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@1995 by Stephen Jones J~l'IesHorticultural Old House Road R. Q. 2 Upper Moutere NeIson, New Zealand Ph: +64(0)3 543 2046 Fax: +64 (0)3 543 2183 DECEMBER 1995 -JANUARY 1996 NEXUS readers will recall the amazing article which appeared in the December 1993-January 1994 issue [vol. 2, no. 17], entitled "Miracle Plants from Sound Waves!'~ describing Sonic Bloom®--the radical plant growth method involving application of a specially developed organic foliar nutrient spray together with an oscillating sound frequency. The theory behind the technique is that plants open their surface pores or stomata when stimula(ed by certain sounds. During and after a serenade of pulsed chirps and whistles (for the plants) mixed with various classical musical selections (for the humans), the nutrient, consisting of 55 trace minerals, amino acids and seaweed, is sprayed onto the plant's surface. World-record crops (including a listing in "The Guinness Book of World Records" for the largest indoor plant) were cited amongst other claims which, for some peo ple's minds, bordered on the bizarre. Could this truly be the answer to end world hunger and reforest the planet, or are these claims just fantasy in the mind of the inventor, Dan Carlson? After all, Sonic Bloom was invented years ago-but if it works so well, why didn't we hear about it sooner and why aren't more people using the system? The answers to these questions unfold in this latest update from Stephen Jones, organic pip-fruit grower and importer to Australia and New Zealand. Since reading about Sonic Bloom in the fascinating book, Secrets of the Soil, I visited the inventor in the US and met with some growers who had been using the system. Thoroughly impressed, I decided to bring back to New Zealand the sound generator and enough of the 'magic potion' to try out on our 3,000 organic apple and pear'trees. It worked a treat, and I found myself with superior, disease-free, crisp juicy apples. Several months and a NEXUS article later [vol. 2, no. 18], I found myself introducing the method to commercial growers and home gardeners throughout Australia and New Zealand., Thanks to a few enterprising people, distributors were found and there were enough free-thinking conventional commercial growers willing to embrace the Sonic Blootil method. Many of them had been inspired by documented trials done in the US by the US Department of Agriculture, Albton Laboratories, Acres, USA, Professional Farmers of America, Landowner Magazine and a host of American growers. However, there were doubts in the minds of many people as to how well Sonic Bloom would perform 'down under'. Initially, I don't think that we encountered anyone who thought that it could live up to or exceed all the claims lauded by the inventor. Commercial growers and home gardeners were soon reporting their successes with Sonic Bloom. Some were thrilled to grow crops successfully for the first time ever and to grow abundant, superior-tasting fruits and vegetables. Stories abound of unbelievable yields, and growing such things as strawberries, beans and tomatoes, for instance, right through and beyond the normal growing season. Others tell of fruit trees and vines fruit ing in abundance for the first time after years of no yields whatsoever. Almost everyone reported how they had encountered little or no pest or disease problems. For home gar deners, though, perhaps the greatest benefit to them is the unbelievable taste of fruits lj.nd vegetables treated with Sonic Bloom. Suddenly they find themselves with strawberries, tomatoes and apples tasting like they used to many years ago. Even Parker strawberries- a large Californian variety noted for its bland taste and appearance-take on even bigger proportions and look and taste fantastic. Flavour is back! After Easter, and armed with all' Australian film crew, we toured New Zealand and Australia to capture on film a small sample of commercial growing successes encountered after one season's use. We began south of Auckland and with Barry Gregory, a capsicum NEXUS·25