Other 'homemade' helpers!

[Pharmer Phil]

In the 'Mildew' thread, you read of the Baking soda fix, for mildew! Thumb Very good advice!
a few of the other goodies you can "mix-up" are"....

Vinegar Fungicide
Mix 3 tablespoons of natural apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
one gallon of water.
Spray either in the morning, or evening for fungal disease, including black spot on your roses..

Put most 'bugs' ON THE RUN with...

Garlic Pepper Tea
2 bulbs of garlic
2 hot peppers
liquefy in a blender, that is 1/2 to 2/3 full of water.
Strain and add enough water to the garlic/pepper juice to make 1 gallon of concentrate.
Use 1/4 cup of concentrate per gallon of spray.

Side Note...be Careful NOT to spray in EYES! 2head

[jeanette]

thanks phil.. i read the other day that if you plant garlic in with your squashes/pumpkins it will keep those nasty bugs away.

[YB]

what plants can you use the hot pepper tea on???

[Pharmer Phil]

'Almost' any plant YB, of course you probably wouldn't want to spray, oh lets say...on newly formed...strawbwrries!
So use with discretion. 2head

[theresa]

why did you tell him that for?? He needs the hot strawberries! Disturbed

[Pharmer Phil]

Aw, C'mon T, would YOU wanna bite into this Succulent tasting strawberry after I hit it with a lil habanero spray! Alcoholic ROTFLMAO

[douglas]

Would this keep off my vines as well?
Can't seem to catch them in time on noon days because of work and how often should this be aplied :4-dontkno

[Pharmer Phil]

Douglas, of course you know that MOST sprays, of any type...Cannot be sprayed in the daytime sun, this is because of the reaction called "phytotoxicity', so it is best to spray either in the morning or the cool of the evening...never when the temps are over 80 degrees.
spray plants carefully to ensure thorough coverage. do a test spray on a few leaves or plants first. If no leaf damage occurs in 2 or 3 days, go ahead and spray more. The possible leaf damage otherwise is minimal, and this is only from the oils in the garlic and peppers. You can use a small,very small amount of dish soap or agricultural soap to emulsify this mixture if you care to. You Can also, and this may be better when the 'beast' is the SVB...ground pepper Dust! Grind a big 'o' bunch of the hottest peppers you have up with a mortar and pestle, or similiar, and sprinkle along seeded rows of onions, cabbage, or carrots, in a band at least 6 inches wider than the row or planting bed. A fine sprinkling will suffice, but the more dust you use, the better the effect. Now, these pumpkins we grow, are pretty tuff by the 'stump' so you may be able to apply some of this right to the area above where the plant emerges and up to the firdt set of leaves. As with any of these sprays or dust, Renew after a heavy rain or irrigation. To protect plants from ants, sprinkle around the base of plants in an area as wide as the widest leaves.
The main thing to remember, from previous posts about the cuke beetle, is there life cycle, As far as the SVB's, I have been lucky, have only seen one here in Mn. (that doesn't mean they're not here), and it was on a persons garden in town. I take a prevenitive measure of covering the vine, from the 'stump' up to the first true set of leaves with Remay,(agricultural fleece) by just taking a small piece and wrapping it around the vine.
2head

[Songbird]

:red_eyes:

Would your garlic pepper tea deter the white butterflies that lay their eggs under the leaves on broccoli and cabbage? I fought those worms on my broccoli last year 'til i was blue in the face!! :4-dontkno

[Pharmer Phil]

songbird said:

Would your garlic pepper tea deter the white butterflies that lay their eggs under the leaves on broccoli and cabbage? I fought those worms on my broccoli last year 'til i was blue in the face!!

Yes, most definately! In fact it is most useful against soft skinned lil worms ,,,It is a true labor of love picking them off...NOT...
Bacillus thuringiensis or asit is called Bt spray has been used for decades, as has Pyrethrum sprays.
The choice is yours. As Far as What I grow, I hand pick,
(actaually try to get Laura to)
ROTFLMAO
and if I seem to be fighting a losing battle, out comes the pepper/garlic spray Thumb

[squashnut]

I add vegetable oil to my hot pepper spray. I have fought aphids, and fungus gnats with this mix in my green house.

[Songbird]

Is the oil just to make it stick better?

[squashnut]

On my green house plants i spray enough solution with the oil to smother the aphids, but out doors it might make the spray stick better, yes,

[Pharmer Phil]

ALTHOUGH I CAN FILL THIS THREAD...with homade helpful Remedies...I would like to hear some of Our Phorum Phamilies Phavorites!!

