All pesticides are toxic to some degree. The following hints should assist you in dealing with garden pests organically, without the use of harmful pesticides.
Use your judgement and test some suggestions on a small problem area first before going ahead on a larger scale. Where the use of water is suggested you should keep in mind water conservation measures and any water use restrictions that may apply.
Aphids Ants frequently nurture plant pests such as aphids, scale insects, mealy bugs, feeding on their sweet honeydew. Sticky barriers made of non-drying organic glues can be used to protect trees and other ornamental plants, such as roses from ants.
If the infestation is slight you can squash them between your thumb and your finger.
Or use a high-pressure jet of water to hose them off the plants.
Alternatively, plant onions, garlic or nasturtiums beneath plants prone to aphid attack to deter this pest.
As a last resort use a soap spray, a eucalyptus oil spray or a vegetable oil spray. Or dab with cotton wool soaked in methylated spirits.
Top
Caterpillars Hand pick them off and squash them.
Or, lightly dust them with flour or white pepper.
Or, use a weak clay or hot water spray.
Or, use Dipel.
Top
Mites and other tiny insects For indoor plants, simply wipe the leaves with a soapy cloth.
Outside in the garden, blast them off the foliage and stems with a high-pressure jet of water.
Use an old toothbrush to remove those clinging too tightly to be hosed off.
Or, use a soap, milk, clay or pyrethrum spray.
Top
Scale Cut away badly affected foliage or scrub scale insects gently from twigs using a soft brush and soapy water.
Use a soap, vegetable oil, eucalyptus oil or clay spray to smother this pest.
You can also use white oil to kill scale. White oil has a relatively short residual life, as well as low impact on beneficial insects.
Top
Snails and slugs Snail baits mostly consist of powders or pellets, which contain metaldehyde or methiocarb and are spread on garden beds. It is not known how metaldehyde works but methiocarb acts like all carbamates to interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses.
Snail baits are a hazard to pets, animals and birds and a safer alternative such as the one listed below should be considered.
A slug trap consists of a dish sunk level with the ground baited with equal parts of stale beer and sweetened water. This will trap the snails and slugs.
Physical barriers to deter slugs can be made using soot,lime,sawdust, grit, eggshells or wood ash to protect seedlings. The grit will stick to the snail’s slimy surface and deter it.
Top
Homemade Organic Sprays Organic sprays break down more rapidly than chemical pesticides. But please remember that although many sprays are made with “natural ingredients�?they may never the less be toxic to humans and garden friendly creatures, as well as the organisms you seek to control.
You should always wear protective clothing, a facemask, long sleeves and gloves when applying sprays such as pyrethrum, wormwood and Dipel. Also label and store organic sprays as carefully as you would other chemicals. Keep them away from children and pets.
Top
Baking soda (bicarb soda) spray This spray prevents fungal spores from establishing themselves and developing on your plants. It is effective in treating any mould or mildew problem on grape or passion fruit vines.
Simply combine 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda with a few drops of liquid soap, then dissolve in 2 litres of water. The soap helps the spray stick to the leaf surface. During times of greatest risk (high temperature and humidity) spray twice weekly with this solution.
Top
Chamomile spray This easy to make spray acts against powdery mildew, rust, stem rot, brown spot, brown rot, leaf spot and other fungal diseases. It is the gentlest fungicide possible.
Simply make a pot of ordinary chamomile tea, and then leave it to brew for 10 minutes. Cool, then spray every few days.
Top
Clay spray This spray suffocates creatures such as mites, thrips, caterpillars and aphids, however, remember that useful creatures such as ladybird larvae will be affected as well, so restrict your spraying to creatures you can actually identify. The spray has no residual effect, so it can be reapplied every few days.
Using pure clay, dilute the clay with sufficient water to make a spray.
Top
Dipel spray This is a commercial product containing bacterium Bacillus thuringienis. It is an example of biological control, being largely non-toxic to animals. Lethal effects are not passed on down the food chain to birds or any other predator.
Dipel spray needs to be reapplied about every seven days, as the bacterial spores are destroyed by sunlight. It is effective against moth and butterfly caterpillars, which readily inject it, resulting in paralysis of their digestive tract.
