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[FONT="]Homemade Fungicides[/FONT] [FONT="][/FONT]
The following are some recipes for homemade fungicides that we have gathered from various sources, including the Alaska Master Gardeners Association, the Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC) and Penn State University. Not all of these recipes should be considered organic.
[FONT="]Organic Recipe for Mildew[/FONT]
1 tbspn. Baking Soda
1 tbspn. Olive Oil
1 tbspn. Liquid Coconut oil soap (such as Dr. Bonners Pure Castille Soap)
1 gallon water
[FONT="]Non-Organic Spray Formula:[/FONT] Mix into one gallon of water, in the order listed:
1 tbsp. of mild dishwashing soap (such as Palmolive or Ivory)
2 tbsp. of ultrafine horticultural oil (such as Sunspray™ oil)
1 heaping tbsp. of baking soda
1 tbsp. of fish oil/seaweed emulsion
3-5 drops of Superthrive®
[FONT="]Apple Cider Vinegar Fungicide:[/FONT] For leafspot, mildew, and scab
Mix 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar (5% acidity) with one gallon water and spray in the morning on infested plants.
[FONT="]Baking Soda Spray:[/FONT] for anthracnose, early tomato blight, leaf blight and spots, powdery mildew, and as a general fungicide Sodium bicarbonate commonly known as baking soda has been found to posses fungicidal properties. It is recommended for plants that already have powdery mildew to hose down all the infected leaves prior to treatment. This helps to dislodge as many of the spores as possibly to help you get better results. Use as a prevention or as treatment at first signs of any of the diseases.
To make: Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda, 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil with one gallon of water. Shake this up very thoroughly. To this mix add 1/2 teaspoon of pure castille soap and spray. Be sure to agitate your sprayer while you work to keep the ingredients from separating. Cover upper and lower leaf surfaces and spray some on the soil. Repeat every 5-7 days as needed.
[FONT="]Chive Spray:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]For preventing apple scab and downy mildew on cucumber, pumpkin and zucchini.
To make: Put a bunch of chopped chives in a heat proof glass container, cover with boiling water. Let this sit until cool, strain and spray as often as two to three times a week.
[FONT="]Compost and Manure Teas:[/FONT] Many people have success with manure tea keeping blight and other pathogens away from plant. Soak the area around plants and use as a foliar spray. Do not use on seedlings as it may encourage damping-off disease.
To Make: Fill a 30 gallon trash can with water. Let sit for 24 hours to evaporate the additives (use rain water if you can). Add about 4 shovelfuls of manure to this and cover. Let it sit for 2-3 weeks, stirring once a day. Strain and apply as needed.
Various manures supply nutrients as follows:
Chicken manure: nitrogen rich. Use for heavy feeders such as corn, tomatoes and squash.
Cow Manure: contains potash, use for root crops.
Rabbit manure: promotes strong leaves and stems.
Horse manure: leaf development.
[FONT="]Compost Tea: [/FONT]Make and use just the same as you would the manure tea. This is another terrific reason to compost all those prunings, grass clipping and kitchen wastes.
[FONT="]Corn and Garlic Spray Fungus Preventative:[/FONT] This blend is surprisingly potent preventative spray to protect your plants.
To make: Gather a handful of corn leaves, clematis leaves (any kind) and as much of the paper like outer leaves of garlic as you can. Process thoroughly in a blender. Then mix with sufficient water to make a thin liquid. Let sit for an hour, strain and spray on plants as a preventative.
[FONT="]Garlic Oil Fungicide Spray:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]For leaf spot and mildews[/FONT]
To make: Combine 3 ounces of minced garlic cloves with 1 ounce of mineral oil. Let soak for 24 hours or longer. Strain. Next mix 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion with 16 ounces of water. Add 1 tablespoon of castille soap to this. Now slowly combine the fish emulsion water with the garlic oil. Kept in a sealed glass container this mixture will stay viable for several months. To use: Mix 2 tablespoons of garlic oil with 1 pint of water and spray.
[FONT="]Horseradish[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="](preventative for fungal disease)[/FONT]
Penn State University announced in 1995 that minced horseradish holds promise in decontaminating wastewater and now says it may clean contaminated soils as well! Penn State's center for Bioremediation and Detoxification reports that minced horseradish combined with hydrogen peroxide can completely remove chlorinated phenols and other contaminants found in industrial wastes. Experiments involve applying the mixture directly to tainted soils or growing horseradish in contaminated soil and rototilling the roots just before applying hydrogen peroxide! The cleansing properties of horseradish have been known for more than a decade, however creating a purified form has been far too expensive. This method has proved to be just as effective, but at a fraction of the cost!
Horseradish Tea: You can also make a tea from horseradish roots to use as a preventative spray for fungal diseases. This is especially useful against brown rot in apple trees. The white flesh of the horseradish root also contains significant amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamin C.
To make: Process one cup of roots in food processor till finely chopped. Combine this with 16 ounces of water in a glass container and let soak for 24 hours. Strain liquid, discard the solids. Now mix the liquid with 2 quarts of water and spray.
[FONT="]Milk for Mildew[/FONT]
Milk with its' natural enzymes and simple sugar structures can be used to combat various mildews on cucumber, asters, tomato, squash and zinnia foliage. Use a 50/50 mixture of milk and water. Thoroughly spray plants every 3 to 4 days at first sign of mildews or use as a preventative measure.
Milk can also be mixed at a rate of 2 ounces milk to 18 ounces of water and used as a spray every 7 to 10 days to treat for fungal diseases on cucumber, tomato and lettuce.
[FONT="]Tomato Protective Spray[/FONT]
Antitranspirants protect the plant surface against disease spores and perhaps provides a barrier against insect feeding that may help prevent the spread of disease. The skim milk provides the tomato plant with calcium. A calcium deficiency is common in tomato plants. Antitranspirants can be used to protect many plants against bacterial disease before they attack. They are harmless and will not block the pores of the plant tissue.
To make: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of antitranspirant (like Cloudcover, Wiltpruf etc.) with 8 ounces of skim milk, and 1 gallon of water. Spray plants. Clean out your sprayer when done and flush with fresh water.
NOTE: an equivalent of prepared powdered milk may be substituted for the skim milk.
Removing leaves on the lower portion of the plant may help lessen contact with disease spores and certainly won't hurt the plant.
[FONT="]Chamomile Spray:[/FONT] Chamomile tea is an excellent preventative for damping-off. Use on seed starting soil, seedlings and in any humid planting area. Chamomile is a concentrated source of calcium, potash and sulfur. The sulfur is a fungus fighter. This can also be used as a seed soak prior to planting.
To make: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 1/4 cup chamomile blossoms. Let steep until cool and strain into a spray bottle. Use as needed. This keeps for about a week before going rancid. Spray to prevent damping off and anytime you see any fuzzy white growth on the soil. Chamomile blossoms can be purchased at health food stores and usually grocery stores.
[FONT="]Seaweed Spray:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]Seaweed spray is rich in nutrients and minerals. It provides protection from many fungal diseases and can be used to prevent damping-off.
To Make: Use 2/3 cup of kelp or seaweed concentrate to 1 gallon of water, spray.
