Herbal Preparations For Pest Control Of Horticultural Crops

Herbal preparations for pest control of horticultural crops in home gardening

In the conditions of home gardening, in addition to chemical, mechanical and biological methods , decoctions and infusions of some plants with insecticidal and acaricidal properties are used to protect garden crops from pests.

The main advantage of herbal preparations is that, unlike chemical ones, they are practically harmless to humans and the environment at the recommended concentrations. Although herbal preparations are less effective than chemical ones, nevertheless, gardeners use them with success on their plots, using chemicals only when necessary. It should be remembered that herbal preparations are effective, as a rule, only with a low accumulation of pests and with timely processing of garden crops.

Infusions and decoctions are prepared from fresh or dried plants harvested during the recommended growing season. They are used immediately after preparation in the evening, since most infusions and decoctions in sunlight decrease or even lose their pesticidal properties.

Below you will find a list of pesticide plants and methods for preparing infusions and decoctions from them.

Marigold. Plants are cut during flowering, dried and crushed. Half of the plastic or enamel bucket is filled with warm water, marigolds prepared in advance are added and insisted for two days, and then filtered. Before spraying, add 40 g of laundry soap for better adhesion. This infusion is effective in killing aphids.

Elderberry and black elderberry. Scares away various butterflies and rodents. An infusion of fresh elderberry leaves and flowers is used against aphids. The effect of the infusion is associated with the presence of a glycoside in the leaves of elderberry that cleaves hydrocyanic acid.

Potatoes. 1.5 kg of fresh or 0.8 kg of dry tops are crushed, poured in 10 liters of water, infused for 4 hours, filtered and used against spider mites, leaf-gnawing caterpillars.

Burdock. Freshly prepared leaves are finely chopped and filled with 1/3 of a bucket, topped up to the brim with water and infused for three days, filtered and used against leaf-gnawing caterpillars.

Bulb onions. 0.2 kg of husk is poured into 10 liters of hot water, infused for a day and used against aphids, ticks, moths. Spray three times at intervals of 7 days.

Dandelion medicinal. 0.2-0.3 kg of crushed rhizomes or 0.4 kg of green leaves are poured into 10 liters of water, infused for 2-3 hours and used against aphids and plant mites.

Alder is gray or shrub. 1 kg of dry or 2 kg of fresh crushed leaves are poured with 10 liters of water, infused for a day, then boiled for 30-40 minutes, cooled and filtered. The resulting broth is used for spraying against aphids and spider mites.

Wormwood. 1 kg of the dried mass collected during flowering is boiled for 10-15 minutes in a small amount of water, cooled, filtered, added with water to 10 liters and sprayed against leaf-eating caterpillars.

Pharmaceutical camomile. 1 kg of crushed leaves and inflorescences collected during flowering, pour 10 liters of hot water and leave for 12 hours. Before spraying, filter and dilute with water 1: 3. Used against aphids, ticks and small caterpillars.

Tobacco. 0.4 kg of tobacco dust is infused in 10 liters of water for a day, then boiled for 30 minutes, cooled and filtered. Before spraying, the solution is diluted twice with water; for better adhesion, add 40 g of laundry soap to a 10 liter container. They are used against aphids, honeydew and young caterpillars.

Tomato. 4 kg of chopped green tops or 2 kg of dry leaves are poured with 10 liters of water and boiled for 30 minutes, then filtered. For spraying, 2-3 liters of solution are diluted in 10 liters of water, 40 grams of laundry soap is added and sprayed against aphids and leaf-eating caterpillars.

Yarrow. 0.8-1 kg of dried and harvested plants are infused in 10 liters of water for two days or boiled for 30 minutes. Before spraying, filter and add 40 g of laundry soap. It is used against aphids, honeydew, spider mites and leaf-eating caterpillars.

Garlic. 0.5 kg of garlic is ground in a mortar and stirred in 3-5 liters of water, infused for two days and filtered. For spraying, 0.3 l of the extract is dissolved in 10 l of water. Spray 2-3 times in 3-5 days against aphids, spider mites.

Celandine is great. The aerial part of the plant is harvested during the summer. 3-4 kg of fresh or 1 kg of dry mass is poured into 10 liters of water, infused for a day, filtered and immediately used for spraying against aphids and other sucking pests.

Horse sorrel. 0.3 kg of harvested roots are crushed and poured with 10 liters of water, insisted for 2-3 hours, filtered and used to spray plants against aphids, bugs, leaf-eating caterpillars.