How to Make a Pepper Spray for Plants

Many insects and pests are deterred by the scent of hot peppers.

It can be frustrating to see your garden overtaken by insects and rodents. Some pests will eat away at your plants, causing them to die. There are a variety of commercial insecticides on the market that can be used to kill and deter insects from plants. These products often contain toxic ingredients that are dangerous for people and the environment. Make a homemade pepper-spray insect deterrent for a safe, nontoxic way to get rid of unwanted pests.

Things You'll Need

• 6 hot peppers
• Blender
• Water
• Container with a lid
• Cheesecloth
• 1-qt. pitcher
• Spoon
• Clean, empty spray bottle
• Funnel
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 ½ tbsp. cayenne pepper powder

Instructions

Recipe 1

1. Place six hot peppers into a blender. Jalapenos, cayenne, habaneros or any other type of hot pepper will work fine. The hotter the pepper the more effective the spray.

2. Add 2 cups of water to the blender. Mix the ingredients in the blender on high speed for about 2 minutes. Pour the contents into a container with a lid and set aside for one day.

3. Pour the pepper and water mixture through a piece of cheesecloth laid over a 1-qt. pitcher. This will remove any chunks from the mixture and leave only liquid.

4. Fill the 1-qt. pitcher to the top with water. Stir the ingredients with a spoon to thoroughly combine.

5. Transfer the mixture to a clean, empty spray bottle. Use a funnel to make transfer easy and less messy.

Recipe 2

1. Grind up five cloves of garlic in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder. Transfer the garlic to a large container with a lid.

2. Add 1 ½ tbsp. of hot cayenne pepper powder to the garlic. Pour 3 cups hot water into the bowl. Stir the ingredients with a spoon to thoroughly combine.

3. Secure the lid on the container. Set the mixture aside to stew for three days.

4. Pour the mixture through cheesecloth situated over another container to remove any large chunks. Use a funnel to transfer the mixture into a clean, empty spray bottle.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray the plants early in the morning or late in the evening. Do not spray if the temperature is above 80 degrees as this may cause burning to your plants.

• Test the spray on a small portion of the plant and wait 24 hours. This will let you know if your plant will have a negative reaction to the pepper spray.

• Wear protective eye and face gear when spraying with the hot pepper spray. These sprays can cause skin, eye and mucous membrane irritation.

• It is not necessary to spray the pepper spray directly onto your plants. If you would prefer, spray the areas surrounding the plants. This will create a barrier that pests will not want to cross to get to the plants.

• If you spray the mixture on edible herbs, fruits or vegetables, be sure to wash them thoroughly with soap and water before eating.

References

• Container Gardening Club: A Natural Insect Repellent For Your Home Vegetable Garden
• The Gardeners Network: Organic Insect Repellents, and Organic Disease Control Spray Recipes
• Golden Harvest Organics: Insect Treatments

Resources

• Read this Article in Portuguese