[FONT="]Horsetail Tea (Equisetum arvense)[/FONT]
The common horsetail plant, which is very invasive, is rich in silica and helps plants to resist fungal diseases and can be used to increase plants light absorbing capabilities. Use on most plants to combat powdery fungi, and on vegetables and roses to control mildew. You can use this on seedlings and plants in greenhouses. May prevent damping off.
To make: In a glass or stainless steel pot, mix 1/8 cup of dried leaves in 1 gallon of unchlorinated water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for at least 1/2 hr. Cool and strain. Store extra concentrate in a glass container. Will keep for a month. Dilute this mix, adding 5-10 parts of unchlorinated water to one part concentrate. Spray plants that show any symptoms of fungal type disease once every 4 days. Spray your seed starting mixtures to prevent damping off.
[FONT="]Homemade Pesticide Recipes[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]
The Basics
It is best to use any type of spray in the early morning or the cool of evening. Do not spray when temps are above 90° F! Your plants may "burn" or have a reaction to what you are using in excessive heat. This is known as "phytotoxicity"
Always perform a test on a small portion of the plant material first. Wait 24 hours to observe any negative reaction. Proceed if there is no damage.
More is not better. If you are not getting good results don't increase the strength of these remedies without testing first.
Target just the area you need to treat. Be careful... try not to harm the good guys! You don't want to run off your allies.
When working with sprays or dusts always protect your exposed skin and face. Some of these ingredients can be very irritating to your skin, eyes and mucous membranes, especially any hot pepper sprays.
When working with oil sprays, follow this equation to prevent phytotoxicity: Take the current outdoor Fahrenheit temperature then add to this the percentage of humidity, if the total is more than 140 don't spray. Example: Temperature of 80° plus humidity of 67 percent equals 147, don't spray. You also do not want to spray when temps are above 90°F.
[/FONT][FONT="]Alcohol Sprays[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]The idea of using rubbing alcohol as a spray for plants pests has been around for years. Can cause leaf damage on African Violets, and Apple trees. [/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Protection offered: Alcohol sprays work on aphids, mealy bugs, scale insects, thrips and whiteflies. Alcohol sprays have been used successfully on houseplants and tropical foliage plants. Most of these have heavy, waxy cuticles that are not easily burned.
How to Make: Use only 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol): mix 1 to 2 cups alcohol per quart of water. Using undiluted alcohol as a spray is very risky for plants. You can also mix up an insecticidal soap spray according to the dilution on the label but substitute alcohol for half of the water required.
How to Use: Since alcohol can damage plants always test your spray mix on a few leaves or plants first. Tests results should show up within 2 or 3 days.
[/FONT][FONT="]
Alcohol Spray:
This spray really is great for houseplants. This especially works on mealy bugs.
1/2 cup of alcohol
2-3 tablespoons of dry laundry soap
1 quart of warm water
Mix all ingredients and spray immediately. This solution must be made fresh for each use
Ammonia Spray:
Mix one-part household ammonia with seven parts water.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Basic Sprays:
Basic Pepper Spray - Blend 1/2 cup of hot peppers with 2 cups of water. Strain and spray.
Basic Soap Spray - Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap with 1 gallon of water and spray.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dead Bug Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Another way to beat the bug problem is by taking some dead carcasses of the same insects and mixing them in water. Use one pint of water and 1/2 cup of slug carcasses. Although this is rather unpleasant, it works. Would you want to be picnicking in this situation? Most of us wouldn't. Here is how you make the insect carcass solution: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Blend the water and insects until mixed well and then put into a plastic container or glass jar. To use this, pout into a sprayer and squirt a few drops on the affected plants. You can freeze this mixture for storage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]*Beware: Do NOT use flies, ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes in this solution! These insects carry many communicable human diseases! [/FONT]
[FONT="]Bug Juice:[/FONT][FONT="]
A ½ cup of specific species
Mash a ½ cup of bugs then add two cups of water and strain. Mix 1/4 cup of this "bug juice" with 2 cups of water and a few drops of soap and spray.
[/FONT][FONT="]Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list! [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup of red peppers (hot) [/FONT]
[FONT="]water (read below) [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup of fresh spearmint [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves) [/FONT]
[FONT="]2 tablespoons of liquid detergent [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup green onion tops [/FONT]
[FONT="]Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Garlic Oil Sprays:[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Organic gardeners have long been familiar with the repellent or toxic affect of garlic oil on pests. When it is combined with mineral oil and pure soap, as it is in the recipe that follows, devised at the Henry Doubleday Research Association in England, it becomes an effective insecticide. Some studies also suggest that a garlic oil spray has fungicidal properties.
Protection Offered: Good results, with quick kill, have been noted against aphids, cabbage loopers, earwigs, June bugs, leafhoppers, squash bugs and whiteflies. The spray does not appear to harm adult lady beetles, and some gardeners have found that is doesn’t work against the Colorado potato beetles, grape leaf skeletonizers, grasshoppers, red ants, or sow bugs.
How to Make: Soak 3 ounces of finely minced garlic cloves in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for at least 24 hours. Slowly add 1 pint of water that has 1/4-ounce liquid soap or commercial insecticide soap mixed into it. Stir thoroughly and strain into a glass jar for storage. Use at a rate of 1 to 2 Tablespoons of mixture to a pint of water. If this is effective, try a more dilute solution in order to use as little as possible.
How to Use: Spray plants carefully to ensure thorough coverage. To check for possible leaf damage to sensitive ornamentals from the oil and soap in the spray, do a test spray on a few leaves or plants first. If no leaf damage occurs in 2 or 3 days, go ahead and spray more. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Garlic Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Here is the recipe for a garlic spray that fights slugs too. Slugs must not like eating Italian. To make this smelly spray, use the following list of ingredients: [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 garlic bulb [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 quart of water [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 medium onion [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 tablespoon liquid dish soap [/FONT]
[FONT="]Crush the garlic, mincing it fine. Add finely chopped onion to the mixture, while adding the rest of the ingredients except the soap. Wait an hour before adding the soap to the mixture. The spicy ingredients must sort of stew or steep, almost like tea. After an hour, add the soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use! This can be stored in the fridge for a week. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Garlic Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This spray is effective against aphids, cabbage loopers, grasshoppers, June bugs, leafhoppers, mites, squash bugs, slugs and whiteflies. Never use
3 oz. minced garlic
1 oz. mineral oil
1 tsp. fish emulsion
16 oz. water
1 Tbsp. castile soap
Combine garlic and oil. Let soak for 24 hours; strain. Next, mix fish emulsion with water and castile soap. Slowly combine the garlic mixture with the fish emulsion mixture. Keep in a sealed glass container. This mixture will keep for several months. To use, mix 2 Tbsp. garlic oil mixture to 1-pint water and spray.
Horseradish Repellant:
This spray is effective on aphids, blister beetles, caterpillars, Colorado beetles, whiteflies and soft-bodied insects.
3 quarts boiling water
2 cups cayenne peppers
1 inch piece horseradish root, chopped
2 cups packed scented geranium leaves, any type, optional
Combine ingredients and let set for 1 hour, cool, strain, and spray.
Note: this can be made without the scented geranium leaves if you don't have them to spare.
Lime Spray:
This spray is effective on cucumber beetles, mites and general purpose.
