| Home made recipes to help you to deal with | | | | Take one tablespoon of oil mixture as above, |
| unwanted 'critters'! | | | | then add |
| Horticultural oil sprays have been commercially | | | | 2 cups of water. |
| available for a long time, they work by | | | | Place the solution in a spray bottle, and spray |
| smothering the insects and mites they come in | | | | your plants. As you know, oil and water do not |
| contact with, preventing disease-causing pests | | | | mix well, so shake the spray bottle as you are |
| from destroying your favorite plants. I hate to | | | | using it, to keep the solution well mixed. Repeat |
| walk out in my garden in the morning, and find | | | | the treatment in seven to ten days, if necessary. |
| my roses with great holes in their leaves. It can | | | | Alcohol oil spray. |
| be quite soul destroying. | | | | To increase the effectiveness of the basic oil |
| Aphids, scale insects, and other insects that stay | | | | spray add some isopropyl alcohol to the mixture. |
| on a plant, are particularly susceptible to oil sprays. | | | | An alcohol and water solution is lethal to many |
| Unfortunately, grasshoppers and insects that take | | | | insects. |
| a bite and fly away, are not usually affected. | | | | 1 cup alcohol |
| When using any spray, remember that it will kill | | | | 1 teaspoon vegetable oil |
| beneficial insects as well as pests, and make sure | | | | 1 quart water. |
| you only spray when you know that insects are | | | | Mix ingredients together and place in spray bottle, |
| present on your plants. Oils can also burn plant | | | | spray as necessary. |
| leaves especially in hot summer months, so | | | | DO NOT DRINK! |
| before spraying an entire plant, always spray a | | | | Flour Spray. |
| few leaves and then check back the next day for | | | | My grandmother used to use a flour spray as she |
| burning. | | | | said it was a good way to kill many pest insects. |
| For best results, remember to spray the | | | | There wasn't any chemical sprays available to her |
| underside of leaves as well as the topside. | | | | in those days. |
| Here are recipes for 2 oil sprays to make from | | | | Flour dust turns into a sticky substance that can |
| your own ingredients: | | | | hold a pest like a sticky trap. |
| Basic Oil Spray. | | | | Many insects will eat it, and the flour stops up |
| 1 cup of vegetable oil ( safflower, corn, soybean, | | | | their digestive tracts. To get more flour onto |
| or canola) | | | | your plants try spraying it on: |
| 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid. | | | | 2-4 tablespoons wheat or potato flour |
| Place oil and water in a jar or empty plastic bottle | | | | ½ teaspoon dishwashing liquid |
| . | | | | 1 quart water. |
| ( Squeezable bottles make for easy pouring and | | | | Mix well and place in spray bottle, spray on plant |
| measuring.) | | | | and leaves. |