Homemade Insect Spray for Garden Food

Organic gardening methods are not only better for the environment; they're also safer when you eventually eat your garden crop. If you make your organic gardening sprays and fertilizers at home, they can be much cheaper than items purchased in the store. To get rid of insects, you have a few options for homemade sprays to get the job done.

Using Homemade Sprays

When using a homemade garden spray, put it in a spray bottle that has not been used for other chemicals to avoid contaminating your plants. Spray the top and bottom leaf surfaces to provide the maximum protection for your plants. Allow the sprays to dry on the leaves before watering the plants from above again. The idea is to leave a residue on the leaves that will discourage insects from eating them. Adding soap to any blend also helps the ingredients to stick to the leaves.

Garlic Spray

Vampires don't like garlic, and neither do many insects. To make a simple repellent spray, mince a whole bulb of garlic and soak the pulp in water for one to two days. Strain the garlic out of the water, and add a teaspoon of dish soap. Mix thoroughly and put in spray bottle. Spray on leaves until well moistened.

Red Pepper Spray

Red pepper is an irritant to insects and animals that might try to eat your garden plants. Mix up a spicy cocktail to discourage them. Add four tablespoons of Tabasco or a similar red pepper hot sauce to a quart of water along with a teaspoon of dish soap. Blend well and spray onto plants.

Citrus Spray

A great option for deterring aphids and other pests is a citrus spray. Place one large orange rind or two to three lemon or lime rinds in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the rinds and allow them to sit overnight. Strain the rinds from the water and add a teaspoon of dish soap.

Your Own Recipe

You can experiment with adding your own ingredients to water to make your own variation on these sprays. Other possible ingredients include onion, hot chili peppers like jalapenos, lavender (an insect repellent) and even the crushed bodies of some of the problem insects that you have collected from the garden. This last ingredient sounds repulsive, but is actually cited by many organic gardeners as a successful pest control tool. As you can see from the recipes provided here, the procedure is similar regardless of your own personal formula: steep the active ingredient in water, strain, add soap and spray. Different combinations may work more or less effectively in your garden, so don't hesitate to try your own concoction.

References

• Bug Spray from Your Pantry
• Organic Pest Control