Organic / Home Made Insecticide ?

[Ireland-or-bust]

Any one got any ideas on what i can use on veg and fruit trees ?

I have all the usual veg plus a few apple/pear/cherry/plum trees.

I have no crops arround me as my neighbours are all beef and milk
farmers. One has a small plot for veg neat his house but its 500 ft
from mine. Not sure if that helps.

Any suggestions for all or individual veg welcome.

I heard washing up liquid works on some but not sure
how many veg you can use it on.


Mark.

[Andy Hamilton]

I use washing up liquid diluted and put in a spray bottle to get rid of aphids. I also use jam, which was reccomended by someone on here, this is because I have ants 'farming' aphids on my plot. They like the honeydew residue that is excreated by aphids. A dollop of jam near affected plants means that the ants go for the jam and then think the aphids might nick it, so they start attacking them.

Also companion planting is a much used practice, wormwood is good for detering aphids. Carrots near onions to stop onion and carrot fly.

SLugs is a different matter have a look at this threadfor some ideas

[pskipper]

Apparently Horseradish to good for detering potato eel worm

[caithnesscrofter]

i use chopped garlic, cayenne and few drops washing up liquid diluted well in water.

[Altica]

I've heard of orange peel oil being used but i'm not sure exactly what it works on

[Wombat]

I have heard that bug water works. Get some of the bugs that are causing you grief and mulch 'em up in water, then spray the plants. They don't like eating plants sprayed with guts of the bugs of the same type.

Neither would I under the circumstances...........

Nev

[Jack]

Gidday

I use Jeyes Fluid.

[NZAmish]

Soak some tobacco leaves in water for a week or so and spray on vege plants, just not to close to harvesting otherwise your lettuces could give you lung cancer .

[funkypixie]

The tobacco thing works but don't be tempted to use it in an enclosed space. My old horticultural tutor at college told a tale of using tobacco in a glasshouse in his early days as a trainee gardener. He collapsed with nicotine poisoning....

Anna x

[Jack]

Gidday

Aerated compost tea also can help. It covers the leave with the goodies and they are supposed to keep the baddies out.

[Dendrobium]

A few drops of washing up liquid works a treat, when I was using 'normal' pesticides nothing seemed to touch red spider mite, but this just reduces the surface tension and washes them off.