Home Page
   Articles
       links
About Us    
Traders        
Recipes            
Latest Articles
rhubarb leaf insectiside
Page Previous  1, 2
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Downsizer Forum Index -> Make Your Own/DIY
Author 
 Message
Bugs



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've always wondered about that "illegal" pesticides thing.

On Gardeners World last week the RHS woman described garlic as "good for insecticides" or something along those lines, and I was thinking....'ang on a minute....

judyofthewoods



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ross wrote:
of course, such a home made insecticide would be illegal under EU law....but if you consider it a 'foliar feed' then it's perfectly legal


And long live the revolution

Hedonists



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 95
Location: Romford, Essex.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ross wrote:
of course, such a home made insecticide would be illegal under EU law....but if you consider it a 'foliar feed' then it's perfectly legal


Do you have any more information on this, please? I'm presently steeping some onion & garlic, with the intention of using it as, ahem, a foliar feed.

I recently read an article about a guy who is developing a commercial instecticde from garlic, and thought I'd try and do something similar on a much more home-made scale. I'm hoping it will persuade things such as carrot fly, and especially the blasted slugs, to go elsewhere. I'm intending to spray the plants with a fine mist, as I don't want the liquid to soak into the soil and alienate the worm population.

For the life of me, I can't imagine a reason why the EU have outlawed it and a quick Google hasn't turned up anything either.

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The problem is that ALL pesticides must now be regulated, this means testing which costs a lot of money. Untested pesticides are not allowed under current regulations.

ross



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 123

PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

see https://www.pesticides.gov.uk/safe_use.asp?id=493#Evaluated

Quote:
Only approved pesticides can be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used.

moggins



Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

so lasts years trick of soaking all fag ends in a bucket of water is out of the question too then?

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I thought you'd given up?

moggins



Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The other half and eldest daughter haven't though

ross



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 123

PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

moggins, I hope you weren't going to use that tobacco mixture on tomatoes. Aside from general concerns over the chemicals in cigarettes, you could transfer Tobacco Mosaic Virus to tomatoes.

Hedonists



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 95
Location: Romford, Essex.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 05 11:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ross, thanks very much for the extra info

moggins



Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 05 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

No ross, it was for my rose bush, it gets attacked every bleeding year

ross



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 123

PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 05 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

my roses are covered in aphids, the blighters are surviving sprays of dissolved soap and garlic mixture. I'd forgotten about the rhubarb leaves concotion so will have to give it a try. I've also heard that boiled potato foliage makes an excellent "foliar feed" as well

ButteryHOLsomeness



Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 05 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i used to use a mixture of garlic and a small bit of soap shavings (disolve the shavings in warm water first) simply mix them both in a water bottle and spray away! it worked very well for me and didn't harm my tomatoes or peppers.

this was years ago when i still lived in texas so i couldn't tell you the amount of water, sorry!

hils



Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham
PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 05 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thats great thanks - I like to hear when these things have worked for someone. I may do a bit of your recipe and add a few rhubarb leaves anyway - just because I've got them!

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 05 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The trouble with a rhubarb leaf-based insecticide is that it is going to be non-specific - just like many of the commercial insecticides that you are probably trying to avoid. It is just as likely to kill the ladybird adults and larvae that are tucking into those aphids. That's why the most of the recommended sprays for organic gardeners are soap-based - the soap dissolves the waxy coatings on the aphids, but doesn't harm the ladybirds or other garden goodies.

Also the oxalic acid in rhubarb leaves is pretty toxic to humans too, and you will have no real idea of the concentration in your spray. So I would leave a reasonable gap between spraying and consumption if you are going to use it on edible plants.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Downsizer Forum Index -> Make Your Own/DIY All times are GMT
Page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2
View Latest Posts View Latest Posts

 

Archive
Powered by php-BB © 2001, 2005 php-BB Group
Style by marsjupiter.com, released under GNU (GNU/GPL) license.
Copyright © 2004 marsjupiter.com