Copper clippings

[monkeyboy]

So chatted with someone over the weekend who would strip down electrical wiring and cut the copper core into small pieces (a few mm) and then scatter this into the soil. Swore by it as beneficial for home grown veg.

I'm new to growing veg so I've never encountered it before. Thought I'd ask a collective mind.

[Guest]

Copper is used against slugs and snails but I don't know of any other benefits.

Copper tape, copper bands, copper grease etc. TBH I faff about enough as it is without spending time stripping down cables, but each to their own.

[Lumpy]

I use copper tape on some of my pots as NG said the slugs and snails arn't keen but will force themselves over it if hungry.

I would not use copper clippings as I would'nt want the dogs getting it in their paws - Oh the vet bill.

I suppose it depends on whether you have a lottie (child free) or are a back garden grower like me.

[Mr Bones]

AFAIK copper compounds persist in the soil and don't sit well with earthworms or bees. Once in the soil bits of copper are going to hang around for years and can't be easily removed. I don't think I'd fancy crops grown in contact with it.

[Snadger]

AFAIK copper compounds persist in the soil and don't sit well with earthworms or bees. Once in the soil bits of copper are going to hang around for years and can't be easily removed. I don't think I'd fancy crops grown in contact with it.

I agree. Copper does have fungisidal qualitiess though so could be heralded as a cure for clubroot and whiterot.
Personally I think I would stick with clubroot and white rot, rather than have copper poisoning.
To prove the fungicidal qualities of copper, if you stretch a length of copper wire across the top of your polytunnel the water run off either side will stop you getting green mould on your polytunnel plastic! cover

[Snoop Puss]

Nasty stuff to get in your fingers when you're gardening. I wouldn't do that.

[planetologist]

Copper is an essential nutrient at low concentrations (wikipedia suggests 10-30 microg/kg/d) and toxic at high concentrations (>100 microg/kg/d, LD50 in rats 30 mg/kg). Copper wire is a LOT of copper, so I'd be very careful. Your friend might have had a copper deficient soil and seen an initial improvement in plant health when some of the copper got into the soil, but this might turn into a health hazard later on.

[Chris11]

Agree with other comments, definitely not a good idea.

Probably an example of someone with a small amount of knowledge and putting 2+2 together and making 97* and doing more harm than good.

*Quick maths.

[Nicos]

I wonder if it's worth soaking the copper in water and using that instead in a spray against blight or just watering specific plants
We drink water which has been sitting in copper pipes....

[sandfields]

Pipes that are full of water, not out in the environment, where copper is in contact with earth, air and water, with all the extra scope for reactions. That's a very different set of chemical possibilities.
I really wouldn't do this.