution to treat this as I can't afford to dig it out and not plant anything there. What I need is something to treat this in 2020 and I know I can't find armillotox anywhere.
Any help would be much appreciated.
I think Armillatox is no longer available in UK. They could not afford EU certification as a pesticide and I bought 5 litres a few years ago from the manufacturer, but subsequently cannot find it. Jeyes fluid original formulation is made from phenol derivatives (common in coal tar) and its composition can be found on Wikipedia, but I have yet to find that of Armillatox.
It certainly smells the same!
Tony Long
Norfolk
UK
I have used Armillatox to treat honey fungus successfully in the past.
I have some ancient Armillatox left but cannot remember what dilution was suggested in the past to treat Honey fungus.
Does anyone else know please.
Julia
chilternseedsdirect Armillatox is a versatile garden disinfectant and cleaner. This liquid concentrate helps control pests, fungi, and moss while also serving as a general-purpose cleaner for outdoor surfaces. An effective and easy-to-use solution for maintaining a healthy garden environment.
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