So often the home garden pest control remedies work as well or better than the chemical counterparts, and with the added bonus that with these formulas made of kitchen cupboard ingredients, you don’t need to worry about poisoning yourself, your pets, or your garden! Here are some standby remedies for yard and garden, including a natural fungicide for mildew and black spot:
Simple Biodegradable Soap Solution
1/4 tsp biodegradable detergent
2 litre warm water
Dissolve soap 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
1/4 tsp. Biodegradable soap
Dissolve baking soda in 1 litre of warm water
Add soap 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.
Spray milk on cucumbers and zucchini and it kills mildew
Milk has the makings of an ideal fungicide for protecting organically grown cucumbers and other vegetables, according to researchers in Brazil. It attacks a mould known as powdery mildew, which is a major problem for organic farmers scrambling to meet the growing demand for chemical-free vegetables.
Sticky Traps
1-2 Tbsp. Vaseline or preferably, Unpetroleum Jelly
4”x8” 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.)
Adapted from A Year on The Garden Path, by Carolyn Herriot
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Homemade Soft Scrub Cleanser:
1/2 Cup - 1 Cup Baking Soda
Add just enough biodegradable detergent for some foaming action, and mix it up.
Apply it with a sponge and rinse it off.
Mold Killers and Disinfectants
There are many essential oils, such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even though they aren’t registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). A grapefruit seed extract spray can be made by adding 20 drops of extract to a quart of water.
Homemade Natural Paints:
Flour Paint (From Mother Earth News)
Flour paint is among the simplest and most versatile of all homemade paints. It can be applied to most interior surfaces, and the proportions don’t have to be as exact as for other kinds of paint. You can use many types of grain flour as the binder, but wheat flour is the most common choice.
Flour paint typically uses clay as the filler, but any combination of finely ground inert materials, such as chalk, mica, marble, limestone or silica will work. If you want a textured surface, use more coarsely screened materials. Just make sure you’ll still be able to apply the finished product with a brush!
Flour paint is too thick for use with a roller, and it tends to be hard on brushes. Choose inexpensive brushes with natural bristles — nothing fancy — and stock up. When first applying flour paint, the brush marks will be evident. To remove the marks, wait until the paint has begun to dry and smooth over with a damp sponge or clean, damp brush. Going over the surface again when the paint has become leathery will also help reveal the mica or other filler.
Basic Flour Paint
Yields 1 1/2 quarts
1 cup flour
5 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup screened clay filler (clay can be purchased in a wide variety of colors)
1/2 cup additional powder filler, such as mica
Mix flour with 2 cups cold water, whisking to remove lumps.
Bring 11/2 cups water to boil, then add the flour water from Step 1.
Turn heat to low, stirring until thick paste develops. Remove from heat.
Dilute the paste with 2 cups water, a little at a time.
In a separate work bowl, combine clay with powder filler.
Add filler mixture to diluted flour paste until desired consistency is achieved.
1/2 Cup - 1 Cup Baking Soda
Add just enough biodegradable detergent for some foaming action, and mix it up.
Apply it with a sponge and rinse it off.
Mold Killers and Disinfectants
There are many essential oils, such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even though they aren’t registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). A grapefruit seed extract spray can be made by adding 20 drops of extract to a quart of water.
Homemade Natural Paints:
Flour Paint (From Mother Earth News)
Flour paint is among the simplest and most versatile of all homemade paints. It can be applied to most interior surfaces, and the proportions don’t have to be as exact as for other kinds of paint. You can use many types of grain flour as the binder, but wheat flour is the most common choice.
Flour paint typically uses clay as the filler, but any combination of finely ground inert materials, such as chalk, mica, marble, limestone or silica will work. If you want a textured surface, use more coarsely screened materials. Just make sure you’ll still be able to apply the finished product with a brush!
Flour paint is too thick for use with a roller, and it tends to be hard on brushes. Choose inexpensive brushes with natural bristles — nothing fancy — and stock up. When first applying flour paint, the brush marks will be evident. To remove the marks, wait until the paint has begun to dry and smooth over with a damp sponge or clean, damp brush. Going over the surface again when the paint has become leathery will also help reveal the mica or other filler.
Basic Flour Paint
Yields 1 1/2 quarts
1 cup flour
5 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup screened clay filler (clay can be purchased in a wide variety of colors)
1/2 cup additional powder filler, such as mica
Mix flour with 2 cups cold water, whisking to remove lumps.
Bring 11/2 cups water to boil, then add the flour water from Step 1.
Turn heat to low, stirring until thick paste develops. Remove from heat.
Dilute the paste with 2 cups water, a little at a time.
In a separate work bowl, combine clay with powder filler.
Add filler mixture to diluted flour paste until desired consistency is achieved.
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SIMPLE NATURAL SOLUTIONS