[mary]

I read cornmeal is a natural fungal disease fighter--algae control in ponds-compost stimulation-corn gluten meal for weed control -even foot fungus-wheat/cornmeal soil amendment with molasses for bed prepartion 65% wheat bran,35%horticultual cornmeal and 10% dry molasses.I hope to have enough time to try some of this , I do every thing by myself , and my body is not keeping up with my mind.This is a great forum ,thanks to every one's advice, comments .Thanks to you Phil for putting all this together, and your advice. Mary

[chickenfarmer]

makes ya proud to be a phamily member....

[Pharmer Phil]

Why thank You Mary, how nice!

[mary]

Kelp-Based pest spray,Supplies needed-12 to 18 cloves, 1 Gal of water in nonaluminum container-fine mesh stainer or cheesecloth- 2Tablespoons Kelp liquid extract-1 teaspoon Castile soap- Spray mist bottle( one with a spray setting).Peel and mash garlic, put in the Gal of water and allow to steep 24 hours in 70 or 80 degrees dark location.After 24 hours strain.Add Kelp and soap.Stir well and put in spray bottle,do not spray this during the hottest part of day.Inportant --Test a few plants early in the AM and wait 48 hours-check for leaf damage. This spray is not suitable for plants with scales, or for most evergreens, or waxy covering on leaves. Unused solution can be stored for a week, be sure to label the container and keep away from children and pets.

[Compost Pharmer]

When ever I plant something I always add a handfull of horticultual cornmeal to the hole first. It sure seems to help control the fungus. Haven't had any this year. I have lost a few maters to blossom end rot. Trying to find some dolamite lime to add to the soil when I till it this fall after the gardening season is over.

[windsng225]

Does anyone out there know how to get rid of grasshoppers (either the green kind or the tan kind), they are eating all my leaves off of my flower stalks.
In anticipation, thanks.

[chickenfarmer]

Hi windsng225.... 1st off welcome to the phorum, i'm sure you will enjoy your stay here...

As for the grasshoppers...

Try this spray.....

1 part hot sauce
1 part liquid dish soap
1 part water

Put this in a clean spray bottle and use this exclusivly for this purpose...

Spray tops of leaves and bottoms

Repeat after one week.... and follow up on a schedule of at least every couple weeks

[mary]

I have a lot of birds in my yard.All birds feed on grasshoppers except doves and pigeons, they scratch the eggs and eat them as well. Weedy margins, including roadsides and fence rows, contain more grasshopper eggs than other habitats.Try to attract more birds to your yard, I know this takes time and you need help now.I know this is not a homemade helper but it does help to have a lot of birds. :quicchic

[mary]

Homemade weed killer- Dissolve two cups of table salt into one gal of white vinegar. Add eight drops of liquid dishwashing detergent. Pour some into a spray bottle and spray the weeds you want to kill. Caution: While not toxic, this is quite potent to anything that grows, so be careful where you spray it.Label and keep out of reach of children and pets.

[mary]

Ant bait-MIx together 3-1/2 oz. strawberry jam, 1-1/2 Tbs. wet canned cat food, 1 Tbs. boric acid.Roll into balls,then place throughout the house. This will kill larger ants and termites. Although not poisonous, if ingested by an animal or small child, it could make them sick, so use caution.

[mary]

I have ants that come in the house,I found a hill right by the foundation,found this for ant hills
Ant - Hill Solution: ingredients: 1 gal water,1/4 cup of hand soap, mix water and soap in a large bucket and pour directly into the ant hill, which will eliminate it . What do you guys think of using this for the ants? I found this as well, Fly- mosquito remedy- ingred: dried basil - cheese cloth, pour a small into the center of cloth ,fold up and secure the end with string. Hang a few of these around the house to keep pest away?Seems to me a person would have to hang an awful lot of them. undecided .

[crazy1]

Not to sure about the ant remedy, but the Basil in the garden sure doesn't keep those skeeters away.

[Pharmer Phil]

penny royal sposed to keep skeeters away too, but a buddy and I headed to da woods one day, no protection, so we rubbed pennyroyal oil on our exposed skin....

Skeeters carried us away...

[mary]

I don't think to many things work on skeeters,I have a organic bug spray that I carry with me when I take the dogs for a walk,I have to keep spraying and swatting the whole time and that walk is a fast one.

[Compost Pharmer]

I found the mixture of vanilla and water works good. Don't think they like the smell.

[mary]

If you have a problem with cabbage worms try this non-toxic trick.By sprinking the plants with hot (130 to 150) water, you can kill the worms.Fill your watering can with the water and sprinkle the plants for 1 to 2 seconds.This will not harm the plants.Never tried this myself.Been reading a lot lately, here's another one for cabbage worms and pest.
take some panty hose, cut and close one end off making it long enough to cover the plant,put the hose on when the plant is small,it will stretch as the plant grows.Panty hose I will try,can't hurt.Probably broccoli,califlower,brussel sprouts would work as well.Can't wait for spring.