Can you please tell me how or if I can use regular garlic from the super market to keep beetles off of my roses?
Donna
Donna, When combined with mineral oil and pure soap, garlic is said to become both an effective insecticide and fungicide. Use it to help control the following:
Some gardeners have reported that Garlic oil is not very effective on adult Asian Beetles. I'm not sure how well, or if, it works at all on Japanese Beetles. Garlic oil does not kill insects selectively (meaning it kills beneficials, too), so take care as to how and where you apply it.
To make your own, soak 3 ounces of minced garlic in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 hours. Then mix it with 1 pint of water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. This mixture can be stored as your concentrate. When you are ready to use it, add 1-2 tablespoons of your concentrate to a pint of water to make your spray. Dish soap and oil can both cause damage to leaves and petals that may not show up until 2-3 days after you spray. For this reasons, test your mixture on a small, inconspicuous area before you cover your roses thoroughly.
Good luck!
Ellen
About The Author: Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com
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To make garlic tea, liquefy 3-4 bulbs of garlic in a blender 1/2 to 2/3 full of water. Strain the solids and add enough water to the garlic juice to make 1 gallon of concentrate. Use 1/4 cup of concentrate per gallon of spray. Add 2 T of blackstrap molasses as a sticker.
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