Insects in the garden can become very destructive if they are not dealt with properly, and can settle into a plot and be very hard to remove later. It is important to figure out what pest is attacking your garden, and from that, you can create a spray to help remove them. Growing your own vegetables and fruits, it is important to know what you are spraying, so here are some recipes for some DIY insect repellents that can be safely used in the garden. Most of these recipes are made from basic supplies that are around the house, and can be made in any size batch. All you need is a spray bottle and a few ingredients to get the pests out of your garden and away from your fruits and vegetables.
This recipe uses chili peppers, onions, water, and requires the mixture to sit to absorb the oil from the vegetables. Once the mixture is cooled, strain off the chunks, and place in a spray bottle. It is a great way to keep your garden pest-free for the whole season using organic and safe ingredients.
Using dish soap and vegetable oil, this recipe is good for vegetables and flowers. It does not have as strong a smell as the chili and onion recipe, but does work great on any garden plants. Make sure your dish soap is bleach free so your do not burn your plants, and the oil helps to ensure that the solution sticks to the leaves and provides a good barrier from pests.
This simple recipe of water and dish soap is a milder solution that is great for more sensitive plants. It is important to choose a soap that is bleach free, because a strong detergent can cause damage to your plants, especially to lettuce and other leafy plants that are generally more delicate. This spray is great for tender indoor plants too.
While this recipe sounds a bit weird, it works against most pests in the garden. It is great for whiteflies, aphids, and other small pests that suck nutrients from the plants new growth. The idea is that the nicotine from the cigarette butts is absorbed by the leaves and then is consumed by the bugs and kills them off.
While you might think that oranges would attract pests to your garden, this recipe, containing only water and orange peels actually is a great spray to keep ants away from your garden.
While this is an old recipe, it is still a good one. The chemical in chrysanthemum flowers, called Pyrethrum, is extracted by boiling chrysanthemum heads in water and then straining off the liquid to be sprayed on plants once it has cooled.
Extracted from the neem tree, a member of the mahogany family, neem oil and castile soap mixed in water can create a great spray that is effective against both bugs and fungus.
