Organic pesticides
We've got lots of tips and ideas for how you can use household items to ward off pests in your garden this year.
By Roni RobbinsWed, Mar 02 2011 at 1:26 PM EST
ALERT THE LADYBUGS: Aphids can ruin plants in the garden. (Photo: Benimoto/Flickr) Start with a little chopped garlic. Add equal parts onion, hot pepper, horseradish and vinegar. Nope, you’re not whipping up a lovely Italian meal. We’re talking organic pesticides here.
It seems bugs and other pests don’t like it hot and spicy. So if you’re looking for natural alternatives to the synthetic killers on the market, try using non-toxic household substances already in your pantry.
Ingredients such as garlic, salt, peppers, baking soda, orange peels and cooking oils can be found in many homemade organic pesticide recipes. Herbs, seasonings and other food products also are contained in the commercial pesticides sold at home improvement stores.
Since the vast majority of garden pests are beneficial to plants, genuine organic pesticides — applied properly — can ward off harmful critters without damaging the environment.
Biggest Turn-offs
Bugs are attracted to most plants because of their fragrance. It makes sense, then, that they’d be turned off by foul-smelling garlic, tobacco, basil, sage, chives and rosemary.
Let’s consider garlic. Organic gardeners have long known garlic makes for an odorous and toxic repellent to pests. Planting edible garlic between rows of vegetables or roses will repel aphids and other insects, according to Go Organic Gardening, which offers advice and resources for organic gardening.
A number of recipes for garlic sprays combine mixed garlic or garlic powder with other products such as mineral or vegetable oils, onions, peppers, even dishwashing soap, another popular bug-zapper.
Garlic sprays work on aphids, cabbage loopers, June bugs, leafhoppers, squash bugs and whiteflies, reports Comfy Country Creations, a Canadian-based website offering gardening tips and homemade bug spray recipes.
The Sonora Environmental Research Institute Inc. in Tucson suggests citrus oil or cayenne pepper as pesticide alternatives.
Natural Pesticides
Among the natural pesticides on the market, Go Organic Gardening lists Orange Guard Home Pest Control Spray. The commercial product uses steam-distilled orange peel oil to kill cockroaches, ants, fleas, locusts and weevils.
The garden itself offers a host of pesticides.
The dried, powdered flowers of the pyrethrum daisy have become a popular insecticide ingredient. Not to be confused with pyrethroids, a new class of synthetic pesticides, pyrethrins are concentrated in the seeds of the flower head.
Pyrethrins are considered a contact insecticide; insects merely touching the substance are affected. The product only works on certain insects such as flies, gnats, mosquitoes, spider mites, leafhoppers, stink bugs and aphids. Mix the dried powder with water and a few drops of liquid soap and you can use it to protect other flowers, fruits and vegetables, Comfy Country Creations reports.
A commercial brand that uses pyrethrins is Safer Yard and Garden Insect Killer Spray, as cited by Go Organic Gardening.
Plant Extracts
When considering commercial insecticides, opt for those made from naturally-occurring plant extracts, as recommended by the Home Depot Garden Club.
As with all organic pesticides, research first whether the bugs you are trying to destroy are harmful or not; take note of the product’s intended use; test it on a single plant to determine its effect; and only spot-treat targeted plants and bugs. Also, recognize that many so-called organic pesticides may not be as effective as the synthetic variety, according to the Backyard Conservation Fact Sheet of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The NRCS fact sheet lists beneficial insects, the bugs they control and natural pest management strategies. Simple solutions include spraying water from a hose to remove insects and applying a baking soda solution to control fungal diseases on roses.
For more information about choosing least-toxic pest control products and other pest management tips, consult the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC).
Organic pesticide products may also require larger doses, making it just as toxic as the commercial brand, and may kill off natural predators.
Of course, if it is toxic, you won’t want to use it in that Italian meal after all.
Comments
Richard H
01/24/2012 02:46 AM
Pyrethrum is a perrenial and the flower petals of two year or older plants are a nerve toxin to six legged insects. That is why the dried flowers are used rather than the seeds. Some pests such as spider mites, which are spiders that suck plant juices, will be unaffected. Spider mites prefer sick plants so a yellow board coated with a sticky layer is very effective. Red pepper is effective because wild pepper plants start very mild but pest attacks cause them to increase their hotness. Its.... More
David
03/03/2011 14:32 PM
Thank you for this article I am going to link to this post on my website www.buyorganicfoodinexpensively.com so readers with an interest in organic food can learn about your work.
All the best,
David
