Re: [CH] Re: destroying aphids
Chad A Gard (gard@indy.net)
Wed, 6 Dec 2000 14:27:45 -0500
>Soak one pouch of tobacco in warm water overnight. Strain well, the add
>tobacco to a large pot with a cup of fresh (or 1/2 cup dry) hot peppers, and
>1/2 cup dill seeds. Boil for 15 minutes or so. Cool completely, strain well
>and add 1 Tablespoon of dish soap. (do not use anything fancy or anti
>bacterial- use soap, not detergent).
>Add water to bring the volume to a total of three gallons, or leave in
>concentrated form and add water as needed.
I've used mixtures (tobacco based) like this to get various bugs off my
hostas and other backyard plants. I used tobacco juice, cayenne powder,
and lemon-scented dish soap. The niccotine in the tobacco juice is a
contact and ingestion poisoning, the capsaicin in the cayenne makes their
little feet hurt, the soap is a contact poison, and the lemon scent because
mosquitos don't like citrus scents so it keeps them away (not as well as
the bats do, though). I often add epsom salts just for the magnesium for
the plants as well, and spray it through a hose-end sprayer. This works
well to keep my extremely shady backyard relatively pest-free, and since I
rent it's about as much effort and money as I'm willing to spend.
But, though I am just starting to attempt to grow chiles, and those
hydroponically and indoors, I would be really worried about using a mixture
with tobacco in it on chiles. The threat of TMV is just way too high - and
I'm sure it would be harder to do anything about than aphids. Am I right
in having that concern, or would I be OK using tobacco juice mitures?
Also, what do the dill seeds do in Derek's mixture?
Chad Gard, CTS KB9WXQ
INCHASE: http://www.inchase.org Co-founder
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