Home Made Safe Pesticides For Your Garden

Gardening

oi-Staff

By Pooja Kaushal

Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 9:16 [IST]

When you look at a well-tended garden or plant pots it gives a very satisfying feeling to the soul. Even though you are down in the dumps and not feeling good a green treatment serves as an instant uplift. To keep this greenery always green and healthy it is important to take care of the plants. Just adding fertilizers and watering does not help. When pests attack immediate action is required. The best solution is to use homemade pesticides.

NATURAL PESTICIDES FOR ECO-FRIENDLY GARDENS

All homemade pesticides for garden and pots discussed here are absolutely safe. Unlike commercial pesticides these do not pose any kind of risk to inmates and the plants also bloom with happiness. You can use these as a treatment for infected plants or can apply them regularly for precaution sake. Being absolutely natural and safe they will never cause any harm to the plant or people around it. You only need to be a little careful when using chili based solutions. Take adequate measure to cover eyes and do the same for children.

1. Soap Spray: This is by far the simplest and an all-purpose homemade pesticides spray that can be used frequently. Take two tablespoons of dishwash, six cups of water and a few drops of essential lemon or orange oil. Mix all the liquids and transfer to a spray bottle. Spray evenly on all plants making sure to cover the underside of the leaves as well. This homemade pesticide is gentle on the plants and can be prepared in a jiffy.

2. Garlic-chili Spray: Garlic is one of the most effective natural pesticide ingredients. Paired up with different ingredients it gives amazing results. Here we mix garlic with chili. You can take chili powder or fresh chilies, both will work. If using powder take on tablespoon of the chili powder and five to six garlic cloves. Crush the garlic, add the chili and pour a cup of water. Allow the mix to steep overnight. Strain and transfer to a spray bottle. You can add a teaspoon of dishwash at this stage. Add one more cup of water and spray.

3. Baking Soda: This is one of the easiest homemade pesticide for plants. Dissolve one tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of warm water. Add a few drops of neem oil and dilute with five cups of water. Transfer the mix to a spray bottle for use. This spray is best for plants affected with fungus. Before spraying make sure to remove the severely affected parts of the plant.

4. Milk Spray: When powdery mildew attack your plants turn to milk for a solution. Mix equal quantities of milk and water and spray evenly on the plant. This simple homemade pesticide for garden plants is easy to prepare and very effective in getting rid of mildew. Repeat applications thrice a week to get results.

5. Garlic-neem Oil Spray: The smell of garlic is very effective in keeping pests away. Crush 10 to 12 cloves of garlic and add cup of water. You can even blend the garlic with half a cup of water. Allow this crushed or blended garlic to sit for a day. Strain the garlic and add six cups of water to the garlic flavored water. Add a tablespoon of neem oil and transfer the mix to a spray bottle. This mix of garlic and neem is sure to keep all pests at bay.

6. Hot Pepper Spray: Hot pepper is too hot for us humans to handle and when given in concentrated form to plants no pest survives. Mix 2 tablespoons of hot pepper sauce, half a teaspoon of mild dishwash and four cups of water. Allow the mix to sit overnight and spray. This is a simple homemade pesticide and works on all kinds of plants.

7. Baby Shampoo Spray: Baby shampoo is mild and works gently on plants. Try to dissolve the shampoo and lather it. This is another simple homemade pesticide for garden use. It helps get rid of common pests, cleans the leaves and promotes growth.

8. Onion Garlic Spray: Combine the pungent smells of onion and garlic and no pest will survive. Crush one onion and ten garlic pods. Pour one cup of water and allow to steep overnight. Strain the mix through cheesecloth, transfer to a spray bottle and add six cups of water. You can also add a few drops of neem oil to increase the effectiveness. Spray on all kinds of plants, whether pest infected or not.

9. Garlic Mint Spray: Garlic is indispensable when it comes to making homemade pesticides. Take one head of garlic, four to five mint leaves with stems, and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Blend all three with a cup of water. Strain the mix and add another five cups of water. Mix a teaspoon of cooking oil to the solution and spray evenly on plants.

10. Mouthwash Spray: This may not be all that natural but is homemade nevertheless. You need to mix together two liter of water, two tablespoons of dishwash, one cup of plain Listerine and a couple of drops of essential oils. Mix well and spray on plants.

Having a green patch is always pleasing and soothing to the eyes. But to keep the green patch healthy and strong pests have to be taken care of. The best solution is to use homemade pesticides which are free of chemicals. This helps maintain a green patch using green solutions.