Mary Sue wrote:

"I'm eager for aphid control stories too especially if anyone has some
reliable ones that don't involve heavy duty poison control. I've used
things like pyrola and neem when I first have discovered aphids every year
and neither gives as good control as I would like. The neem didn't seem to
phase them."

What are pyrola and neem?

We are having problems with garden insecticides, fungicides, etc. this side
of the pond because of a recent EU directive requiring registration of all
such materials for agricultural or horticultural use. The large
registration fee (about ?100,000 if I remember correctly, but I may be
exaggerating as I am anti EU bureaucratic ------------ (insert word here
that insults a bull)) has put off many suppliers registering sprays for
home gardeners. The cost is not justified by the relatively small sales
levels and they are disappearing from the shelves of our garden suppliers.

So for a real killer, I'll have to go back to that natural source tobacco
and extract the nicotine. We still have derris and pyrethrum but they are
not strong enough for some situations.

A dilute solution of washing up liquid may be effective for aphis and
caterpillars, parrticularly early in the season and while infestations are
light, but try it carefully first. Some of these washing up liquids have
many constituents and the formulations change from time to time.
Concentration in water at about the same level as you use for washing up
the dishes.

(Sexist joke for you, Cathy. Quiz master in TV show: " What will you do
with your prize money? Buy a new dishwasher perhaps?" Male contestant: "No,
we don't need a new dishwasher. I AM the dishwasher.")

Home Made Nicotine Insecticide

Note: Both this and the next recipe can be a bit smelly in the making. Do
it in the garden shed or outside if you are in one of those sunny places.
Choose the wind direction appropriately.

Soft Soap 1 pound (we have a proprietary soft soap here called Swarfega
that would do, but there are cheaper brands around that will be good
enough. Don't use washing up liquid. I've not tried it instead of soft soap
but I suspect the high concentration needed and the presence of cationic
surfactants as well as anionic ones may give undesired results, i.e., dead
plants!)

Tobacco 4 ounces (any cured tobacco will do, even cigarette ends. The best
I know, because it has more nicotine, is pipe smokers shag. I would imagine
that western chewing tobacco would be good stuff - go on, surprise your
local store!)

Cut up the tobacco first, if necessary. Boil the tobacco in 2 gallons water
for two hours; just keep it simmering as if you were making jam and
maintain the volume at two gallons. Strain through an old piece of cloth
such as a pajama leg knotted at the bottom. Gently boil the clear solution
with the soft soap until completely dispersed. Bottle the mixture as it
will keep for years - it is too poisonous for bacteria.

To spray, use one part of this mixture to four parts water. [Part of the
effectiveness of this recipe probably lies in the detergent action of the
soft soap.] As nicotine is poisonous, don't use it on your fruit and
vegetables unless there is going to be a good rain to wash it away. Even
without the nicotine the soft soap isn't very tasty either. (Does all this
put you off smoking?)

Quassia Spray

If you can get hold of any quassia wood chips, this spray is good against
aphis, caterpillars and Gooseberry sawfly. However, don't use it on your
leaf vegetables - cabbage, brussels, spinach, etc. as it can give a bitter
taste. It won't hurt, it's not poisonous to humans, birds or other animals
but ... yuck. The bitterness will keep the birds off fruit buds in Spring.

Boil 0.5 pound quassia wood chips vigorously with 1 gallon water for two
hours. Add more water as the it boils away to keep the volume at the 1
gallon mark. Strain through your pajama leg (without your leg inside it, of
course). Add 1 ounce ordinary soap, boil till it dissolves, bottle, store
as long as you like.

Use 1 part mixture to 5 parts water as your spray.

---------

Regards to all
Hamish Sloan

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