Q: My husband would like a recipe for making his own bug killer to use on tomatoes, potatoes and hostas. He would like a spray on pesticide if there is one available. Thank you so much.
Barb Zone: 4a
barbo37 from Fairview, MI
A: Barbo37,
There are many variations of this floating around in print and on the web, but here is another good all around recipe for repelling bugs:
1 cup liquid dish soap (or Murphy's Oil Soap or baby shampoo)
1 cup tobacco tea (3 fingers of chewing tobacco in a nylon stocking and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark in color)
1 cup antiseptic mouthwash
1/4 cup of Tabasco Sauce (or substitute chopped hot peppers)
Mix these ingredients in a 20-gallon hose end sprayer, filling the rest of the sprayer with water, and spray your plants. You can also reduce these measurements down to proportions that suit a hand held spray bottle. Slugs and snails love hosta, but they detest crossing sharp surfaces because it causes them injury. Prevent them from climbing up hosta plants by sprinkling eggshells or diatomaeous earth around the base. Round sandpaper disks also work well for this purpose. Cut a slit in used disks and wrap them around stems.
Good Luck!
Ellen
About The Author: Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! 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
I can't remember where I got these but I hope they help!
Print out these five standby remedies for yard and garden, including a natural fungicide for mildew and black spot:
Simple Soap Solution 2 Tbs. soap flakes 2 litre warm water Dissolve soap flakes in water and apply directly to infested areas every 5-7 days. Note: Too much soap can cause burning on plants. Pests affected: aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies.
Garlic Oil Spray 10-15 cloves of minced garlic 2 tsp. mineral oil 600 ml water 1 tsp. liquid dish soap Soak garlic in mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain garlic out and add 600 ml water and 1 tsp. liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly. Spray plants with this solution. Pests affected: Aphids, spider ites, and whiteflies
Fungicide for Mildew and Black Spot 1 tsp. baking soda 1 litre water 1 tsp. soap flakes Dissolve baking soda in 1 litre of warm water. Add soap flakes to help solution cling to leaves. Remove infected leaves from plant, then spray top and bottom of remaining leaf surfaces to control spread of the disease.
Sticky Traps 1-2 Tbsp. Vaseline or preferably, Unpetroleum Jelly 4x8 plastic cards or cardboard Waterproof yellow paint Apply paint onto both sides of the card and let it dry. Once the paint is dry, apply Unpetroleum Jelly liberally over both sides of the card. Place the card just above the plant canopy. Pests controlled:Flying pests, such as fungus gnats, and whiteflies.
Sowbug Traps 1 small plastic container with lid 2 Tbsp. cornmeal Cut a small hole at the base of the container, large enough and close enough to the bottom to allow sowbugs to climb in. Place cornmeal in container. Place container into area infested with sowbugs. After feeding on the cornmeal, the bugs will drink and then explode! (Replace cornmeal frequently.)
Put 3 chopped onions, 4 chopped garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and half a litre of water in a liquidizing blender. Whirl at high speed until thoroughly blended and liquid. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of pure soap in half a litre of water and mix the two liquids together. Store in a tightly sealed glass bottle, label and keep out of the reach of children. This is particularly effective against scale, thrips, mites and aphids.
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