1 ounce of hydrated lime
32 ounces of water
1 teaspoon of castile soap
Mix hydrated lime with water. Add soap to act as a sticking agent and insecticide. This creates an effective spray against many insects, especially spider mites. Use up to twice a week.
Note: Lime can cause serious harm to plants if you use too much, so always spray a test plant first and watch it for a few days, to check for any adverse effects on plants.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap & Oil Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This spray works well on Aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips.
1 Tbsp. liquid dish soap
1-cup vegetable oil (peanut, canola, safflower, corn, soybean, or sunflower)
Mix oil and soap. To use mixture, add 1-2 tsp. of the oil and soap mixture to one-cup water, and apply to plants.
Orange Peel Spray:
This spray works well on soft-bodied pests such as aphids, fungus gnats, and mealy bugs and as an ant repellant.
2 cups boiling water
Peelings of on orange
A few drops castile soap
Pour boiling water over orange peels. Allow to set for 24 hours. Strain into a glass jar. Add soap and spray.
Peppermint Soap Spray:
Gnats sometimes swarm on plants, usually indoor varieties. Try this natural solution, but if the problem persists change the soil in the container.
To 1 quart of boiling water add:
A ½ Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap
Now fill a spray bottle with the mixture. While the mixture is still hot, spray it on the plant, soil and gnats!
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Nicotine[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]
One of the top three insecticides in the 1880s, nicotine in several forms is still widely used. Nicotine comes from the tobacco plant and is extremely toxic to insects. The great advantage of homemade nicotine tea is that it is very short lived, retaining its toxicity for only a few hours after spraying. It is relatively nonhazardous to bees and lady beetles because of its short persistence.
Protection Offered: Nicotine is effective against ground and soil pests, especially root aphids and fungus gnats, and on many leaf-chewing insects, such as aphids, immature scales, leafhoppers, thrips, leaf miners, pear psylla, and asparagus beetle larvae.
How To Make: You can brew your own batch of nicotine tea by soaking tobacco leaves or cigarette butts in water to make a spray. Soak 1 cup of dried, crushed tobacco leaves, or an equivalent amount of cigarette butts, in one gallon of warm water with 1/4-teaspoon pure soap added. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth after it has soaked for 1/2 hour. The solution will keep for several weeks if stored in a tightly closed container.
How to Use: For soil pests, pour the spray mixture onto the soil in the area of the stem base and root zone. For leaf pests, spray leaves thoroughly, especially the undersides. Nicotine can be absorbed by plant leaves and remain there for several weeks. To be safe, use nicotine only on young plants and only up to one month before harvest. It's probably safest not to spray nicotine on eggplant, peppers or tomatoes. While most tobacco cultivars now grown are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, nicotine sprays could contain the pathogen, which will infect nightshade family crops.
Tobacco teas are sometimes prepared by home gardeners to control garden pests, and while not as toxic as nicotine sulfate sprays, any nicotine solution toxic enough to kill insects can also be harmful to humans.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Tobacco or Nicotine Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This mixture is great for combating many different types of bugs; especially caterpillars, aphids, and many types of worms.
1 cup of tobacco
1 gallon of water
3 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix tobacco and water in container. Allow mixture to set for approximately 24 hours, and then check the color. It should be the color of weak tea. If it is too light, allow to sit longer, if it is too dark, dilute with more water. Add the liquid soap to the mixture, and spray on plants.
Warning: Don't use this solution on peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family. Tobacco chemicals can kill these types of plants![/FONT]
[FONT="]Nicotine Pesticide:[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 bag of chewing tobacco
1 nylon stocking
Put the tobacco in the stocking, and tie the end closed. Put the stocking in one gallon of water, and let it sit overnight. This will create a “tea”. In the morning, remove the stocking from your tea, then add:
1 cup liquid dish soap
1 cup human urine
Mix well and use a pump sprayer to spray your plants – give them a bath, spray leaves, the ground near the base, etc.
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]"Hot" Dusts[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Black pepper, chili pepper, dill, ginger, paprika, and red peppers all contain capsaicin, a compound shown to repel insects. Synthetic capsaicin is also available for field use. Researchers have found that as little as 1/25 ounce of capsaicin sprinkled around an onion plant reduced the number of onion maggot eggs laid around the plant by 75%, compared to a control plant.
Protection Offered: Capsaicin-containing dusts repel onion maggots from seedlings, as well as other root maggot flies from cabbage family plants and carrots. Pepper dusts around the base of the plants help repel ants, which is desirable in a garden where ants often protect and maintain aphid colonies on plants.
How To Make: It can be rather expensive to buy enough packaged pepper dusts to sprinkle throughout your garden. However, if you grow and dry your own red peppers, chili peppers, or dill, you can make lots of dust at low cost. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the peppers, or dill, including the seeds, to dust. Be careful handling the hot peppers because they irritate sensitive skin.
How to Use: Sprinkle along seeded rows of onions, cabbage, or carrots, in a band at least 6 inches wider than the row or planting bed. A fine sprinkling will suffice, but the more dust you use, the better the effect. Renew after a heavy rain or irrigation. To protect plants from ants, sprinkle around the base of plants in an area as wide as the widest [/FONT][FONT="]leaves.[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]
Red Hot Pepper Spray:
This spray works well on many different types of pests.
2 handfuls fresh red cayenne peppers
1/2-gallon water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Dash of liquid soap
Combine ingredients, and let soak for 2 days. Apply to plants.
Pepper-Garlic Spray:
This will repel many insects including whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and caterpillars.
1 teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce
4 cloves of garlic
Quart of water
Combine one teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce, 4 cloves of garlic and a quart of water. Blend well in a blender and strain, with cheesecloth or nylon mesh before placing in your sprayer.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Salt Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This solution is used for cabbageworms and spider mites.
2 tablespoons of salt
1 gallon of water
Mix and spray.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Another way to stop the slugs is with soapy water. That's right, you can just use your old, dirty dishwater! Collect some of the water in a pan and pour it into a watering can or even use a pitcher to pour it over the plants. This works really well on hostas and mums, but also can be used on other hardy plants. Many bugs do not like their lunch spoiled by a soapy aftertaste! For a stronger solution, mix 3 Tablespoons of liquid detergent into a gallon of water[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Soap Spray:
This solution is used for aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips.
3 Tbsp. liquid soap
1-gallon water
Mix ingredients and spray on plants weekly.
Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps.
Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray:
This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list!
1/2 cup of red peppers (hot)
water (read below)
1/2 cup of fresh spearmint
1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves)
2 tablespoons of liquid detergent
1/2 cup green onion tops
Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Tomato Leaf [/FONT]
[FONT="]Nightshade family plants, such as tomatoes, potatoes and tobacco, have toxic compounds called alkaloids in their leaves. These toxins are water-soluble and can be soaked from chopped leaves and made into homemade sprays. These sprays also work by attracting natural pest enemies. The good bugs follow the smell of the spray in looking for prey.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Protection Offered: Tomato leaf sprays have been used to protect plants from aphids. Also, spraying tomato leaf spray on corn may reduce corn earworm damage. The corn earworm is also called the tomato fruit worm, as it also attacks tomato plants. A scientific study has shown that corn plants sprayed with tomato leaf spray attracted significantly more Trichogramma wasps to parasitize the corn earworm eggs than the unsprayed did.
