Organic Pest Control

11 years ago

Last year I had a lot of peaches, but the insects damaged most of them because I did not use a pesticide. This year I want to spray with an organic, non-poisonous homemade pest control mixture. Any ideas? I found one suggested mixture composed of dish soap, garlic cloves, onion, hot pepper flakes and water. The directions indicate to blend the ingrediants and place in hot water overnight and spray on plants after each rain. Has anyone tried somthing similar that works?

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Comments (7)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
Charlie, we really can't help you unless we know what kinds of insects are pestering you. Sometimes, control measures can be very simple. I'm extremely dubious of most home-made concoctions, however. Commercial organic products are usually more effective and safer for the plant.

You should understand that growing tree fruits can be very challenging without knowledge of the expected pests, when these pests probably arrive on the scene, and how they are most vulnerable. Even Certified Organic commercial growers use certain kinds of pesticides. They have to or they would not be able to produce a crop.
Kimmsr
11 years ago
What Charlie is asking about is a fairly common insect repellant used by many organic growers in an effort to not have to use poisons.
In a blender whiz one medium onion, one head of garlic, and a cup of hot pepper flakes or one or more hot peppers, with 2 cups of water (does not need to be hot) and allow that puree to steep for 24 hours. After that mix one cup of that mixture into one gallon of water (may need to be strained depending on the sprayer) and spray the target plant.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
Recommendation of any pesticide - homemade organic or not - is really foolhardy and quite pointless unless you know specifically what insect is causing the problem.

The above remedy is for leaf eating or sucking insects (and with dubious effectiveness, I might add) so how effective it might be on whatever critters are damaging the fruit itself is certaily questionable. These are often flying insects - moths or flies (and later wasps and hornets) - that lay eggs that develop into larvae that burrrow into the fruits. Garlic pepper spray will have absolutely no impact on them.

But there are other organic methods for controlling these types of pests. It is just imperative to know exactly what kind of pest you are dealing with before any reasonable suggestions can be made.
maplerbirch
11 years ago
Good point, gardengal48.

Spraying the outside of a fruit when the borer has been inside since it began to develop would certainly be wasted time. My grandparents understood what was going on in the living world around them, which is what makes, "Growing Without Pesticides" possible.

We still have the "spray it and be done" mentality, that we learned from a chemical culture.
Kimmsr
11 years ago
As I noted above the recipe is for a repellant, something that might help keep unwanted insects away, and it is sprayed onto plants before the insects arrive to lay their eggs. The recipe I posted above is not a pesticide, is not meant to be a pesticide.
west9491
10 years ago
Interesting recipe, I've never seen it before. How does it do again Colorado Potato Beetles and Stinkbugs which mess with my cucumbers and zucchini???

I have a night shift job where I work a lot of over time this year, so i won't be able to rely on hand removal of these pests.....
Kimmsr
10 years ago
That is a general insect repellant so that means beneficials as well as pest are driven out. When I have sprayed that in my gardens I have seen a mass exodus of insects, although they have returned in a few days.