Organic Pest Control: Homemade Pest Spray
Posted by Denise in gardening tips, organic gardening, vegetablesBy keeping my plants healthy, watered and weed free I can usually control pests. But once in a while I have a pest problem or my neighbors ask for a pest control that is more organic than the store bought chemical products.
The recipe below is close to being organic and works well. I originally saw this in Organic Gardening and tried it. It works well.
4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 small jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. of Murphy’s oil soap
1 tsp. of vegetable oil
1 gallon Warm Water
- Crush the Garlic, Onion, and Pepper in a blender. Add to 1 quart of warm water and let soak for 2 hrs.
- Strain the mixture through an old pair of pantyhose into a gallon jug. Add rest of ingredients and fill rest of jug with warm water.
- Shake mixture and add to a hand held sprayer.
The pests do not like the onion, jalapeno and garlic and they will move on. The Murphy’s oil soap and vegetable oil help the spray to stay on the plants. This spray will not harm plants. I try not to use it when bees are pollinating the plants.
I myself have not used this spray in several years. My pest problem is almost non-existent and I can hand pick any bugs easily.
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Dunkirk, NY
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A welcome addition to inexpensive and smart gardening that doesn’t hurt the environment.
Hi Chris,
Living close to a creek I don’t believe in using chemicals in the gardens or yard. Its convenient to mix up a cheap spray too. Denise
Hi all thanks for the recipe, just wondering is it safe for all garden plants?
I have never heard from anyone who used it that it wasn’t. Often times if it’s being used on a new plant water it down to see how the plant reacts. Some plants are more tender than others. You could test a leaf too if you had some concern about the spray. Denise
[...] Other insect controls are a homemade insect spray. [...]
Would this recipe also keep deer from eating plants.
A spray with garlic will help to a degree to keep deer at bay but dried blood work very well and is beneficial the the soil.
For deer I use windchimes that make noise, cloth pieces tied in trees (apple trees in particular) or a radio turned on the make them believe humans are near. I piece of clothing or dog hair also works well.
Deer are very determined and depending on the plants they are bothering, how close to the house they are coming and hoe bad the problem is will determine what actions you need to take.
I gave up with my one garden and fenced it! Denise