How to Make: Soak 1 to 2 cups of chopped or mashed tomato leaves in 2 cups of water overnight. Strain through cheesecloth or fine mesh; add about 2 more cups of water to the strained liquid, and spray. For aphid control, be sure to thoroughly cover the leaf undersides, especially of lower leaves and growing tips of plants where aphids congregate.
How to Use: Spray plants thoroughly, particularly undersides of lower leaves and growing tips where aphids congregate. While this spray is not poisonous to humans on contact, use care in handling, especially if you are allergic to the nightshade family. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Herbal Sprays[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]
Many organic farmers are familiar with using sprays made from aromatic herbs to repel pests from the garden plants. Several recent studies confirm the repellent effect of such sprays. The essential oil of Sage and Thyme and the alcohol extracts such as Hyssop, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and White Clover can be used in this manner. They have been shown to reduce the number of eggs laid and the amount of feeding damage to cabbage by caterpillars of Diamond back moths and large white butterflies. Sprays made from Tansy have demonstrated a repellent effect on imported cabbageworm on cabbage, reducing the number of eggs laid on the plants. Teas made from Wormwood or Nasturtiums are reputed to repel aphids from fruit trees, and sprays made from ground or blended Catnip, Chives, Feverfew, Marigolds, or Rue have also been used by gardeners against pests that feed on leaves.
Protection Offered: Try herbal sprays against any leaf-eating pests and make note of what works for future reference.
How to Make: In General, herbal sprays are made by mashing or blending 1 to 2 cups of fresh leaves with 2 to 4 cups of water and leaving them to soak overnight. Or you can make a herbal tea by pouring the same amount of boiling water over 2 to 4 cups fresh or 1 to 2 cups dry leaves and leaving them to steep until cool. Strain the water through cheesecloth before spraying and dilute further with 2 to 4 cups water. Add a very small amount of non-detergent liquid soap (1/4 teaspoon in 1 to 2 quarts of water) to help spray stick to leaves and spread better. You can also buy commercial essential herbal oils and dilute with water to make a spray. Experiment with proportions, starting with a few drops of oil per cup of water.
How to Use: Spray plants thoroughly, especially undersides of leaves, and repeat at weekly intervals if necessary. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="](Mostly) Organic Fertilizer:[/FONT]
[FONT="]
1 can regular beer (not Lite)
1 can regular Coke (not diet)
1 cup liquid dish soap
1 cup ammonia
1 cup liquid fertilizer
Mix the above ingredients together, and take 2 oz. of that mixture and pour it into 2 gallons of water. Mix well and use a pump sprayer to spray your plants – give them a bath, spray leaves, the ground near the base, etc.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Deer Repellant:[/FONT] (to keep the deer away from your plants)
[FONT="]Add to a gallon jug with a screw top:
½ cup milk
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. liquid dish soap
3 cloves garlic, no skins
Fill the rest of the jug with water. Let it sit for 2 days. Mix well and use a pump sprayer to spray your plants every evening to start with. Once the deer have not been around for a while, you can go to every 2 days, then 3, etc.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Ants[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]To keep a pet’s food from attracting ants, set the food dish in a pie pan filled with soapy water.[/FONT]
· [FONT="]To destroy invading ant colonies, mix three cups water with one-cup sugar and four teaspoons boric acid. Loosely pack several small screw top jars half full with cotton balls, saturated with the mixture. Pierce jar lids with two to three small holes (large enough to admit ants) and screw back onto jars. Place jars in areas where ants are active but out of the reach of children and pets.
[FONT="]Aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Make a soap spray. Mix one-tablespoon dishwashing soap, such as Ivory Liquid or Shaklee’s Basic H, in one gallon of water. Test spray a few leaves of the affected plant; if no damage results, spray the whole plant.[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Make an ammonia spray by mixing one part household ammonia with seven parts water.[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Make an oil spray by stirring one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap into one cup of vegetable oil (peanut, safflower, corn, soybean, or sunflower). Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of the soap and oil blend with one-cup water, and apply to affected plants.
[FONT="]Mice[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Inexpensive snap traps from the hardware store are quite effective when deployed in large numbers. Set baited traps at two-foot intervals along the base of walls where mice run. To kill both young and old mice, set traps out twice: once to trap the adults, and then two weeks later to trap maturing young. Bait traps with peanut butter or with a small cotton ball. Mice pull at the cotton when they are collecting nesting material and so trigger the trap; unlike food baits, cotton doesn’t spoil in hot weather. To avoid leaving a telltale human odor, always wear gloves when handling traps.
[FONT="]Moles[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Dump several scoops of used cat litter into the mole’s tunnel; moles find it offensive and will leave. Don’t, however, spread cat litter near a food garden because it can carry infections harmful to humans. Protect a garden from moles with wire mesh fencing, set into a 12-inch or deeper trench, all around the bed; such a fence will also help to fend off other ground-level pests, such as rabbits or woodchucks.
[FONT="]Predator bugs[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]To attract predacious insects--the kind that eat other insects--dot your garden with sweet alyssum, asters, daisies, marigolds, sunflowers, yarrow, and members of the parsley family, such as parsley, fennel, and dill. These flowers offer the nectars and pollens that predacious bugs need to supplement their insect diet. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Rabbits[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Plant French marigolds amid rabbit delicacies, such as lettuce and carrots, in the vegetable garden. The marigolds’ strong odor repels rabbits.[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Sprinkle ground pepper around plants to repel rabbits--renew after every rain.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Slugs[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Countersink tin cans (such as tuna fish cans) in the garden and bait them with beer. Slugs are drawn to the beer, fall in, and don’t get out again. Replenish the bait beer after a rain.
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[FONT="] [/FONT]
The following are some recipes for homemade fungicides that we have gathered from various sources, including the Alaska Master Gardeners Association, the Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC) and Penn State University. Not all of these recipes should be considered organic.
[FONT="]Organic Recipe for Mildew[/FONT]
1 tbspn. Baking Soda
1 tbspn. Olive Oil
1 tbspn. Liquid Coconut oil soap (such as Dr. Bonners Pure Castille Soap)
1 gallon water
[FONT="]Non-Organic Spray Formula:[/FONT] Mix into one gallon of water, in the order listed:
1 tbsp. of mild dishwashing soap (such as Palmolive or Ivory)
2 tbsp. of ultrafine horticultural oil (such as Sunspray™ oil)
1 heaping tbsp. of baking soda
1 tbsp. of fish oil/seaweed emulsion
3-5 drops of Superthrive®
[FONT="]Apple Cider Vinegar Fungicide:[/FONT] For leafspot, mildew, and scab
Mix 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar (5% acidity) with one gallon water and spray in the morning on infested plants.
[FONT="]Baking Soda Spray:[/FONT] for anthracnose, early tomato blight, leaf blight and spots, powdery mildew, and as a general fungicide Sodium bicarbonate commonly known as baking soda has been found to posses fungicidal properties. It is recommended for plants that already have powdery mildew to hose down all the infected leaves prior to treatment. This helps to dislodge as many of the spores as possibly to help you get better results. Use as a prevention or as treatment at first signs of any of the diseases.
To make: Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda, 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil with one gallon of water. Shake this up very thoroughly. To this mix add 1/2 teaspoon of pure castille soap and spray. Be sure to agitate your sprayer while you work to keep the ingredients from separating. Cover upper and lower leaf surfaces and spray some on the soil. Repeat every 5-7 days as needed.
