Kitchen gardening is the latest trend and people are moving towards the natural approaches of growing healthy vegetables and fruits. Now the question arises that how will you protect your garden from disease carriers, insects, weeds and other pests, causing damage to your vegetables and fruits?
Synthetic fertilizers or artificial pesticides do not only contain deleterious chemicals but these are also extremely hazardous to your health.
So, is there a way out to deal with this problem? The answer is YES! following up in this article we are going to give you some tips and tricks and, the list of some natural, homemade and non-toxic pesticides, their recipes and application procedures to treat plants with these non-toxic DIY pesticides.
What are Natural Pesticides?
Pesticides (synthetic or natural) are the substances used to manipulate, destroy, prevent, mitigate or repel the pests or disease carriers. They are classified into various types according to their performance against specific pests such as weedicide, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides and so on. Natural pesticides are the non-toxic pesticides derived from the natural or organic sources might be from your kitchen.
How To Decide Which Homemade Pesticide For Your Plants?
Before choosing a perfect natural pesticide for your plants you need to know about the targeted pest and the exact cause of plant damage.
Here are some points you should be clear about before deciding a pesticide for plants:
- You must double check the pest (weed, insect, fungicide etc.) that is the main reason of plant or crop damage.
- You must be sure of the number of the specific pest that can be deleterious to your crop/plant and gather some knowledge about the life cycle of that pest.
- It is said that prevention is better than a cure. You need to take precautions and beware of the pests that can attack your plant and then change the environmental conditions or factors for their prevention.
List of Homemade Natural Pesticides
Organic pesticides are the natural and non-toxic means to eliminate the pests for the production of healthy crops or plants. Below are a list of homemade natural pesticides, their recipes, and their treatment procedures.
- Garlic Spray (Insecticide)
Garlic spray is the natural pesticide that you can easily find in your kitchen. Its pungent smell acts as an insecticide and it is one of the best organic ways to treat plant and to prevent the insect infestation.How to make Garlic Spray:
For natural insecticide of garlic spray, you need to take two bulbs of garlic and make their puree by adding a small amount of water in a blender. Let this garlic mixture stay overnight and strain it into a quart jar. Then add 1 teaspoon of some mild liquid soap, half cup vegetable oil (is optional) and pour them in the jar and fill the remaining space with water. Take 1 quart of water with an equal amount of the above mixture and spray it on infested plants. - Neem Oil (Insecticide and Fungicide)
The Neem oil spray is one of the most powerful, natural and non-toxic remedy to control about 50 types of pests and also act as a fungicide. It is one of the best organic pesticides that disrupts the life cycle of pests and also act as antifeedant. The biodegradable neem oil is harmless to birds and animals.How to use Neem Oil: Take 2 teaspoons of high-quality neem oil and add 1 mild liquid soap in it. After adding 1 quart of water in the mixture, shake it well. Fill the mixture in a bottle and directly spray it on the infected plant or affected foliage, to control the pests.
- Vegetable Oil Spray (Insecticide)
Oil spray is another homemade natural insecticide is lethal for pests such as mites, bugs and aphids, etc. The organic pesticide will dehydrate the insect’s eggs and helps to get rid of them.How to make and use Oil spray: Take 1 cup of high-quality vegetable oil, then add 1 teaspoon of gentle soap and shake the mixture. Take 1 quart of water in a spray bottle and add 2 teaspoons of mixture in it, then shake it well. Spray the mixture on plant surface to watch better results.
- Chili Powder (Insecticide)
Chile powder is natural, homemade and a non-toxic remedy to kill the variety of insects.How to make and use Chile Powder: To make the chili powder spray take 1 teaspoon of chili powder, add 1 quart of water in it with a tablespoon of gentle liquid soap and shake it well. Pour the chili mixture in a bottle and directly apply it on the infected plant to eliminate pests.
- Corn Gluten (Weedicide)
Corn gluten is a natural, non-toxic weedicide and really effective organic substitute to kill weeds. It stops the sprouting of potential pre-emergent weeds like dandelions and crabgrass. You must keep in mind that corn gluten does not affect already germinated weeds but cease their sprouting.How to use Corn Gluten: The cornmeal can be directly applied in kitchen gardens after sprouting of your desired seeds to cease the emergence of weeds.
- Mulching (Weedicide, Insecticide, Fungicide)
Mulching is also one of the powerful methods to prevent the weeds from germination. The type of ingredients used in mulches can also affect the results. For examples, it can also act as a fungicide as well as an insecticide.Mulch is basically the mixture straw, compost, wood chips or grass cripples.How to use Mulch: Mulches are simply dispersed around the plant at the soil evenly, to retain moisture, suppress weed growth and to control temperature.
- Boiling water (Weedicide)
Another safe homemade pesticide is boiling water which helps you to destroy potential weeds.How to use Boiling water: Take water in a kettle and heat it until it starts boiling. Take the kettle and carefully spill the boiling over the unwanted herbs, especially in cracks.
- Baking Soda (Fungicide)
Baking soda is the common ingredient found in your kitchen, it is one of the best natural pesticides to kill fungi such as brown patches, black spots, powdery mildew and others.How to use Baking Soda: Take a gallon of water, add 1 teaspoon of gentle liquid soap in it and then add baking soda about teaspoons in the mixture. Mix the solution well for effective results. Pour the baking soda mixture in a spray bottle and directly apply it on the plant to eliminate the fungal attack.
Healthy food should be the foremost priority to live a healthy and luxurious life. Most of the food and vegetables you buy from the market contain residues of artificial chemicals and pesticides in them. We recommend you to grow your own food using the organic approach. For this purpose, we have designed this article which will help you to find some economical, homemade, natural, organic, non-toxic tips and tricks to combat against the pest problems in your kitchen garden. This will also help you to take a step forward toward a healthy and hefty life.