posted February 19, 2013 04:04 AM            

Tip: The best method of pest control in the garden is to keep your plants healthy so they don’t attract bugs. Fertilize as needed (see How To Make Compost Tea) and stay on top of weeds by pulling them as they appear or using weed killers (see Homemade Weed Killer Recipes & Tips).

Begin treating for insects as soon as you notice signs of an infestation, the sooner you start the easier it will be to get rid of the critters.

Note: For recipes that require liquid dish detergent, use the basic stuff–nothing fancy with added bleach, nothing concentrated and no special antibacterial formulas. You can also substitute with a gentler liquid soap such as liquid castile or a perfume free, gentle liquid hand soap.
Update: As with all pesticides, take care when applying to food bearing plants, handling and storage of the pesticide. No one needs reminding I’m sure, but wash all produce well before consuming.

Rhubarb Leaf Mix

1 cup rhubarb leaves
6.5 cups water
1/4 cup liquid dish detergent or soap flakes
Cover rhubarb leaves with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes then remove from heat and cool. Strain then add 1/4 cup liquid dish detergent. Apply. Good for aphids, june beetles, spider mites, thrips.
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing plants.
Garlic Tea
Make your own garlic spray by boiling a pint of water, throw in roughly chopped garlic cloves and steep until the water cools. Remove garlic bits then apply.
Garlic, Peppers & Onion Insecticide
2 hot peppers
1 large onion
1 whole bulb of garlic
1/4 cup water

Toss in the food processor and add water, blend until a mash is made. Cover mash with 1 gallon hot (not boiling) water and let stand 24 hours. Strain. Spray on roses, azaleas, vegetables to kill bug infestations. Bury mash in ground where bugs are heaviest. Good for thrips, aphids, grasshoppers, chewing and sucking insects.
Tomato Leaves Mix
Crush leaves from a tomato plant and soak in water for a couple days. Strain then spray. Good for grasshopper and white fly control.

Tomato leaves are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing plants.

Basil Tea

4 cups water
1 cup fresh basil (or 2 TBS dried)
1 tsp liquid dish detergent
Bring water to a boil then add basil. Remove from heat, cover and steep until cool. Strain. Mix in the liquid detergent then apply. Good for aphids.

Onion Insect Repellent For Plants
*First published May 18, 2007 and moved to this page for better organization

Save Onion Peels & Bits To Make Your Own Garden Brew
Save onion skins, peels and ends then refrigerate in an empty margarine-sized tub or ziploc bag until the container is full.
Once you have enough, place the onion pieces in a pail and fill with warm water. Soak for a few days, up to a week. Optional: You can keep this on the patio in the sun to steep.

After one week, strain the onion bits out and store the onion water in spray bottles. Bury the onion bits around plants that are prone to aphids, spiders and other pests.
Spray both house and garden plants with the water to fight aphids and pests.

*You could also mix your garlic trimmings in with the onion pieces, bugs hate garlic too.

Salt Spray
2 TBS salt
1.5 gallons warm water
Mix salt and water to dissolve, allow to cool to room temperature. Use for spider mites, caterpillars, cabbage worms and chewing insects.

Epsom Salt Spray
2 ounces of salt
2 gallons water
Benefits: Helps with Black Spot, Mildew, Wilt and Rust

Slug Bait Trap

Set out beer in shallow containers to attract slugs, they’ll drown in the beer. See more tips on this page.

Diatomaceous Earth
An all natural solution for insects of all kinds (ants, snails, slugs, etc.). Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on top of soil around plants with pest problems.
Horticultural Oil Mix
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 tsp liquid dish detergent
2 cups water
Fill a spray bottle with the ingredients then shake to mix.
Hot Pepper Recipe
1/2 cup hot peppers (or 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper)
1 quart water
1 tsp liquid dish detergent

Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add peppers. Cover and steep until cool. Strain then mix in soap. If using cayenne pepper, no need to bring water to a boil first. Apply.
Citrus Spray
2 cups orange peels (or lemons)
4 cups water
Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add peels. Cover and steep until cool. Strain and use. Use the lemon mixture to repel white flies.
Dish Detergent & Baking Soda
2 TBS liquid dish detergent
2 TBS baking soda
1 gallon water
Mix all ingredients together then use.