[FONT="]Chive Spray:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]For preventing apple scab and downy mildew on cucumber, pumpkin and zucchini.
To make: Put a bunch of chopped chives in a heat proof glass container, cover with boiling water. Let this sit until cool, strain and spray as often as two to three times a week.
[FONT="]Compost and Manure Teas:[/FONT] Many people have success with manure tea keeping blight and other pathogens away from plant. Soak the area around plants and use as a foliar spray. Do not use on seedlings as it may encourage damping-off disease.
To Make: Fill a 30 gallon trash can with water. Let sit for 24 hours to evaporate the additives (use rain water if you can). Add about 4 shovelfuls of manure to this and cover. Let it sit for 2-3 weeks, stirring once a day. Strain and apply as needed.
Various manures supply nutrients as follows:
Chicken manure: nitrogen rich. Use for heavy feeders such as corn, tomatoes and squash.
Cow Manure: contains potash, use for root crops.
Rabbit manure: promotes strong leaves and stems.
Horse manure: leaf development.
[FONT="]Compost Tea: [/FONT]Make and use just the same as you would the manure tea. This is another terrific reason to compost all those prunings, grass clipping and kitchen wastes.
[FONT="]Corn and Garlic Spray Fungus Preventative:[/FONT] This blend is surprisingly potent preventative spray to protect your plants.
To make: Gather a handful of corn leaves, clematis leaves (any kind) and as much of the paper like outer leaves of garlic as you can. Process thoroughly in a blender. Then mix with sufficient water to make a thin liquid. Let sit for an hour, strain and spray on plants as a preventative.
[FONT="]Garlic Oil Fungicide Spray:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]For leaf spot and mildews[/FONT]
To make: Combine 3 ounces of minced garlic cloves with 1 ounce of mineral oil. Let soak for 24 hours or longer. Strain. Next mix 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion with 16 ounces of water. Add 1 tablespoon of castille soap to this. Now slowly combine the fish emulsion water with the garlic oil. Kept in a sealed glass container this mixture will stay viable for several months. To use: Mix 2 tablespoons of garlic oil with 1 pint of water and spray.
[FONT="]Horseradish[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="](preventative for fungal disease)[/FONT]
Penn State University announced in 1995 that minced horseradish holds promise in decontaminating wastewater and now says it may clean contaminated soils as well! Penn State's center for Bioremediation and Detoxification reports that minced horseradish combined with hydrogen peroxide can completely remove chlorinated phenols and other contaminants found in industrial wastes. Experiments involve applying the mixture directly to tainted soils or growing horseradish in contaminated soil and rototilling the roots just before applying hydrogen peroxide! The cleansing properties of horseradish have been known for more than a decade, however creating a purified form has been far too expensive. This method has proved to be just as effective, but at a fraction of the cost!
Horseradish Tea: You can also make a tea from horseradish roots to use as a preventative spray for fungal diseases. This is especially useful against brown rot in apple trees. The white flesh of the horseradish root also contains significant amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamin C.
To make: Process one cup of roots in food processor till finely chopped. Combine this with 16 ounces of water in a glass container and let soak for 24 hours. Strain liquid, discard the solids. Now mix the liquid with 2 quarts of water and spray.
[FONT="]Milk for Mildew[/FONT]
Milk with its' natural enzymes and simple sugar structures can be used to combat various mildews on cucumber, asters, tomato, squash and zinnia foliage. Use a 50/50 mixture of milk and water. Thoroughly spray plants every 3 to 4 days at first sign of mildews or use as a preventative measure.
Milk can also be mixed at a rate of 2 ounces milk to 18 ounces of water and used as a spray every 7 to 10 days to treat for fungal diseases on cucumber, tomato and lettuce.
[FONT="]Tomato Protective Spray[/FONT]
Antitranspirants protect the plant surface against disease spores and perhaps provides a barrier against insect feeding that may help prevent the spread of disease. The skim milk provides the tomato plant with calcium. A calcium deficiency is common in tomato plants. Antitranspirants can be used to protect many plants against bacterial disease before they attack. They are harmless and will not block the pores of the plant tissue.
To make: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of antitranspirant (like Cloudcover, Wiltpruf etc.) with 8 ounces of skim milk, and 1 gallon of water. Spray plants. Clean out your sprayer when done and flush with fresh water.
NOTE: an equivalent of prepared powdered milk may be substituted for the skim milk.
Removing leaves on the lower portion of the plant may help lessen contact with disease spores and certainly won't hurt the plant.
[FONT="]Chamomile Spray:[/FONT] Chamomile tea is an excellent preventative for damping-off. Use on seed starting soil, seedlings and in any humid planting area. Chamomile is a concentrated source of calcium, potash and sulfur. The sulfur is a fungus fighter. This can also be used as a seed soak prior to planting.
To make: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 1/4 cup chamomile blossoms. Let steep until cool and strain into a spray bottle. Use as needed. This keeps for about a week before going rancid. Spray to prevent damping off and anytime you see any fuzzy white growth on the soil. Chamomile blossoms can be purchased at health food stores and usually grocery stores.
[FONT="]Seaweed Spray:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]Seaweed spray is rich in nutrients and minerals. It provides protection from many fungal diseases and can be used to prevent damping-off.
To Make: Use 2/3 cup of kelp or seaweed concentrate to 1 gallon of water, spray.
[FONT="]Horsetail Tea (Equisetum arvense)[/FONT]
The common horsetail plant, which is very invasive, is rich in silica and helps plants to resist fungal diseases and can be used to increase plants light absorbing capabilities. Use on most plants to combat powdery fungi, and on vegetables and roses to control mildew. You can use this on seedlings and plants in greenhouses. May prevent damping off.
To make: In a glass or stainless steel pot, mix 1/8 cup of dried leaves in 1 gallon of unchlorinated water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for at least 1/2 hr. Cool and strain. Store extra concentrate in a glass container. Will keep for a month. Dilute this mix, adding 5-10 parts of unchlorinated water to one part concentrate. Spray plants that show any symptoms of fungal type disease once every 4 days. Spray your seed starting mixtures to prevent damping off.
[FONT="]Homemade Pesticide Recipes[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]
The Basics
It is best to use any type of spray in the early morning or the cool of evening. Do not spray when temps are above 90° F! Your plants may "burn" or have a reaction to what you are using in excessive heat. This is known as "phytotoxicity"
Always perform a test on a small portion of the plant material first. Wait 24 hours to observe any negative reaction. Proceed if there is no damage.
More is not better. If you are not getting good results don't increase the strength of these remedies without testing first.
Target just the area you need to treat. Be careful... try not to harm the good guys! You don't want to run off your allies.
When working with sprays or dusts always protect your exposed skin and face. Some of these ingredients can be very irritating to your skin, eyes and mucous membranes, especially any hot pepper sprays.
When working with oil sprays, follow this equation to prevent phytotoxicity: Take the current outdoor Fahrenheit temperature then add to this the percentage of humidity, if the total is more than 140 don't spray. Example: Temperature of 80° plus humidity of 67 percent equals 147, don't spray. You also do not want to spray when temps are above 90°F.
