Organic Pest Control

VGary · May 20, 2009

My dear friend, Bill, is 91 years young and puts in eight hours a day at his repair shop. I always share five or six tomato seedlings with him each spring. He has a large Rhubarb row and always invites me to help myself. Yesterday I made my delivery, pulled the Rhubarb and saved the leaves which are poisonous, I had read sometime ago that you could make a tea with the leaves to spray for insects on plants.
The directions for making the Rhubarb Tea and other Tea suggestions are listed below. Several weeks ago I made Garlic Tea for some plants which were looking poorly. In only a few days they were looking good! I don't know if this is a complete solution for your plants but it beats the cost of the commercial sprays.
Happy Gardening without the pests!
Gary

Organic Pest Control

You can take preventative measures before an infestation happens. An approach that is more common is the use of insecticide sprays. One effective and popular product is Soap-Shield, though most any insecticide spray works well. If you prefer a cost-effective route, homemade remedies such as mint tea, rhubarb tea, buttermilk, plant juice, and alcohol can be formulated into sprays to kill, prevent, and repel insects.

Here are some recipes for home-remedies.

Mint Tea Spray – Boil mint tea bags, strain tea juice and add two parts water in a spray bottle.

Spray the solution directly on infested areas and around topsoil.

Rhubarb Tea Spray – Boil tea and rhubarb together, strain tea juice and add two parts water in spray bottle. Spray the solution directly on infested areas and around topsoil.

Buttermilk Spray – Add two cups buttermilk with four cups wheat flour to five gallons water. Pour into spray bottle, spraying infested areas.

Plant Juice – Take infected leaves and extract the juices, then mix with one or two parts water to make a spray solution. Spray the solution directly on infested areas.

Alcohol Spray – Mix four parts water with three parts rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture around topsoil and infested areas.

When using an insecticidal or homemade spray to rid an infestation, be sure to use continually for about five days. If used as a continued preventative, spray around topsoil and leaves once a week.

Additional information with recipes may be found at the Link below.
Organic Pest Control
https://secure2.dedicatedhosting.com...t_control.html

Blueaussi · May 21, 2009

You know, even organic sprays kill beneficial insects. I try to avoid spraying at all, and the abundance of life I see in my garden rewards me. Yes, I lose a few plants, but I'd rather lose them than harm my tree frogs or toads or ladybugs or garter snakes.

I'm always on the hunt for ways to kill the bad guys and not harm the good, mind you; but the reality is that by not spraying I'm going to lose some plants.

May 20, 2009	#1
VGary Tomatoville Honoree Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 460	Organic Pest Control My dear friend, Bill, is 91 years young and puts in eight hours a day at his repair shop. I always share five or six tomato seedlings with him each spring. He has a large Rhubarb row and always invites me to help myself. Yesterday I made my delivery, pulled the Rhubarb and saved the leaves which are poisonous, I had read sometime ago that you could make a tea with the leaves to spray for insects on plants. The directions for making the Rhubarb Tea and other Tea suggestions are listed below. Several weeks ago I made Garlic Tea for some plants which were looking poorly. In only a few days they were looking good! I don't know if this is a complete solution for your plants but it beats the cost of the commercial sprays. Happy Gardening without the pests! Gary Organic Pest Control You can take preventative measures before an infestation happens. An approach that is more common is the use of insecticide sprays. One effective and popular product is Soap-Shield, though most any insecticide spray works well. If you prefer a cost-effective route, homemade remedies such as mint tea, rhubarb tea, buttermilk, plant juice, and alcohol can be formulated into sprays to kill, prevent, and repel insects. Here are some recipes for home-remedies. Mint Tea Spray – Boil mint tea bags, strain tea juice and add two parts water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution directly on infested areas and around topsoil. Rhubarb Tea Spray – Boil tea and rhubarb together, strain tea juice and add two parts water in spray bottle. Spray the solution directly on infested areas and around topsoil. Buttermilk Spray – Add two cups buttermilk with four cups wheat flour to five gallons water. Pour into spray bottle, spraying infested areas. Plant Juice – Take infected leaves and extract the juices, then mix with one or two parts water to make a spray solution. Spray the solution directly on infested areas. Alcohol Spray – Mix four parts water with three parts rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture around topsoil and infested areas. When using an insecticidal or homemade spray to rid an infestation, be sure to use continually for about five days. If used as a continued preventative, spray around topsoil and leaves once a week. Additional information with recipes may be found at the Link below. Organic Pest Control https://secure2.dedicatedhosting.com...t_control.html __________________ *"We believe we mere debtors to God in relation to each other and all men, to improve our Time and Talents in this Life, in that manner in which we might be most useful." Shaker Covenant 1795*

May 21, 2009	#2
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	You know, even organic sprays kill beneficial insects. I try to avoid spraying at all, and the abundance of life I see in my garden rewards me. Yes, I lose a few plants, but I'd rather lose them than harm my tree frogs or toads or ladybugs or garter snakes. I'm always on the hunt for ways to kill the bad guys and not harm the good, mind you; but the reality is that by not spraying I'm going to lose some plants.