Recipes
Garlic water
Garlic is famously pungent, but what you’re smelling is the plant’s natural defence mechanism. When cloves are crushed, they release unpleasant sulphur compounds to put off whatever is hoping it might have found some lunch. Spray plants with the same compounds and you’ll keep off most pests, from blackfly on the beans and whitefly in the greenhouse to aphids on roses. The key is not to stint on the garlic: you’ll need two whole bulbs per batch (it helps if you grow your own).
Choose a dry day and spray both sides of the leaves with garlic water until they’re dripping wet. Repeat weekly (or after heavy rain if you’re using it outdoors). Use garlic water as fresh as possible, as it’s most effective just after it’s made.
Treats Aphids, slugs, whitefly
Chilli pepper spray
Chilli spray is the silver bullet of organic pesticides. It reduces populations of aphids, spider mites and whitefly, not by killing adults but by coating eggs with an oily mix that prevents them hatching. And it’s a highly effective deterrent against larger, often more destructive pests, as the component capsaicin, which we find so hot, delivers an equally vicious sting to any mammal that tries to eat it.
Any chilli works, but hotter ones are most effective. Start spraying against insects before infestations start, as a preventative measure. Protect plants from larger pests by spraying every few weeks, re-applying after rain. Leaves absorb pepper spray so avoid using it on leafy