INDEPTH: PESTICIDES
Pesticide recipes
CBC News Online | May 23, 2003
| HOMEMADE ORGANIC PESTICIDE RECIPES
AND NATURAL REMEDIES: |
There are lots of organic pesticides now available at lawn and garden centres, but many can be made easily at home. While these natural mixtures are biodegradable, use them sparingly, since they will kill the good bugs such as spiders and ladybugs, along with the bad ones.
Rhubarb insecticide
Boil 500 grams of rhubarb leaves in a few pints of water for about 20 minutes, allow to cool, then strain the liquid into a suitable container. Add some dish detergent or soap flakes (not laundry detergent!) and spray on leaves to kill off all kinds of bugs like aphids and spider mites. * NOTE: Rhubarb leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid. If ingested, your heart will stop and you will die.
Garlic and soap insecticide
Pulverize in a blender a couple of whole cayenne peppers, a large onion and a whole bulb of garlic with a little water. Cover this mash with a gallon of water, let stand 24 hours and strain. Spray daily on roses, azaleas, and vegetables to kill an infestation of bugs. Don't throw away the mash; bury it among the plants where insects occur.
All-purpose weed killer
Boil a litre of water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and 5 tablespoons of vinegar. Pour directly on weeds on sidewalks, driveways, etc. while still hot.
Animal repellent sprays
Cats: two parts cayeene power, three parts dry mustard powder, five parts flour and add sufficient water.
Dogs: mix together one garlic, one medium onion, one litre water and 15 ml Tobasco sauce.
Squirrels: blend together 15 ml Tobasco sauce and chili powder, 5 litres water and a dash of dish soap.
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| USING NATURE AGAINST NATURE: |
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Problem | Solution / Recipe |
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aphids, June beetles, fungus diseases |
Rhubarb Spray: steep 6 rhubarb leaves in 2.3 - 3.4 litres boiling water.
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chewing/sucking insects
mildew, leaf spot, rust, spore disease | Garlic Spray: steep 3 cloves of garlic, 1 medium onion and 1 tsp hot pepper in 1 litre water for 10 minutes; strain. |
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white flies | Mullein Spray: steep 1 part mashed mullein (a common herb) leaves with five parts water. |
| spider mites, cabbage worms | Salt Solution: mix 28 grams table salt in 4.5 litres of water |
| potato blight, Black Spot, yellowing tomato leaves | Manure Tea: 1/2 a commercial bag of manure or 1 mesh onion bag full of old manure and straw steeped in a large plastic garbage can half full of water.
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| HELPFUL PLANTS: |
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Plant | Companion | Advantages |
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Basil | Tomato | improves growth, flavour; repels flies and mosquitoes |
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Garlic | Roses, Raspberries | improves growth;deters Japanese beetle |
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Lamb's Quarter | throughout garden, near corn | trap for aphids |
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Marigolds, esp. Mexican, African and French | throughout garden | discourages Mexican beetles, nematodes and other insects |
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Mint | Cabbage, Tomato | improves health; deters white cabbage moth |
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Nasturtium | Radish, Cabbage and other fruit trees | trap for aphids; deters squash bugs and striped pumpkin beetles |
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Wormwood | in perennial border | deters small animals and flea beetle
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