[/FONT][FONT="]Alcohol Sprays[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]The idea of using rubbing alcohol as a spray for plants pests has been around for years. Can cause leaf damage on African Violets, and Apple trees. [/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Protection offered: Alcohol sprays work on aphids, mealy bugs, scale insects, thrips and whiteflies. Alcohol sprays have been used successfully on houseplants and tropical foliage plants. Most of these have heavy, waxy cuticles that are not easily burned.
How to Make: Use only 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol): mix 1 to 2 cups alcohol per quart of water. Using undiluted alcohol as a spray is very risky for plants. You can also mix up an insecticidal soap spray according to the dilution on the label but substitute alcohol for half of the water required.
How to Use: Since alcohol can damage plants always test your spray mix on a few leaves or plants first. Tests results should show up within 2 or 3 days.
[/FONT][FONT="]
Alcohol Spray:
This spray really is great for houseplants. This especially works on mealy bugs.
1/2 cup of alcohol
2-3 tablespoons of dry laundry soap
1 quart of warm water
Mix all ingredients and spray immediately. This solution must be made fresh for each use
Ammonia Spray:
Mix one-part household ammonia with seven parts water.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Basic Sprays:
Basic Pepper Spray - Blend 1/2 cup of hot peppers with 2 cups of water. Strain and spray.
Basic Soap Spray - Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap with 1 gallon of water and spray.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dead Bug Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Another way to beat the bug problem is by taking some dead carcasses of the same insects and mixing them in water. Use one pint of water and 1/2 cup of slug carcasses. Although this is rather unpleasant, it works. Would you want to be picnicking in this situation? Most of us wouldn't. Here is how you make the insect carcass solution: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Blend the water and insects until mixed well and then put into a plastic container or glass jar. To use this, pout into a sprayer and squirt a few drops on the affected plants. You can freeze this mixture for storage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]*Beware: Do NOT use flies, ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes in this solution! These insects carry many communicable human diseases! [/FONT]
[FONT="]Bug Juice:[/FONT][FONT="]
A ½ cup of specific species
Mash a ½ cup of bugs then add two cups of water and strain. Mix 1/4 cup of this "bug juice" with 2 cups of water and a few drops of soap and spray.
[/FONT][FONT="]Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list! [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup of red peppers (hot) [/FONT]
[FONT="]water (read below) [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup of fresh spearmint [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves) [/FONT]
[FONT="]2 tablespoons of liquid detergent [/FONT]
[FONT="]1/2 cup green onion tops [/FONT]
[FONT="]Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Garlic Oil Sprays:[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Organic gardeners have long been familiar with the repellent or toxic affect of garlic oil on pests. When it is combined with mineral oil and pure soap, as it is in the recipe that follows, devised at the Henry Doubleday Research Association in England, it becomes an effective insecticide. Some studies also suggest that a garlic oil spray has fungicidal properties.
Protection Offered: Good results, with quick kill, have been noted against aphids, cabbage loopers, earwigs, June bugs, leafhoppers, squash bugs and whiteflies. The spray does not appear to harm adult lady beetles, and some gardeners have found that is doesn’t work against the Colorado potato beetles, grape leaf skeletonizers, grasshoppers, red ants, or sow bugs.
How to Make: Soak 3 ounces of finely minced garlic cloves in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for at least 24 hours. Slowly add 1 pint of water that has 1/4-ounce liquid soap or commercial insecticide soap mixed into it. Stir thoroughly and strain into a glass jar for storage. Use at a rate of 1 to 2 Tablespoons of mixture to a pint of water. If this is effective, try a more dilute solution in order to use as little as possible.
How to Use: Spray plants carefully to ensure thorough coverage. To check for possible leaf damage to sensitive ornamentals from the oil and soap in the spray, do a test spray on a few leaves or plants first. If no leaf damage occurs in 2 or 3 days, go ahead and spray more. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Garlic Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Here is the recipe for a garlic spray that fights slugs too. Slugs must not like eating Italian. To make this smelly spray, use the following list of ingredients: [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 garlic bulb [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 quart of water [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 medium onion [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 tablespoon liquid dish soap [/FONT]
[FONT="]Crush the garlic, mincing it fine. Add finely chopped onion to the mixture, while adding the rest of the ingredients except the soap. Wait an hour before adding the soap to the mixture. The spicy ingredients must sort of stew or steep, almost like tea. After an hour, add the soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use! This can be stored in the fridge for a week. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Garlic Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This spray is effective against aphids, cabbage loopers, grasshoppers, June bugs, leafhoppers, mites, squash bugs, slugs and whiteflies. Never use
3 oz. minced garlic
1 oz. mineral oil
1 tsp. fish emulsion
16 oz. water
1 Tbsp. castile soap
Combine garlic and oil. Let soak for 24 hours; strain. Next, mix fish emulsion with water and castile soap. Slowly combine the garlic mixture with the fish emulsion mixture. Keep in a sealed glass container. This mixture will keep for several months. To use, mix 2 Tbsp. garlic oil mixture to 1-pint water and spray.
Horseradish Repellant:
This spray is effective on aphids, blister beetles, caterpillars, Colorado beetles, whiteflies and soft-bodied insects.
3 quarts boiling water
2 cups cayenne peppers
1 inch piece horseradish root, chopped
2 cups packed scented geranium leaves, any type, optional
Combine ingredients and let set for 1 hour, cool, strain, and spray.
Note: this can be made without the scented geranium leaves if you don't have them to spare.
Lime Spray:
This spray is effective on cucumber beetles, mites and general purpose.
1 ounce of hydrated lime
32 ounces of water
1 teaspoon of castile soap
Mix hydrated lime with water. Add soap to act as a sticking agent and insecticide. This creates an effective spray against many insects, especially spider mites. Use up to twice a week.
Note: Lime can cause serious harm to plants if you use too much, so always spray a test plant first and watch it for a few days, to check for any adverse effects on plants.
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[FONT="]Soap & Oil Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This spray works well on Aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips.
1 Tbsp. liquid dish soap
1-cup vegetable oil (peanut, canola, safflower, corn, soybean, or sunflower)
Mix oil and soap. To use mixture, add 1-2 tsp. of the oil and soap mixture to one-cup water, and apply to plants.
Orange Peel Spray:
This spray works well on soft-bodied pests such as aphids, fungus gnats, and mealy bugs and as an ant repellant.
2 cups boiling water
Peelings of on orange
A few drops castile soap
Pour boiling water over orange peels. Allow to set for 24 hours. Strain into a glass jar. Add soap and spray.
Peppermint Soap Spray:
Gnats sometimes swarm on plants, usually indoor varieties. Try this natural solution, but if the problem persists change the soil in the container.
To 1 quart of boiling water add:
A ½ Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap
Now fill a spray bottle with the mixture. While the mixture is still hot, spray it on the plant, soil and gnats!
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Nicotine[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]
One of the top three insecticides in the 1880s, nicotine in several forms is still widely used. Nicotine comes from the tobacco plant and is extremely toxic to insects. The great advantage of homemade nicotine tea is that it is very short lived, retaining its toxicity for only a few hours after spraying. It is relatively nonhazardous to bees and lady beetles because of its short persistence.
Protection Offered: Nicotine is effective against ground and soil pests, especially root aphids and fungus gnats, and on many leaf-chewing insects, such as aphids, immature scales, leafhoppers, thrips, leaf miners, pear psylla, and asparagus beetle larvae.