Peppermint Tea
1 TBS peppermint essential oil (can also use an infusion made with mint leaves, increase amount to 1 cup infusion)
1 quart water
Mix together and use as an insect spray (good for ants).
Japanese Beetle Bait Trap
2 cups water
1 mashed banana
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup wine
1/2 tsp yeast
Mix ingredients together and put in an old margarine container, cover with lid and set container out in the hot sun for a day. The next day, remove lid and set in garden where the beetles have been spotted (use a shallow container).

Potato Leaves Tea
1 cup potato plant leaves
2 cups water
Chop leaves then cover with hot water. Seal container and leave 24 hours in a sunny window. Strain then use.
Potato leaves are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing plants.

Neem Spray
1 TBS Neem soap (shavings)
1 liter water
Add soap to water then let sit for an hour. Shake bottle then use.
Mineral Oil Mix
3 parts oil per 100 parts water
Benefits: Helps with Aphids, Codling Moth, Leaf Roller, Mealybugs, Scaled Insects, White Fly
Easy Soap Flakes Spray
2 TBS soap flakes (don’t use detergents)
dissolved in 1 quart water
Benefits: Aphid control
Pest Prevention Concentrate
*First published February 1, 2008 and moved to this page for better organization

Vegetable Oil Can Be An Effective Ingredient For Organic Pest Control

Here’s a short and sweet recipe for both garden and houseplants. You can use this as a preventative spray as well as a bug and pest killer.
Ingredients:
1 cup Sunlight dish soap
1 TBS vegetable oil
Directions:
Mix ingredients together then store in a plastic, airtight container.
When you’re ready to use, take 1 to 2 teaspoons of the concentrate and mix with a quart of water. Pour into a spray bottle.
When applying make sure to get underneath the leaves as well as the flower buds and new shoots.
In hot weather, repeat every third day (3 applications over 7 days).
Warm to cool weather, use once a week for 3 weeks.

posted February 19, 2013 07:41 AM            

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posted February 19, 2013 03:01 PM            

I made a mix earlier to try to bring back my Hibiscus potted plant. Something's been eating the poor girl up alive. There's still life left in her and I'm hoping my mix gets rid of the pests.

I used dish soap with some minced garlic I had in my fridge. In a spray bottle with water.

*crosses fingers*

posted February 20, 2013 10:17 AM            

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Passion, Lust, Desire. Check out my journal

posted February 20, 2013 12:21 PM            

Just a note to say WOW!!! I wish I took a before pic yesterday of hibiscus. Leaves were all droopy and sad (what was left of them. Then today I went out and the ones that are there are all perked up and looking strong and on their way back to health!

posted February 20, 2013 12:40 PM            

quote:

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Bring on the Coffee: Coffee grounds are a great addition to your garden. They add nitrogen to the soil, they increase the acidity for acid loving plants, and, best of all, a wide range of creatures can't stand coffee grounds. Slugs hate coffee, cats hate coffee; it's even sometimes an effective olfactory-based repellent for picky deer. What's that you say? You hate coffee and have no coffee grounds to work with? Stop by your local Starbucks and ask. They have a policy of giving away their mountains of spent grounds for patrons to use for composting and other projects. Photo by Steve Snodgrass.

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from:

posted February 20, 2013 12:48 PM            

quote:

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I just remembered a formula for all natural weed killer, no harmful chemicals whatsoever - just two ingredients, and it is non-toxic.

Take one part of white vinegar and mix it with one part of table salt. I don't think it matters but when I used this, I used salt with iodine in it.

Mix together and put it in a spray bottle or a tank sprayer and use it on pesky weeds. If the dogs or kids (or bees) get in it, it won't hurt them at all.

I'm mowing around my hives without a hitch, but for those weeds that grow against the hive stand, I'm going to use the vinegar/salt mixture.

I used this once before and it worked like a charm. It takes a few days to kick in, it doesn't work as fast as chemical weed killers like Round-Up, but it works. I use it around my plants and in my plant beds and the only thing its killed was the weeds.

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posted February 20, 2013 02:52 PM            

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