Top
Eucalyptus oil spray Eucalyptus oil, like many essential oils, kills scale insects, aphids, earwigs, slugs, slaters, whiteflies, mites and many other pests. It is a non-residual spray, best applied around seedlings and at the base of plants.
To make the spray, combine 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil with 500 ml of soapy water. Generally speaking a solution of about 2% eucalyptus oil in water is considered a good general-purpose insect spray. You can repeat the spray every three days.
Top
Garlic spray To make a safe, general garlic spray, soak 85 grams of chopped garlic in 2 tablespoons (40ml) mineral oil (paraffin oil) for 24 hours. Dissolve 7 grams of soap in 600ml of water. Slowly add the soap to the garlic and stir well. Strain the liquid through a fine gauze and store in a china or glass container (not metal). Dilute 1 part mixture to 50 parts water for general use. Label the container. Good against aphids, caterpillars, flies and snails.
Top
Hot water spray Many soft-bodied insects are killed by a simple spray of hot water (between 45 degrees Celsius and 55 degrees Celsius). This will not harm most foliage.
Top
Milk spray Milk is lethal to red spider mites and mildew. A milk spray can be used on plants such as zucchinis, lettuces, cucumbers and tomatoes.
To prepare your milk spray, mix equal parts milk and water. The spray needs to be repeated every few days.
Top
Soap spray A soap spray will kill caterpillars, thrips, scale insects, mites, whiteflies and aphids. It does this by paralysing its victim, which then eventually dies of starvation. By killing aphids and scale insects, soap spray also controls sooty mould.
For this spray start off with soft soap, that is, soap that is neither a detergent nor contains caustic soda. Mix together soap and water until you have a frothy milky solution. Allow the spray to dry on the leaves, then rinse the leaves clean the following day. Spray every 2-3 days for two weeks. If your plants are drought or heat stressed, or weakened in any way, use a more dilute solution.
Commercial pesticides, herbicides, soil sterilants and fungicides can pose an unnecessary danger to your family and the environment. There is almost always an alternative to using these products.
All pesticides are toxic to some degree. The following hints should assist you in dealing with garden pests organically, without the use of harmful pesticides.
Use your judgement and test some suggestions on a small problem area first before going ahead on a larger scale. Where the use of water is suggested you should keep in mind water conservation measures and any water use restrictions that may apply.
Aphids
Ants frequently nurture plant pests such as aphids, scale insects, mealy bugs, feeding on their sweet honeydew. Sticky barriers made of non-drying organic glues can be used to protect trees and other ornamental plants, such as roses from ants.
If the infestation is slight you can squash them between your thumb and your finger.
Or use a high-pressure jet of water to hose them off the plants.
Alternatively, plant onions, garlic or nasturtiums beneath plants prone to aphid attack to deter this pest.
As a last resort use a soap spray, a eucalyptus oil spray or a vegetable oil spray. Or dab with cotton wool soaked in methylated spirits.
Top
Caterpillars
Hand pick them off and squash them.
Or, lightly dust them with flour or white pepper.
Or, use a weak clay or hot water spray.
Or, use Dipel.
Top
Mites and other tiny insects
For indoor plants, simply wipe the leaves with a soapy cloth.
Outside in the garden, blast them off the foliage and stems with a high-pressure jet of water.
Use an old toothbrush to remove those clinging too tightly to be hosed off.
Or, use a soap, milk, clay or pyrethrum spray.
Top
Scale
Cut away badly affected foliage or scrub scale insects gently from twigs using a soft brush and soapy water.
Use a soap, vegetable oil, eucalyptus oil or clay spray to smother this pest.
You can also use white oil to kill scale. White oil has a relatively short residual life, as well as low impact on beneficial insects.
Top
Snails and slugs
Snail baits mostly consist of powders or pellets, which contain metaldehyde or methiocarb and are spread on garden beds. It is not known how metaldehyde works but methiocarb acts like all carbamates to interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses.
Snail baits are a hazard to pets, animals and birds and a safer alternative such as the one listed below should be considered.
A slug trap consists of a dish sunk level with the ground baited with equal parts of stale beer and sweetened water. This will trap the snails and slugs.
