Whenever you head to the garden department of any large store, the selection of garden sprays and pesticides can be overwhelming. What kind of plant are you using it on? What kind of pest do you need to eliminate? Do you want organic, natural, anything that will work? The choices seem endless, and it can be particularly difficult to find something that’s nontoxic yet effective.
Although we try and rarely use anything on our plants—even natural pesticides—we occasionally have to turn to something so we can at least enjoy our hard-earned garden bounty before the worms get to them.
Being a mom and working full-time, I don’t have much time to make all kinds of concoctions for my garden. Of course, I want something that will be effective but something that I don’t have to spend a lot of time making is a huge plus, and that’s why I love this simple recipe. It won’t work on every garden pest, but if you need something in a pinch this is a great thing to turn to because you already have the ingredients and it takes just a short amount of time to make.
What You’ll Need:
- 16 ounces warm water
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- empty spray bottle
Remove the sprayer and lid from the spray bottle, add the warm water and garlic powder. Place the lid and sprayer back on and shake until the garlic powder has dissolved into the liquid.
You won’t want to spray this (or any other pesticide) on your plants in the heat of the day. Spray it in the the early evening on a day when you are not planning on watering your plants, unless you use soaker hose, in which case, you can use this spray any evening. The key is not watering application or it will simply run off of the leaves and be of no help to your plants.
We use this on a wide variety of plants, everything from lettuce to potatoes, and we use it on a wide variety of pests. While you may need something a bit more heavy-duty for squash bugs, it’s very helpful in combatting worms, aphids and other leaf-munching pests. It’s worth trying on whatever pest seems to be ailing your garden just because it’s so inexpensive and simple!
Find more of Merissa’s projects on HobbyFarms.com:
 | About Merissa Alink Merissa Alink believes in making the most with what you have. She blogs about simple living, modern homesteading, and from-scratch recipes at Little House Living and joins us each month on The Craft Hub with sewing projects you can incorporate into your own home. |
