Most medicinal plants users do not eat the product, but rather inhale it through combustion. This is just one of the reasons why medicinal plants growers should always look to natural or organic pesticides as the first line of defense against pest insects. These substances are safer to consume, especially when inhaled.
Why Use Natural Pesticides For Indoor Plants?
The obvious reason to use natural pesticides on indoor plants rather than synthetic ones is because they are much healthier for us. But, not only are they dangerous to you, your family, and your pets, they’re expensive. Plus they don’t always work to kill bugs on indoor plants anyway.
Most common houseplant pests are resistant, or can quickly build up resistance to chemical pesticides. And using them will only make your problem much worse in the long run.
So, use these safer, more effective natural remedies for bugs on plants instead…
What are natural organic pesticides?
Organic pesticides are usually considered as those pesticides that come from natural sources. These natural sources are usually plants, as is the case with pyrethrum (pyrethins), rotenone or ryania (botanical insecticides), or minerals, such as boric acid, cryolite, or diatomaceous earth.
Natural Homemade Pesticides
1. Neem Oil
Organic neem oil is a completely natural & organic pesticide for indoor plants, and it’s very effective for controlling and eliminating common houseplant pests.
This extract from the seeds of the tropical neem tree is nontoxic to pets and humans, but helps control some of our worst pests, such as Japanese beetles. Instead of killing the adults outright, it acts as a deterrent, stopping insects from eating and mating.
Neem Oil Preparation Method
Mix 1 table spoon of neem oil in 1L of water. Spray it on plants. Don’t over spray on leaves. You can spray in every 15 days for best results. It also has a residual effect, so you don’t have to treat the plant every day like you would with other methods.
With its strong bitter taste and pungent smell, organic neem oil extract repels the harmful bugs, while being completely pet-friendly. 10 to 15 ml of Neem oil can be mixed with a few drops of liquid soap and some warm water and then sprayed on to the plants. The effect is known to last for over a week!
2. Garlic & Hot Pepper:
This spray is very effective to eliminate aphids from your plants. Garlic & Hot Pepper spray stops aphids from eating your plants. Take one chilli, one clove of garlic and a small piece of ginger and grind into a fine paste. Squeeze the liquid out of the paste, which then needs to be mixed with one litre of water. Now spray your woes away!
NOTE: Do not use more than 4-5 drops of the liquid in 1 litre of water as overdosage of chilli and ginger can cause inflammation in the plant leaves.
Garlic & Hot Pepper Preparation Method
Take 5-6 chilies and 2-3 garlic cloves. Grind them to make paste/powder. Strain the mixture with filter into a spray bottle. Add water & spray on affected plants. Garlic is well-known for its pungent aroma, which is delectable to some and yet repellent to others, and it is this strong scent that comes into play when used as a natural insecticide. Actually, it's not really clear if garlic spray and chile spray (below) are actually insecticides or are more likely insect repellents, but either way, these common kitchen ingredients can be used to knock down, or even knock out, insect infestations in the garden.
To make a basic garlic spray, take two whole bulbs (not just two cloves) and puree them in a blender or food processor with a small amount of water. Let the mixture sit overnight, then strain it into a quart jar, adding one-half cup of vegetable oil (optional), one teaspoon of mild liquid soap, and enough water to fill the jar. To use this homemade insecticide, use one cup of mixture with one quart of water and spray liberally on infested plants.
3. Soap Spray
A very similar homemade pesticide to the oil spray is a soap spray, which is also effective for controlling mites, aphids, whiteflies, beetles, and other hungry little insects. Soap kills bugs on contact. It’s easy to make your own natural bug killer for indoor plants. My homemade bug spray recipe is one teaspoon mild liquid soap to one liter of water.
To make a basic soap spray insecticide, mix one and one-half teaspoons of a mild liquid soap (such as castile soap) with one quart of water, and spray the mixture directly on the infected surfaces of the plants.
A soap spray insecticide works in a similar fashion as an oil spray pesticide, and can be applied as necessary (though it is always recommended to NOT apply it during the hot sunny part of the day, but rather in the evenings or early mornings).
4. Eucalyptus Oil:
It’s an amazing natural pesticide for wasps, bees, flies.
Eucalyptus Oil Preparation Method
Add ¼ teaspoon of Eucalyptus oil in 500 ml of water. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle. Mix oil and water in spray bottle by shaking. Spray on affected plants every 10-14 days.
5. Alcohol:
Alcohol solution is really effective in repelling insects. Rubbing Alcohol
Use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to kill and remove insect pests from the plant.
This can be a bit tedious, but it works great to remove large clusters of pests like aphids, scale, or mealybugs from a plant.
Alcohol Preparation Method
Make a solution by mixing 1-2 cups of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and 1L of water. Spray the solution on affected plants. Repeat every 7-14 days until the problem is solved.
6. Install An Electric Fence
Speaking of barriers, an electric fence is one of the only sure ways to keep Bambi, Rocky Raccoon, and other animals from your prized edible patch. While repellent sprays may work for a while, animals are smart enough to get used to the spray and move in anyway. If deer pressure is low, use a single strand of electric fence wire 30 inches off the ground. In regions with large populations of hungry deer, use multiple strands, spaced a few feet apart. The key is to set up the fence early in the season, before animals find your vegetable patch or fruit trees. You can "teach" the animals to avoid the fence by baiting it with peanut butter. After a few harmless shocks, they will probably avoid the area all together.
7. Coffee grounds
Coffee grounds can be mixed with compost as a mulching component, which will keep the soil free from fungal infestation. Coffee tends to acidify the soil, thereby keeping the fungi at bay, while slowly decomposing into rich manure.
“Organic pesticides are always preferable over chemical ones since these can be easily prepared from scratch and are harmless. All of these are pet-friendly as well as pose no chance of allergy to the plant parents! Also, overdosage of chemical pesticides can often kill the plant, a risk that can be eliminated with the organic pesticides!”
Conclusion:
If you have pets in your home, you'll need to take special care when planting houseplants. Be sure to keep unsafe species well away from your plants. Looking for more indoor planting tools and information? Welcome to visit our official website. Follow us could get the biggest discount. Now using coupon code: Nicole11 to get 17% off when checkout.
Our emails address is: business@ecofarm.ca
Contact: