We have been playing with a multitude of recipes to solve problems in gardens all over Naarm (Melbourne) naturally, our beliefs are that chemicals are a last resort…not a go to option. This Recipe is a bulk recipe that can be used over time and tailored to your needs.
Ingredients:
- Sunflower Oil: 1 Cup (Note: Any seed oil can be used as an alternative)
- Natural Dishwashing Detergent: 1 Cup
- Garlic: 4 Cloves
- Chillies: 2 Whole
Method
Preparation:
- Combine Ingredients: In a glass bottle (or anything you have for that matter), mix together 1 cup of sunflower oil and 1 cup of natural dishwashing detergent.
- Add Garlic and Chillies: Chop the 4 cloves of garlic and the 2 whole chillies in halves. Add them to the mixture in the bottle.
- Soak Mixture: Allow the ingredients to soak and infuse in the bottle. You can decide the duration based on how strong you want the mixture to be. I permanently leave all ingredients in the big batch to continue to get stronger and dilute as you need.
Dilution and Application:
- Dilution: Once the mixture is infused to your satisfaction, prepare the spray solution. Take 4 teaspoons of the concentrated mixture and mix it with 250 millilitres of water in a spray bottle. Shake well to ensure it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Test Spray: Before applying widely, test the spray on a small area of the plant to ensure there is no adverse reaction.
- Application: Spray the diluted mixture onto affected areas of your plants. Be sure to cover the areas thoroughly, including the underside of leaves where insects often reside.
Why these ingredients work so well together:
- Sunflower Oil (or Any Seed Oil): Oils are often used in natural insect repellents for their ability to coat and suffocate smaller insects. The oil can create a barrier on the leaves of plants, deterring insects from feeding on or laying eggs. Additionally, the oil helps in evenly distributing and adhering other ingredients on plant surfaces.
- Natural Dishwashing Detergent: This acts as a surfactant, helping to mix oil and water, which normally do not combine well. It also helps in spreading the solution evenly over plant surfaces. The soap itself can be harmful to insects by breaking down their outer layer, leading to dehydration. However, it’s important to use a natural, mild detergent to avoid damaging the plants.
- Garlic: Garlic is known for its strong scent, which is repellent to many types of insects. Compounds like allicin in garlic are offensive to many pests, making it a natural deterrent. When garlic is crushed and infused in the mixture, it releases these compounds, enhancing the spray’s repellent properties.
- Chillies: Similar to garlic, chillies contain capsaicin, a compound that insects find highly irritating. This natural chemical is a deterrent for many pests and can discourage them from feeding on plants treated with the spray.