Organic Pesticide

I believe that everyone who grows every kind of plants must ever have the problem about the pesticide invading your garden. Me, too. About 3-4 days in a week, I have to kill the small plant louse or aphids in my garden. However, I don't want to use the chemical pesticide neither as it's not friendly environment. My solution is to use the organic pesticide whose ingredient you can in your kitchen or house. The organic pesticide can control the pest when you use it often and the situation in the garden is not severe and you use. In case the situation is beyond control, I'll suggest you to use the commerical pesticide and use the organic one later.

1. Tobacco or Nicotine Spray:
This mixture is great for combating many different types of bugs, but especially caterpillars, aphids, and many types of those nasty worms.
1 cup of tobacco

1 gallon of water

Put the tobacco into the container of water. Allow the mixture to set for approximately 24 hours. After it has stood for a day, check the color. It should be the shade of weak tea. If it is too dark, just dilute it with water until it looks right.

*** Don't use this solution on peppers, tomotoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family. Tobacco chemicals can kill these types of plants!

2. Soap Spray (My favorite)

Another way to stop the slugs is with soapy water. Collect some of the water in a pan and pour it into a watering can or even use a pitcher to pour it over the plants. This works really well on hostas and mums, but also can be used on other hardy plants. Many bugs do not like their lunch spoiled by a soapy aftertaste!

For a stronger solution, mix 3 Tablespoons of liquid detergent into a gallon of water, I prefer Dawn, but any will do. Use this weekly in the evening otherwise the leaves will get burned.

3. Garlic Spray:

Here is the recipe for a garlic spray that fights slugs too. To make this smelly spray, use the following list of ingredients:

1 garlic bulb

1 quart of water

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

Crush the garlic, mincing it fine. Add finely chopped onion to the mixture, while adding the rest of the ingredients except the soap. Wait an hour before adding the soap to the mixture. The spicy ingredients must sort of stew or steep, almost like tea. After an hour, add the soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use! This can be stored in the fridge for a week.

4. Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray:

This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list!

1/2 cup of red peppers (hot)

water (read below)

1/2 cup of fresh spearmint

1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves)

2 tablespoons of liquid detergent

1/2 cup green onion tops

Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.

5. Buttermilk and Flour Spray:

Garlic spray is great for getting rid of cutworms, wireworms, whiteflies, and slugs too.

What you need:

1 pint of water

1/4 cup of dish liquid

2 teaspoons of paraffin

6 tablespoons of chopped garlic

Soak the whole garlic in the liquid paraffin for at least 24 hours. After a day, add the dish liquid and water to the mixture. Remember to shake it very well. Strain the solution and store it in a glass jar. This lasts around a week.

Tips to control pests in the organic ways

1. Learn about the plants and the weeds and bugs that affect them.

2. Choose the right plants. Plant native species whenever possible. Native plants are better protected by their own “immune systems” and their relationships with other plants and animals in the area. You may also look for plants that are pest-resistant.

3. Diversifying the garden with a variety of plants will help the plants protect each other from pests. For example, small flowered plants like daisies, mint, and rosemary attract many insects that eat the pests. Check with a local garden shop or nursery for recommendations.

4. Maintain healthy, fertile soil by rotating your plants, adding compost, and mulching.

4. Plant early to avoid the worst bug season.

5. Allow growth of the pests' natural predators. Ladybugs, ground beetles, and birds eat many pests, and fungi and moss can infect the pests naturally. Spraying chemicals often kills the beneficial bugs too.

6. Get out there and work with your hands! A hoe, spade, and your hands are the best tools to combat weeds. Getting close to your plants will help you identify problems and remove pests and damaged plants by hand. Pruning plants helps remove diseased parts, leaving the plant's nutrients for the healthy parts. Always prune back to a main branch or stem; leaving "stubs" opens a door for pests.

7. Keep a garden journal in which you record when you see pests, what they look like, what they have done to the plants, and the actions taken. In this way, you will learn what works and what doesn't while experimenting with new techniques.

8. What's That Smell? Grow herbaceous plants herb aceous plant whose stem is soft and green and shows little growth of wood. The term is used to distinguish such plants from woody plants. that naturally repel pests. One of another solution is to grow garlic around roses. Aphids hate the stuff, and it will go a long way in deterring them. Other insect deterrents that you might try are marigolds and citronellacitronella, a fragrant grass, the source of a volatile oil used in perfumes and insect repellents.

9. Create a Bird Sanctuarybird sanctuary: see wildlife refuge. Use feeders, baths, and nest boxes to attract birds into your yard. Not only will garden pests diminish, but you'll also have the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of these welcome visitors.

10. When all else fails, use barriers like chicken wire to protect your prize tomatoes— try drenching mine with hot pepper spray and the rabbits attacking them just laughed.

11. Know the rodents and other animals that might visit your garden; visit your local USDA extension for information.

Source : www.thegreenguide.com and www.organicgardenpests.com