Gardening Tips
| Home Remedies for Plant Pests |
| Posted on May 06 2007 |
All these 'recipies' are to be mixed in a 1 quart hand sprayer with 1 quart of warm water.
Peppermint Soap- mix in 1/2 Tbsp peppermint soap (Dr. Bronner's castile peppermint soap is what we use) and 3 Tbsp rubbing alcohol.
This is good for general cleaning of plants and discourages spider mites, thrips and aphids. Studies have shown that mint oil will kill mites.
Baby Oil Mix - mix 1 Tbsp baby oil (or mineral oil) and 1/2 tsp dish soap. You need to shake this mixture well and frequently during use to keep the oil mixed in.
This works well for mealy bugs, scale and white flies. It works by physically smothering the bugs under a coating of oil. The baby oil is light enough that it does not bother most plants and evaporates eventually.
Vinegar Plant Cleaner - mix 3 Tbsp white vinegar and 1 to 2 Tbsp Murphy's Oil Soap in 1 quart warm water. Shake well.
This mixture helps remove mineral stains and old pesticide stains from foliage. It also cleans off mealy bugs pretty well. Caution: this mix will ruin any flowers that may be on the plant.
Baking Soda Mix - mix 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp baby oil.
This mixture helps discourage powdery mildew on violets, begonias and grape ivy. It's not a cure but does slow the mildew down.