Pepper Spray for Plants

Take precautions when handling hot pepper spray.

Gardeners work hard to keep their gardens lush and productive, but their efforts are often undone by common garden pests. Though there are many products on the market to repel pests, some of them contain ingredients that may be harmful to the environment. Increasingly, gardeners are looking for more organic methods to repel garden pests like cabbageworms, caterpillars, aphids, mites, hornworms, rabbits and deer.

About Hot Peppers

Most hot peppers contain the chemical capsaicin, which gives the pepper its hot bite. This component is known to repel insects and animals when sprayed on plants and shrubs. Hot pepper as a repellant is inexpensive, easy and effective, and is completely organic. It will not hurt the environment or be a problem as runoff in nearby water sources.

How Hot Peppers Are Used

It can be applied on plants as a dust or a spray, though the dust form is more difficult to control. In the spray form, the pepper is usually combined with a sticky substance to keep it on the leaves of the plant.

Recipes for Hot Pepper Repellent

There are many recipes for hot pepper compounds to repel plants and animals. Some recipes combine hot pepper with garlic or onion for added effectiveness. The strong scent of the concoction quickly disperses, however.

For hot pepper spray, combine 6 peppers (fresh, not dried) ground in a blender with 6 teaspoons of oil. You can use cooking oil, mineral oil or neem oil. Add 3 tablespoons of soap, such as common dish soap or Ivory soap. Mix in 1 pint of water, adding it a little at a time. Pour mixture into a container and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes (a whole day makes for a stronger mixture). Strain enough to use immediately through cheesecloth or pantyhose material. Store the rest in a tightly-closed container and label carefully. Use 3 to 6 teaspoons for every pint of water in the sprayer. You can also add 6 chopped cloves of garlic and one minced onion for extra strength.

For hot pepper dust, you must completely dry the hot peppers. Grind as finely as you can, getting them to a fine "pepper flour" consistency. Do not open the blender until the dust has settled. You can use full strength or dilute with diatomaceous earth (which damages the exoskeleton of the insects) and pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums) in a 5-percent pepper power, 90-percent diatomaceous earth, 5-percent pyrethrum mixture.

When to Re-apply

Re-apply dust after periods of heavy winds. Hot pepper spray should be reapplied after heavy rains that will wash most of the spray off the plant.

Hot Pepper Precautions

Wear protective glasses when spraying or dusting. Wash hands thoroughly after mixing or handling. Do not touch face or eyes while working with hot pepper mixtures.