How To Make: You can brew your own batch of nicotine tea by soaking tobacco leaves or cigarette butts in water to make a spray. Soak 1 cup of dried, crushed tobacco leaves, or an equivalent amount of cigarette butts, in one gallon of warm water with 1/4-teaspoon pure soap added. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth after it has soaked for 1/2 hour. The solution will keep for several weeks if stored in a tightly closed container.
How to Use: For soil pests, pour the spray mixture onto the soil in the area of the stem base and root zone. For leaf pests, spray leaves thoroughly, especially the undersides. Nicotine can be absorbed by plant leaves and remain there for several weeks. To be safe, use nicotine only on young plants and only up to one month before harvest. It's probably safest not to spray nicotine on eggplant, peppers or tomatoes. While most tobacco cultivars now grown are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, nicotine sprays could contain the pathogen, which will infect nightshade family crops.
Tobacco teas are sometimes prepared by home gardeners to control garden pests, and while not as toxic as nicotine sulfate sprays, any nicotine solution toxic enough to kill insects can also be harmful to humans.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Tobacco or Nicotine Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This mixture is great for combating many different types of bugs; especially caterpillars, aphids, and many types of worms.
1 cup of tobacco
1 gallon of water
3 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix tobacco and water in container. Allow mixture to set for approximately 24 hours, and then check the color. It should be the color of weak tea. If it is too light, allow to sit longer, if it is too dark, dilute with more water. Add the liquid soap to the mixture, and spray on plants.
Warning: Don't use this solution on peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family. Tobacco chemicals can kill these types of plants![/FONT]
[FONT="]Nicotine Pesticide:[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 bag of chewing tobacco
1 nylon stocking
Put the tobacco in the stocking, and tie the end closed. Put the stocking in one gallon of water, and let it sit overnight. This will create a “tea”. In the morning, remove the stocking from your tea, then add:
1 cup liquid dish soap
1 cup human urine
Mix well and use a pump sprayer to spray your plants – give them a bath, spray leaves, the ground near the base, etc.
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]"Hot" Dusts[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Black pepper, chili pepper, dill, ginger, paprika, and red peppers all contain capsaicin, a compound shown to repel insects. Synthetic capsaicin is also available for field use. Researchers have found that as little as 1/25 ounce of capsaicin sprinkled around an onion plant reduced the number of onion maggot eggs laid around the plant by 75%, compared to a control plant.
Protection Offered: Capsaicin-containing dusts repel onion maggots from seedlings, as well as other root maggot flies from cabbage family plants and carrots. Pepper dusts around the base of the plants help repel ants, which is desirable in a garden where ants often protect and maintain aphid colonies on plants.
How To Make: It can be rather expensive to buy enough packaged pepper dusts to sprinkle throughout your garden. However, if you grow and dry your own red peppers, chili peppers, or dill, you can make lots of dust at low cost. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the peppers, or dill, including the seeds, to dust. Be careful handling the hot peppers because they irritate sensitive skin.
How to Use: Sprinkle along seeded rows of onions, cabbage, or carrots, in a band at least 6 inches wider than the row or planting bed. A fine sprinkling will suffice, but the more dust you use, the better the effect. Renew after a heavy rain or irrigation. To protect plants from ants, sprinkle around the base of plants in an area as wide as the widest [/FONT][FONT="]leaves.[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]
Red Hot Pepper Spray:
This spray works well on many different types of pests.
2 handfuls fresh red cayenne peppers
1/2-gallon water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Dash of liquid soap
Combine ingredients, and let soak for 2 days. Apply to plants.
Pepper-Garlic Spray:
This will repel many insects including whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and caterpillars.
1 teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce
4 cloves of garlic
Quart of water
Combine one teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce, 4 cloves of garlic and a quart of water. Blend well in a blender and strain, with cheesecloth or nylon mesh before placing in your sprayer.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Salt Spray:[/FONT][FONT="]
This solution is used for cabbageworms and spider mites.
2 tablespoons of salt
1 gallon of water
Mix and spray.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap Spray: [/FONT]
[FONT="]Another way to stop the slugs is with soapy water. That's right, you can just use your old, dirty dishwater! Collect some of the water in a pan and pour it into a watering can or even use a pitcher to pour it over the plants. This works really well on hostas and mums, but also can be used on other hardy plants. Many bugs do not like their lunch spoiled by a soapy aftertaste! For a stronger solution, mix 3 Tablespoons of liquid detergent into a gallon of water[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Soap Spray:
This solution is used for aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips.
3 Tbsp. liquid soap
1-gallon water
Mix ingredients and spray on plants weekly.
Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps.
Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray:
This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list!
1/2 cup of red peppers (hot)
water (read below)
1/2 cup of fresh spearmint
1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves)
2 tablespoons of liquid detergent
1/2 cup green onion tops
Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Tomato Leaf [/FONT]
[FONT="]Nightshade family plants, such as tomatoes, potatoes and tobacco, have toxic compounds called alkaloids in their leaves. These toxins are water-soluble and can be soaked from chopped leaves and made into homemade sprays. These sprays also work by attracting natural pest enemies. The good bugs follow the smell of the spray in looking for prey.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Protection Offered: Tomato leaf sprays have been used to protect plants from aphids. Also, spraying tomato leaf spray on corn may reduce corn earworm damage. The corn earworm is also called the tomato fruit worm, as it also attacks tomato plants. A scientific study has shown that corn plants sprayed with tomato leaf spray attracted significantly more Trichogramma wasps to parasitize the corn earworm eggs than the unsprayed did.
How to Make: Soak 1 to 2 cups of chopped or mashed tomato leaves in 2 cups of water overnight. Strain through cheesecloth or fine mesh; add about 2 more cups of water to the strained liquid, and spray. For aphid control, be sure to thoroughly cover the leaf undersides, especially of lower leaves and growing tips of plants where aphids congregate.
How to Use: Spray plants thoroughly, particularly undersides of lower leaves and growing tips where aphids congregate. While this spray is not poisonous to humans on contact, use care in handling, especially if you are allergic to the nightshade family. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Herbal Sprays[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]
Many organic farmers are familiar with using sprays made from aromatic herbs to repel pests from the garden plants. Several recent studies confirm the repellent effect of such sprays. The essential oil of Sage and Thyme and the alcohol extracts such as Hyssop, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and White Clover can be used in this manner. They have been shown to reduce the number of eggs laid and the amount of feeding damage to cabbage by caterpillars of Diamond back moths and large white butterflies. Sprays made from Tansy have demonstrated a repellent effect on imported cabbageworm on cabbage, reducing the number of eggs laid on the plants. Teas made from Wormwood or Nasturtiums are reputed to repel aphids from fruit trees, and sprays made from ground or blended Catnip, Chives, Feverfew, Marigolds, or Rue have also been used by gardeners against pests that feed on leaves.
Protection Offered: Try herbal sprays against any leaf-eating pests and make note of what works for future reference.