Physical barriers to deter slugs can be made using soot,lime,sawdust, grit, eggshells or wood ash to protect seedlings. The grit will stick to the snail’s slimy surface and deter it.
Top
Homemade Organic Sprays
Organic sprays break down more rapidly than chemical pesticides. But please remember that although many sprays are made with “natural ingredients�?they may never the less be toxic to humans and garden friendly creatures, as well as the organisms you seek to control.
You should always wear protective clothing, a facemask, long sleeves and gloves when applying sprays such as pyrethrum, wormwood and Dipel. Also label and store organic sprays as carefully as you would other chemicals. Keep them away from children and pets.
Top
Baking soda (bicarb soda) spray
This spray prevents fungal spores from establishing themselves and developing on your plants. It is effective in treating any mould or mildew problem on grape or passion fruit vines.
Simply combine 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda with a few drops of liquid soap, then dissolve in 2 litres of water. The soap helps the spray stick to the leaf surface. During times of greatest risk (high temperature and humidity) spray twice weekly with this solution.
Top
Chamomile spray
This easy to make spray acts against powdery mildew, rust, stem rot, brown spot, brown rot, leaf spot and other fungal diseases. It is the gentlest fungicide possible.
Simply make a pot of ordinary chamomile tea, and then leave it to brew for 10 minutes. Cool, then spray every few days.
Top
Clay spray
This spray suffocates creatures such as mites, thrips, caterpillars and aphids, however, remember that useful creatures such as ladybird larvae will be affected as well, so restrict your spraying to creatures you can actually identify. The spray has no residual effect, so it can be reapplied every few days.
Using pure clay, dilute the clay with sufficient water to make a spray.
Top
Dipel spray
This is a commercial product containing bacterium Bacillus thuringienis. It is an example of biological control, being largely non-toxic to animals. Lethal effects are not passed on down the food chain to birds or any other predator.
Dipel spray needs to be reapplied about every seven days, as the bacterial spores are destroyed by sunlight. It is effective against moth and butterfly caterpillars, which readily inject it, resulting in paralysis of their digestive tract.
Top
Eucalyptus oil spray
Eucalyptus oil, like many essential oils, kills scale insects, aphids, earwigs, slugs, slaters, whiteflies, mites and many other pests. It is a non-residual spray, best applied around seedlings and at the base of plants.
To make the spray, combine 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil with 500 ml of soapy water. Generally speaking a solution of about 2% eucalyptus oil in water is considered a good general-purpose insect spray. You can repeat the spray every three days.
Top
Garlic spray
To make a safe, general garlic spray, soak 85 grams of chopped garlic in 2 tablespoons (40ml) mineral oil (paraffin oil) for 24 hours. Dissolve 7 grams of soap in 600ml of water. Slowly add the soap to the garlic and stir well. Strain the liquid through a fine gauze and store in a china or glass container (not metal). Dilute 1 part mixture to 50 parts water for general use. Label the container. Good against aphids, caterpillars, flies and snails.
Top
Hot water spray
Many soft-bodied insects are killed by a simple spray of hot water (between 45 degrees Celsius and 55 degrees Celsius). This will not harm most foliage.
Top
Milk spray
Milk is lethal to red spider mites and mildew. A milk spray can be used on plants such as zucchinis, lettuces, cucumbers and tomatoes.
To prepare your milk spray, mix equal parts milk and water. The spray needs to be repeated every few days.
Top
Soap spray
A soap spray will kill caterpillars, thrips, scale insects, mites, whiteflies and aphids. It does this by paralysing its victim, which then eventually dies of starvation. By killing aphids and scale insects, soap spray also controls sooty mould.
For this spray start off with soft soap, that is, soap that is neither a detergent nor contains caustic soda. Mix together soap and water until you have a frothy milky solution. Allow the spray to dry on the leaves, then rinse the leaves clean the following day. Spray every 2-3 days for two weeks. If your plants are drought or heat stressed, or weakened in any way, use a more dilute solution.
Commercial pesticides, herbicides, soil sterilants and fungicides can pose an unnecessary danger to your family and the environment. There is almost always an alternative to using these products.
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