Organic pesticides are advertised as non-toxic and effective, but we have to wonder if they really are so. The interest in organic gardening has grown in the mainstream over the last years, and more people rebel against the chemicals in the soil, the additives in the food and the pollutants in the air. NO wonder we don't want dangerous pesticides regularly sprayed over our food. We now see how the balance of nature has been disturbed and how resistant some species have become. Plant extracts are now used as bactericides, insecticides and fungicides.
There are even products around the house that you can use as organic pesticides. You can make a hot pepper spray right at home, using a combination of crushed hot pepper, liquid detergent and alcohol to get better insect control in your garden. Lots of commercial organic pesticides contains pyrethrin, a neuro-toxin that paralyzes the insects' nervous system. Check the list of ingredients on the label of organic pesticides, and use each product according to the manufacturer's specifications.
Another popular ingredient of organic pesticides is Sabadilla, made from the seeds of a South American lily. It works effectively for stink bugs and squash bugs. It needs to be sprayed really carefully because it is very irritating for the eyes and the lungs. If you are keen on using a homemade product, you can combine onion and garlic, and mix them to make a puree. Soak the blend in warm water overnight and strain. Such organic pesticides can be used on fruit trees, flowers and roses killing aphids and apple borers.
For leaf-spot diseases, you can make your own organic pesticides from crashed tomato leaves. The efficiency of this pest control comes from the solanine content in the tomato leaves. Solanine is a chemical that inhibits the effects of black spot fungus. Tobacco water can also be used for the worms in the soil of houseplants. Tobacco water also kills centipedes, root lice, fungus gnats and other underground pests.
Hot pepper sprayed on the plants also protects them against snails, although it won't solve the problem of other pests. There are plenty of websites where you can find recipes for organic pesticides to prepare at home. Buying a commercial product often seems like the more efficiently and trouble free solution, nevertheless, you don't know the impact on friendly insect species or the environment. Will your crops be just as healthy and safe? That's the big question that should be every gardener's mind...
There are even products around the house that you can use as organic pesticides. You can make a hot pepper spray right at home, using a combination of crushed hot pepper, liquid detergent and alcohol to get better insect control in your garden. Lots of commercial organic pesticides contains pyrethrin, a neuro-toxin that paralyzes the insects' nervous system. Check the list of ingredients on the label of organic pesticides, and use each product according to the manufacturer's specifications.
Another popular ingredient of organic pesticides is Sabadilla, made from the seeds of a South American lily. It works effectively for stink bugs and squash bugs. It needs to be sprayed really carefully because it is very irritating for the eyes and the lungs. If you are keen on using a homemade product, you can combine onion and garlic, and mix them to make a puree. Soak the blend in warm water overnight and strain. Such organic pesticides can be used on fruit trees, flowers and roses killing aphids and apple borers.
For leaf-spot diseases, you can make your own organic pesticides from crashed tomato leaves. The efficiency of this pest control comes from the solanine content in the tomato leaves. Solanine is a chemical that inhibits the effects of black spot fungus. Tobacco water can also be used for the worms in the soil of houseplants. Tobacco water also kills centipedes, root lice, fungus gnats and other underground pests.
Hot pepper sprayed on the plants also protects them against snails, although it won't solve the problem of other pests. There are plenty of websites where you can find recipes for organic pesticides to prepare at home. Buying a commercial product often seems like the more efficiently and trouble free solution, nevertheless, you don't know the impact on friendly insect species or the environment. Will your crops be just as healthy and safe? That's the big question that should be every gardener's mind...
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