How to Make: In General, herbal sprays are made by mashing or blending 1 to 2 cups of fresh leaves with 2 to 4 cups of water and leaving them to soak overnight. Or you can make a herbal tea by pouring the same amount of boiling water over 2 to 4 cups fresh or 1 to 2 cups dry leaves and leaving them to steep until cool. Strain the water through cheesecloth before spraying and dilute further with 2 to 4 cups water. Add a very small amount of non-detergent liquid soap (1/4 teaspoon in 1 to 2 quarts of water) to help spray stick to leaves and spread better. You can also buy commercial essential herbal oils and dilute with water to make a spray. Experiment with proportions, starting with a few drops of oil per cup of water.
How to Use: Spray plants thoroughly, especially undersides of leaves, and repeat at weekly intervals if necessary. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="](Mostly) Organic Fertilizer:[/FONT]
[FONT="]
1 can regular beer (not Lite)
1 can regular Coke (not diet)
1 cup liquid dish soap
1 cup ammonia
1 cup liquid fertilizer
Mix the above ingredients together, and take 2 oz. of that mixture and pour it into 2 gallons of water. Mix well and use a pump sprayer to spray your plants – give them a bath, spray leaves, the ground near the base, etc.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Deer Repellant:[/FONT] (to keep the deer away from your plants)
[FONT="]Add to a gallon jug with a screw top:
½ cup milk
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. liquid dish soap
3 cloves garlic, no skins
Fill the rest of the jug with water. Let it sit for 2 days. Mix well and use a pump sprayer to spray your plants every evening to start with. Once the deer have not been around for a while, you can go to every 2 days, then 3, etc.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Ants[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]To keep a pet’s food from attracting ants, set the food dish in a pie pan filled with soapy water.[/FONT]
· [FONT="]To destroy invading ant colonies, mix three cups water with one-cup sugar and four teaspoons boric acid. Loosely pack several small screw top jars half full with cotton balls, saturated with the mixture. Pierce jar lids with two to three small holes (large enough to admit ants) and screw back onto jars. Place jars in areas where ants are active but out of the reach of children and pets.
[FONT="]Aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Make a soap spray. Mix one-tablespoon dishwashing soap, such as Ivory Liquid or Shaklee’s Basic H, in one gallon of water. Test spray a few leaves of the affected plant; if no damage results, spray the whole plant.[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Make an ammonia spray by mixing one part household ammonia with seven parts water.[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Make an oil spray by stirring one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap into one cup of vegetable oil (peanut, safflower, corn, soybean, or sunflower). Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of the soap and oil blend with one-cup water, and apply to affected plants.
[FONT="]Mice[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Inexpensive snap traps from the hardware store are quite effective when deployed in large numbers. Set baited traps at two-foot intervals along the base of walls where mice run. To kill both young and old mice, set traps out twice: once to trap the adults, and then two weeks later to trap maturing young. Bait traps with peanut butter or with a small cotton ball. Mice pull at the cotton when they are collecting nesting material and so trigger the trap; unlike food baits, cotton doesn’t spoil in hot weather. To avoid leaving a telltale human odor, always wear gloves when handling traps.
[FONT="]Moles[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Dump several scoops of used cat litter into the mole’s tunnel; moles find it offensive and will leave. Don’t, however, spread cat litter near a food garden because it can carry infections harmful to humans. Protect a garden from moles with wire mesh fencing, set into a 12-inch or deeper trench, all around the bed; such a fence will also help to fend off other ground-level pests, such as rabbits or woodchucks.
[FONT="]Predator bugs[/FONT][/FONT]
· [FONT="]To attract predacious insects--the kind that eat other insects--dot your garden with sweet alyssum, asters, daisies, marigolds, sunflowers, yarrow, and members of the parsley family, such as parsley, fennel, and dill. These flowers offer the nectars and pollens that predacious bugs need to supplement their insect diet. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Rabbits[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Plant French marigolds amid rabbit delicacies, such as lettuce and carrots, in the vegetable garden. The marigolds’ strong odor repels rabbits.[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Sprinkle ground pepper around plants to repel rabbits--renew after every rain.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Slugs[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
· [FONT="]Countersink tin cans (such as tuna fish cans) in the garden and bait them with beer. Slugs are drawn to the beer, fall in, and don’t get out again. Replenish the bait beer after a rain.
[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Homemade Insecticidal Soap[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]By Annie Berthold-Bond, Care2.com Producer, Green Living Channels [/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]Doug Harp, a graphic designer friend, first alerted me to soap as an effective all-purpose pesticide when he used Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap diluted with water to kill the gypsy moths that had infested his apple trees. We were working on a project together, and I’d get faxes updating me on his kill rate (this was back before Emil), which, much to his delight, was excellent! Impressed, I made a mental note to look into insecticidal soaps, which I have since done. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]By Annie Berthold-Bond, Care2.com Producer, Green Living Channels [/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]Doug Harp, a graphic designer friend, first alerted me to soap as an effective all-purpose pesticide when he used Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap diluted with water to kill the gypsy moths that had infested his apple trees. We were working on a project together, and I’d get faxes updating me on his kill rate (this was back before Emil), which, much to his delight, was excellent! Impressed, I made a mental note to look into insecticidal soaps, which I have since done. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Simple Solution:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap has been used for centuries as an all-purpose pesticide. It disrupts insects’ cell membranes, and kills pests by dehydration. The key is not to use too much soap, or you’ll also kill the vegetation near the pests. If you follow the proportions of soap to water in the Soap Spray recipe, below, the vegetation should be fine. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap Spray [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap
1 quart water [/FONT]
[FONT="]Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, and then transfer to a spray bottle as needed. [/FONT]
[FONT="]All Purpose Pesticide Soap Spray
Strong smelling roots and spices such as garlic, onions, horseradish, ginger, rhubarb leaves, cayenne and other hot peppers, are all known to repel insects. [/FONT]
[FONT="]A handful of roots and spices
Enough boiling water to cover Soap Spray (recipe, above) [/FONT]
[FONT="]Add the roots and spices to the bottom of a mason jar. Cover with the boiling water, screw on the top, and let set overnight. Strain, and add to the Soap Spray. Note that this will rot, so use it all up or freeze leftovers for another time. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Variation: Garlic Spray
Use 1 to 2 heads garlic. Deer and rabbits hate the smell of garlic. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="][/FONT][FONT="]Simple Solution:[/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap has been used for centuries as an all-purpose pesticide. It disrupts insects’ cell membranes, and kills pests by dehydration. The key is not to use too much soap, or you’ll also kill the vegetation near the pests. If you follow the proportions of soap to water in the Soap Spray recipe, below, the vegetation should be fine. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Soap Spray [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap
1 quart water [/FONT]
[FONT="]Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, and then transfer to a spray bottle as needed. [/FONT]
[FONT="]All Purpose Pesticide Soap Spray
Strong smelling roots and spices such as garlic, onions, horseradish, ginger, rhubarb leaves, cayenne and other hot peppers, are all known to repel insects. [/FONT]
[FONT="]A handful of roots and spices
Enough boiling water to cover Soap Spray (recipe, above) [/FONT]
[FONT="]Add the roots and spices to the bottom of a mason jar. Cover with the boiling water, screw on the top, and let set overnight. Strain, and add to the Soap Spray. Note that this will rot, so use it all up or freeze leftovers for another time. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Variation: Garlic Spray
Use 1 to 2 heads garlic. Deer and rabbits hate the smell of garlic. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
