DIY Pesticides for a Chemical-Free, Pest-Free Garden

DIY Pesticides for a Chemical-Free, Pest-Free Garden

Keeping plants in your home garden free of pests can be challenging, especially if you want to keep the garden chemical-free as well. But don’t worry, it is doable. In the planting season to come, why not adopt a more organic way (if you haven’t already)? DIY pesticides may not be as convenient as commercial pesticides, but at least you know how they were made – and they do work after all!

These homemade DIY pesticides can be mixed up in your kitchen and applied to all plants safely and they do provide effective results. The best news is these homemade pesticides are safe for children and pets, and won’t do any harm to the environment.

Soap Spray

Great for use in preventing or treating aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, mites, beetles and a host of other tiny sap-suckers.

dishwashing liquid bubbles

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite dishwashing liquid into 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Liberally spray all infested plants, being sure to saturate the underside of leaves, with the soap spray pesticide. Apply as needed in early morning or later evening hours as needed.

Garlic Spray

The pungent odor of garlic keeps the pests away. The smell may be noxious, but the homemade pesticide is completely organic and safe for plants, kids, and pets.

a head of garlic

Puree 2 whole heads of garlic (not cloves) in a blender or food processor. Mix pureed garlic into 1 quart of warm water and allow to sit overnight. Strain the following day to remove any garlic particles and pour into a spray bottle. Spray on plants as needed to repel a wide variety of garden pests, including cats and dogs (who can also mess up a garden).

Oil Spray

Get rid of thrips, aphids, and mites (the 3 most common garden pests) with this easy-to-make oil spray mix.

Mix 1 cup of your favorite vegetable oil with 1 teaspoon of your favorite dishwashing liquid into quart jar. Shake to mix. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil mixture to a quart of warm water and pour in a spray bottle. Spray liberally on pests and plants. The oil coats the pests’ bodies and smothers them without harming the plants.

Tomato Leaf Pesticide Spray

tomato leaves

Tomato leaves are a prime aphid killer and great for use on rose bushes and other flowering plants that aphids enjoy feasting on. Very simple to make, just finely chop 2 leaves from a tomato plant (harvest from suckers or bottom of plant) and stir into 1 quart of warm water. Allow to sit overnight, strain and pour into a spray bottle. Saturate top and bottom of leaves to as needed to repel and/or kill aphids.

Good-For-All Pesticide Spray

This homemade pesticide is good for killing and repelling all garden pests. To make this good-for-all pesticide spray, puree 1 bulb of garlic and 1 small onion in a blender or food processor. Stir in 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder and let mixture set for an hour. Strain mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of your favorite dishwashing liquid and mix thoroughly. Pour into spray bottle and saturate top and bottom sides of plant leaves as needed.

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