Bug Spray Concentrate
•3 unpeeled garlic heads (yes, that’s heads not cloves)
•3 oz liquid paraffin found in craft and/or hardware stores
•1 tablespoon grated oil based soap (Ivory Snow ® is good)
•2 cups hot water
Crush the garlic heads and add to the paraffin in a small bowl and let stand for 24 hours. Melt the soap in hot water (do this in a pan or bowl that you will never use for cooking as the residue will stay with the pan and make everything taste like soap). Allow this mixture to cool and add to the garlic mixture. Mix well and strain into a glass jar. Store this mixture in the refrigerator. When ready to use dilute 4 tablespoons of the concentrate in 4 pints of water. Spray every two weeks or after a heavy rain. The concentrate will last in the refrigerator about 4 to 5 weeks.
The next spray will deter and kill whiteflies, mites, aphids and scale.
Murphy's Spray
•¼ c Murphy’s Oil Soap ®
•1 gallon water
Combine in a large container and transfer into a spray bottle to spray both the top and bottom of leaves and stems, but make sure you do this when the sun is not shining brightly or the leaves will burn (the soap attracts the sun’s rays). A good time to do this is on an overcast day or during dusk. Apply weekly or after a heavy rain while the infestation continues. You can store what you don’t use in a dark, dry area.
The following will get rid of slugs and snails in your garden.
Slug and Snail Remedy
Place crushed egg shells or construction sand around the base of plants that are being nibbled on by slugs or snails. They don’t like the abrasiveness of these materials and won’t go near the plants. Remember to replace the sand after a heavy rain.
This spray will control fungal diseases:
Homemade Fungicide
•2 tablespoons baking soda
•1 quart of water
Combine and pour into a spray container. Spray affected areas every few days until the problem is gone.
Insects will attack sick plants. Therefore, any plant that is affected with a fungal disease is prime game for insects. This next solution will control fungal diseases and deter insects:
Combination Insect Repellant and Fungicide
•1 Tablespoon cooking oil
•2 Tablespoons baking soda
•2 drops liquid Ivory Soap ®
•1 quart water
Combine and pour into a spray container. Apply every few days until the problem is gone.
Your family might think you’re making a salad but instead you are scaring deer and other animals out of your garden.
Red Pepper Spray
•1 unpeeled onion
•1 unpeeled head of garlic
•1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
•3 pints of water
Chop the onion and garlic and combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes. This should give your kitchen an eye-watering scent (have tissues ready). Cool and strain into mason jars which can be kept in the refrigerator for about 6 weeks. To use dilute 1 tablespoon of this concentrate with 1 pint of water. You might want to add 1 teaspoon of Ivory Snow and spray every week or after a heavy rain.
Give these natural garden remedies a try before reaching for the chemicals. They just might work and won’t harm birds, bees, and other creatures that live in your yard and garden that you want to have around.
Read more at Suite101: Is Your Garden Really Green?: How to Make Your Own Garden Pest Sprays http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/is_your_garden_really_green#ixzz0pC4tpTvs
Make Homemade Organic Garden Pesticide
Brew Natural Pest Control Products for Flower and Vegetable Plants
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Mar 9, 2009 Jamie McIntosh
Natural pesticides are cheap and easy to make for the organic garden. Supplement your gardening supplies with these homemade pest controls.
Since organic gardening has changed from a novelty to a commonplace way to grow ornamental and edible plants, manufacturers have responded to gardeners’ demands for effective but natural pest control products. These organic garden remedies are no longer exclusive to specialty nurseries and mail order catalogs; instead, one can purchase a range of nontoxic garden supplies at neighborhood discount or home improvement stores.
However, some organic lawn and garden treatments come with a premium price tag. Furthermore, the DIY organic gardener appreciates tweaking homemade garden remedies for recalcitrant pests that seem immune to the ready-to-use products sold on shelves. Gardeners can turn to their pantries, gardens, and even the pests themselves to create potent plant remedies and cures for pennies.
Homemade Insect Soap
Insect soaps are available in any organic gardening aisle, but gardeners can make a homemade garden spray that’s just as effective for aphids, caterpillars, and mites. Combine three drops of mild dishwashing liquid in one quart of water. An added tablespoon of cooking oil helps the mixture cling to leaves. Spray plants to the point of drenching, but don’t use on blossoms or when temperatures are over 80 degrees F to prevent scorching the plants.
Homemade Tobacco Bug Spray
Everyone is familiar with the negative health effects of cigarettes, but the nicotine in tobacco is poisonous to all kinds of insects as well. Gather enough cigarette butts to harvest ¼ cup of tobacco leaves. Place these in a sock, and soak them in a quart of water overnight. Avoid using this homemade insect spray on eggplant and tomato plants, as tobacco can harbor the mosaic virus.
Hot Pepper Bug Repellent
Even for gardeners without a penchant for spicy foods, it’s worth adding a row of hot chili pepper plants to the garden for their bug repelling effects. Place a handful of dried hot peppers in the food processor, seeds and all, and grind to dust. Take care not to get the dust on the skin or eyes. Sprinkle around garden plants to repel ants and onion maggots.
Rubbing Alcohol Bug Spray
Rubbing alcohol quickly desiccates the bodies of soft sucking pests like aphids, mealy bugs, and thrips. However, it can also damage plant tissues, so gardeners should use alcohol sparingly in the garden. Dab a cotton swab soaked with rubbing alcohol directly on the pests, taking care to avoid the plant. Plants with waxy leaves may tolerate a dilute alcohol spray of one-cup alcohol mixed with a quart of water.
Bug Juice Spray
Gardeners may be repulsed yet fascinated to learn that one can make a natural bug spray out of the pests themselves. No one is exactly sure why pests are their own worst enemies when applied to plants, but researchers speculate the presence of an anti-cannibalism mechanism or a chemical that inhibits insect feeding. Gather enough of the offending pests to fill at least a teaspoon, and pulverize them with the back of a spoon. Place the mashed bugs in cheesecloth, and soak in two cups of water overnight. For best results, use the bug juice within three days.
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