Garlic - Pepper Spray ....

[vja4Him]

I'm hoping that I can go completely organic to fight the bugs ....

I've tried Sevin-5 and others, and I think those chemicals have made me sick! Also, I like to be able to go out and pick anything I want from my garden anytime I want.

Sometimes I like to pick stuff, like fresh Peas, Curly Mustard Greens (spicy hot!!!), Radishes, Beans, and eat without even washing.

Has anyone tried using Garlic-Pepper (hot pepper) spray! I've been having a terrible infestation of bugs (green, white, black, red, brown), mostly on the underside of my greens (Mustard, Turnip, Beet, Collards, Swiss Chard, Chinese Cabbage, Kale).

Also, something is eating my Cantaloupe and Cucumber seedlings, killing most of the new plants before they get a chance to mature. I almost lost all of my Potatoes, until I sprinkled Sevin-5, which seemed to have saved my Potatoes. Fortunately I won't be eating the Potatoes for another several months, but now that deadly poison has soaked into the ground ... !!!

Just how effective is Garlic-Pepper spray?

Does it matter much if you add something, like Mineral Oil, or Dish Soap? I just made up another batch of Garlic-Pepper spray and soaked it in two teaspoons of Mineral Oil, then let it steep over night. Strained it today and put in two containers, which are in the fridge.

I've tried just plain Dish Soap mixed with water (nothing else), and that didn't seem to be much good.

I'm wondering how often I can use the Garlic-Pepper mixture to spray on my plants ....

I've also prepared a mixture of Tomato leaves (nothing else), but haven't applied it yet. I've checked my Corn really good, and there doesn't seem to be any problems with my Corn ....

Is the Tomato spray good for any/all plants ... ???

Should I add some Mineral Oil or Dish Soap to the Tomato leaves mixture?

 

[digitS']

I may not have any answers to your questions but let me just start by saying that I think the garlic/pepper spray is supposed to be a repellant not an insecticide.

It is always best to know what bugs are causing the damage before spraying. Kassaundra has an interesting post and some great photographs! I hope you have had a chance to look at those.

Aphids are quite easy to kill with soap but I only use dishsoap on sunflowers in the veggie garden. Safer brand insecticidal soap is what I use to kill aphids on the veggies. You have to be careful not to damage the plants and I feel a little safer using a soap formulated for the purpose. On the sunflowers, I use 3 tablespoons of Palmolive Green (non-concentrated) in a gallon of water. That dilution is recommended by Colorado State University and I am usually able to get back to the plants the next morning to rinse them with water.

Keep in mind that some of these things are supposed to kill the bugs. You can't always drive them away or even repel them. What you use to kill them doesn't have to be a powerful synthetic, however. Some organic choices available are not supposed to be toxic to higher animals (like us) and isn't that good?!

Some insecticides are used to kill fleas on dogs and cats. I think I'm more comfortable using something like that than some of the others.

Soap and water - those are good choices for some of the pests. And, my grandmother told us kids that we weren't supposed to be afraid of soap and water!

Steve

 

[karldion]

I really agree man that pepper spray is kinda supposed to be a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defence, including defence against dogs and bears.

 

[Sunsaver]

I have been gardening 100% organically for 17 years. I have found that very strong soapy water will kill ALL insects, including: cockroaches, wasps, squash bugs, ants, hornets, house flies, moths, grasshoppers, mosquitos, beatles of every type, and any other insect with an exoskeleton.
Sorry to make organic pest control so simple and easy. Just mix 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap (Dawn works good) with each gallon of water. Use a hand sprayer or pump-up sprayer to coat the infected area. Wait 5 minutes for all insects to die. Then use a garden hose to wash the soap off of all the leaves of your veggie or flower plants. Once you realize how easy and effective this method is, you'll never mess with toxic chemicals again.
Try it and see. I promise that it works.

 

[chris09]

I have been gardening 100% organically for 17 years. I have found that very strong soapy water will kill ALL insects, including: cockroaches, wasps, squash bugs, ants, hornets, house flies, moths, grasshoppers, mosquitos, beatles of every type, and any other insect with an exoskeleton.
Sorry to make organic pest control so simple and easy. Just mix 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap (Dawn works good) with each gallon of water. Use a hand sprayer or pump-up sprayer to coat the infected area. Wait 5 minutes for all insects to die. Then use a garden hose to wash the soap off of all the leaves of your veggie or flower plants. Once you realize how easy and effective this method is, you'll never mess with toxic chemicals again.
Try it and see. I promise that it works.

Why when you are trying to be Organic would you use a Petroleum-based soap like Dawn?
Also Dawn has added degreasers and antibacterial ingredients to their products that can me more harmful to the plant than the pest it's self.


Chris