Besticide: How to make an organic insecticide using household ingredients

April 19th, 2018

Surely the reason for growing your own food and flowers is that you know the love and labour you’ve put in will manifest in nutritional value and beauty. Unfortunately, you’re not the only hungry being around – and the word is out that yours are the most succulent tomatoes and luscious roses around. Seemingly overnight, pests have snuck in and are devouring some of your plants. Knowing that some of these vegetables will soon be ready for harvesting, and in the hope that the ladybirds might be helping themselves to some aphids, a safe, organic remedy would be best to recommend.


Gundula’s easy-to-make organic insecticide will help restore the balance. Watch.


Tips for using your homemade insecticide:

  • This is a broad-spectrum organic insecticide. To prevent spraying other beneficial insects, spray only in the late afternoon or evening.
  • If used at two- or three-day intervals, it will get rid of aphids, mites, cutworm, scale, thrips, whitefly, red spider, caterpillars and moths, beetles and ants.
  • If you don’t have Tulbaghia in your garden, use fresh garlic which has antifungal and antibacterial properties too.
  • Use diluted on young, tender plants.
  • Do not spray on leguminous plants.
  • Observation is key in maintaining the health of your plants. Resort to the use of insecticides only when absolutely necessary and not as preventative measure.


Comments

  1. Peter says:
    April 24, 2018 at 12:35 pm

    great idea. will give it a try

  2. Laraine says:
    April 24, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    Thank you for the insecticide recipes. I live in the countryside in France and will be delighted to use your recipe this coming summer.
    My biggest problem is the “pyrale” on boxwoods. Have you any suggestions?
    I spent a wonderful day at Babylonstoren last year and it is a pleasure to have news from you. All the best
    Laraine

  3. Laraine says:
    April 24, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    Thank you for the insecticide recipes. I live in the countryside in France and will be delighted to use your recipe this coming summer.
    My biggest problem is the “pyrale” on boxwoods. Have you any suggestions?
    I spent a wonderful day at Babylonstoren last year and it is a pleasure to have news from you. All the best
    Laraine

    • Babylonstoren says:
      April 26, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      Hi Laraine, unfortunately we do not have any boxwood on the farm and therefore do not have experience on treating it. We hope this recipe might be of help. All the best to you as well! 🙂

  4. emily says:
    April 24, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    A most useful demonstration, thank you, Babylonstoren!

  5. Coreen says:
    April 24, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    Thanks so much, Gundula, will try on my roses

  6. Pippa says:
    April 25, 2018 at 7:53 am

    Thank you for sharing this will definitely give it a go!!

  7. Alison Coutras says:
    December 18, 2018 at 5:29 pm

    Hi Gundula
    looks good, will give it a go on my aphids of all colors and the wooly ones too.
    I’m always too concerned to do anything other than removing by hand which is of course not always possible. I’m hoping it will sort out the wooly stuff that gathers in the crook of the leaf/stem of my Olive trees especially….
    I’m totally intrigued that by spraying in the evenings it will not endanger the garden guardians ….??
    are all good critters home and asleep by then??
    Thanks for your tips
    : D