don't want to use strong pesticides

[george]

hey ron, george from crescent city fl. thanks for the reply concerning damping off.one more small problem, aphids on the hot pepper plants in greenhouse using your bottle system. insectecidial soap spray gets them gone for a week & then back again. don't want to use strong pesticides if possible. any suggestions? would like home made remedy if possible as in this little one horse town simple things such as insecticidal spray is not available locally. ps, this is a great site & you are a wealth of knowledge. good growings, george

[Ron]

Many homemade spray preparations are outstanding insecticides. A hot taste or smelly odor are the main principles behind most home-brewed potions. The sprays are normally made by mixing repellent plants with a little water in a blender. The resulting slurry concentrate is strained through a nylon stocking or fine cloth before being diluted with water for application.

Cooking or heating preparations generally destroys active ingredients. To draw out ingredients, mince plant and soak in a mineral oil for a couple of days. Add this oil to the water including a little soap to emulsify the oil.

Any nondetergent, biodegradable soap will work as a welling and slicking agent in these preparations. The soap dissolves best if a teaspoon of alcohol is added to each quart of water.

Camomile sprays are used to prevent dampening-off and mildew.

Chrysanthemum, marigold and nasturtium blossoms, garlic, chive, onion, hot pepper, bug juice, horseradish, mints, oregano, tomato and tobacco residues repel or kill many insects including aphids, caterpillars, miles and whiteflies. Be very careful with tobacco sprays. These mixes can vary in proportions, but the blended remaining slurry is always filtered before adding with water for the final spray.

One homemade organic spray is made by blending 1 teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce, 4 cloves of garlic with a quart of water. Grind this mix up in the blender and strain through a nylon stocking or cheese cloth before using in the sprayer.

A mix of one eighth to one quarter cup of hydrated lime mixed with a quart of water makes an effective insect spray and is especially effective on tiny insects such as spider mites. Mix a nondetergent soap with the lime; the soap acts as both a slicking agent and insecticide. Lime can be caustic in large doses. Always try the spray on a test plant and wait a few days to check for adverse effects before applying to other plants.

Another natural spray is made from chopped tomato leaves soaked in water. The water is used as a spray against white cabbage butterflies. Spray made out of bug guts ground up in a blender, emulsified in water.