Easy Organic Pesticide Recipe You Can Count On

Organic pesticide is easy to make out of ingredients you probably already have.

So, something is eating your veggies?  Something is always trying to munch on my beans.  Typically Mexican bean beetle larvae are the culprits.  But don't panic! The answer is probably already in your garden!

These poor turtle bean sprouts have barely had a chance and have been
chewed up.

Planting marigolds (calendula) or rosemary near your beans can help to keep these little suckers away.  Creating an organic pesticide is easy.  I have rosemary, mint, onions, garlic, and I grow cayenne in my garden (although it is out of season right now).  If you are missing rosemary or mint you can substitute with essential oils.

   

Just look in your garden! Garlic, mint and onion...even rosemary fight common garden pests!

             Ingredients

• 1 medium onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of mint leaves (or 20 drops of peppermint essential oil)
• 1 cup of rosemary leaves (or 10 drops of rosemary essential oil)
• 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of liquid castile soap
• water

The recipe for one gallon of my organic pesticide is as follows:  I puree one medium onion, five garlic cloves, two cups of mint leaves (I use one cup spearmint and one cup peppermint), one cup of rosemary, and two tablespoons of ground cayenne pepper with a cup of water.  I then bring the mixture to a gentle boil and allow the mixture to steep for an hour or two.  Then I allow it to cool.  I then add two tablespoons of liquid castile soap to a gallon size jug (such as an empty water jug or empty vinegar container).  I strain the now cool mixture with a fine mesh strainer or with cheesecloth and pour it into the container using a small funnel.  If you do not have mint or rosemary, you can substitute with essential oil. (**If you use essential oils, add them in AFTER your herb mixture cools. Otherwise they may lose their efficacy.**) Then add water until the bottle is filled.  Pour a little into a spray bottle to spray directly onto your veggies and plants.  Spray once or twice a week or after a heavy rain.

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