So the ants, inchworms and about everything else that moves have decided that the row of veggies and flowers I've started along my fence makes for a great salad bar SO I made a basic tea with tobacco stems and scraps with a dash of dish soap and just finished spraying it down. "Unfortunately" I'm also in the process of quitting smoking and my scraps won't last very long but in keeping with the idea of gardening with what I have on hand I started looking at my Datura plant. Google tells me that teas from it can make for an effective pesticide but I figured I'd check in here and see if anyone else has tried this approach? If so, is a seed based tea more effective than leaf or maybe rootstock? Also noticed a lot of Oleander in the neighborhood and Google has similar opinions as to it's potential use as a natural pesticide, any thoughts? Maybe a Datura/Oleander mix? I really dislike these bugs...
Datura , or jimson weed is a medical substitute for belladonna . in India the leaves are used for rolling cannabis. never seen any bugs attacking Datura. any and all parts of the plant can be poisonous . it will even soak thru your skin . by the way smoking Datura leaves is VERY hard on your heart
I think using a hot pepper, like habanero mixed with a small amount of dish soap works well. I've tried garlic, soap, but the best soap is Dr. bronners castile soap, with peppermint , bugs hate peppermint
That's good to know, is this in the long term use leading to lasting heart trouble like with tobacco use or more like immediate impact like from smoking crack or something? Been having the worst luck germinating peppers of any sort for some reason, even less so germinating Dr. Bronners but Datura and Oleander are in no short supply. Also, the ants do not seem immediately impressed with my tobacco spray, maybe just not strong enough? Everything seems to get a bit desperate for edible greens in the desert for some odd reason.
Maybe it is good too to plant around your crops, as a prevention, some plants that are running away the insects, as rosemary, for example. I did not try the tobacco tea, the dose must be important enough, but not too much, there are many ways one can make a pesticide tea, neem tree bark , garlic, hot pepper..I tried the hot pepper spray, but it burned the plant..That is why I say I have to reconsider the doses.. This is true about peppermint, NO insect is eating it..Celery also after they got a little mature, the smells are too strong, in fact strong smells are keeping away the insects.
Use Caution, tomato, potato and pepper plants can be killed or stunted after spraying with tobacco tea. A mixture of Blue Dawn dish soap will wash many insects off your plants. Dust plants using diatomaceous earth works well on many plant eating insects.
