Tuesday, January 31, 2023 – According to the National Weather Service, this coming weekend, Rhode Islanders will experience the coldest weather in seven years, as temperatures are expected to drop below zero with wind gusts making it feel even colder. Among my strategies for shock-proofing plants are insulating the roots with a layer of mulch and applying a agrohomeopathy remedy called aconite.

Agrohomeopathy is the use of homeopathic remedies and protocols to improve the health and vitality of pets, livestock, wildlife and plants. It is an inexpensive, chemical free, non-toxic method of healing and protecting plants and agricultural resources from pests and disease. This idea resonates with me, and the application of aconite is my first experience using agrohomeopathy.
Aconite is a homeopathic dilution derived from the plant Aconitum napellus. As a child, my mother would take me wildflower hunting. I remember picking a stem of Monkshood in a mountain meadow and pressing the distinctive purple flower between the pages of our wildflower field guide. At the time, I was unaware of the medicinal value of the many plants we found. I was unaware that Aconitum napellus is toxic and must be handled with care.
Dilution is a procedure by which a substance is diluted, with alcohol or distilled water, and then vigorously shaken in a process called succussion. The founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), asserted that succussion activated the “vital energy” of the substance, and that successive dilutions increased the “potency” of the preparation. The dilution procedure is repeated many times to achieve a therapeutic dose. Dilutions are theorized to work on an energetic level, holistically stimulating the natural healing response of a body, animal or plant.
Homeopathic remedies are used by millions of consumers worldwide. Since 1938, homeopathic medicines have been regulated as drugs by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Traditional homeopathy is based on three principles:
- Law of similars (like cures like). Something that in large doses creates the symptoms of a disease, will, in small doses, treat it. This is similar to the theory behind vaccines.
- Extreme dilution enhances the medicine’s healing properties and eliminates undesirable side-effects.
- When choosing a remedy, a holistic approach, assessing the whole person, animal or plant, must be taken into consideration. Protocols are individualized.
In traditional homeopathy, Aconite is used to treat a number of medical conditions, and it is one of several remedies used to help alleviate shock or trauma. In agrohomeopathy, gardeners and farmers use it to treat plants exposed to the shock of extreme cold. Homeopathic Educator, Kristina White, instructed me to apply Aconite to my fruit tree saplings, both before and after the extreme weather event. She had provided me with an Agro Kit, which includes small vials, each holding a different remedy.

I dissolved 12 tiny pellets of Aconite 30C into one gallon of filtered water and gave the gallon a good shake. Then I transferred the preparation to a watering can, which provided me with enough fluid to water three saplings. I applied it in a circle around the bases of my cherry tree and two pear trees, so the treatment would soak down into the roots. I will repeat this process after the extreme weather passes and the day time temperature rises back up above freezing. This is a simple, inexpensive, chemical free and non-toxic method.
Check out my February 2023 Story Walking podcast on “Agrohomeopathy for Healthier Farms and Gardens” with guest, Kristina White, Homeopathic Educator at Your Life and Land. Stay tuned. More good things to come.
I am an Abundance Ambassador for Food Forest Abundance. I invite you to follow my journey around and into the forest, here and through my Story Walking Radio Hour.