How to make garlic spray for plants as organic garden pest control

Uses & Benefits of using garlic spray in a tropical organic garden:

• natural anti-fungal agent
• Natural Pesticide
• Natural anti-bacterial agent

Pepper

kang kong



White flies on my kang kong leaves



Watermelon. Note the brown leaf in the top right.

To make garlic spray for the garden, you will need:

• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp mineral oil
• 1 pint water
• 1 tsp liquid soap such as dishwashing liquid (to break down bodies of aphids and other soft bodied garden pests. Bleach free)
• Blender
• A strainer
• Storage container with a secure lid
• A spray bottle

Instructions for making garlic spray for an organic garden

1. Mince garlic
2. Combine garlic with oil
3. Allow the garlic and oil mixture to stand for 24 hours before straining. (I usually throw away the pith. BTW, oils are unsuitable for the composting process).
4. Add water and soap
5. Store
6. To use, shake well and combine 2 tbsp of the mixture with 1 pint of water. Spray over the foliage. Whenever possible, apply on the underside of leaves to extend the period during which the spray remains on the leaves in spite of rain.

Beware

• Organic garden garlic spray is a non selective insecticide.
• Did you know that aliums are not good for dogs? Garlic may be toxic for dogs if eaten. (Onions is more toxic and has been related to dog fatality). Although garlic spray is not eaten by dogs, I worry that it may still be absorbed by dogs and would therefore be careful when / if dogs are around. 

Observations and noteworthy points

• My aubergine (aka eggplant) plants were transformed overnight. Literally! The plants became very healthy and highly productive after using garlic spray. I saw a similar transformation with my dwarf lime tree.
• Spraying on the underside of pepper leaves has made a huge transformation to their health and survivability in my personal experience. I do not see all of the horrible white and black mass building up on the underside of the leaves when I keep on top of the spraying. 
• The most drastic distress signs in my garden may be with the cucurbits (zucchinis, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons and so on). The otherwise green leaves turned white, ashy or brown and looked like brittle paper. As for fruit production, apart from being fewer, the fruits were oddly shaped. I found that using garlic spray (along with pepper spray for voracious caterpillars and baking soda spray) was the only way that I could extend the life of these plants. Unfortunately, unlike the other plants, I need to keep on top of spraying just to keep the cucurbits alive. So I have lost these plants.
• Tomato plants responded well but not as drastically as did the aubergine / eggplant plants or lime tree.
• I have also used garlic spray on kang kong with good results.

Just on a pretty note, I have planted marigolds in my garden. Apart from their beauty, their strong scent is also a form of natural pest control. I do not think that I have enough of these wonderful plants in my garden currently.


Marigolds are a natural form of pest control for a tropical organic garden

Other homemade sprays for organic gardens

• Pepper spray for the garden
• Baking soda spray for plants
• Epsom salt spray for plants



What is wrong with my dwarf lime tree?

I have been growing a dwarf lime tree in a wooden barrel for roughly one year. I am not sure whether the problem can be easily rectified with some know how. Suggestions and advice are welcome.

As you can see, the leaves are mottled. I have heard that one of the characteristics of the much dreaded citrus green disease (aka huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease) is asymmetrically mottled leaves. I really hope that citrus green disease is not the problem in my case because there are no known cures.
Unlike quite a few months ago, I do not see sign of culprits like white flies or other pests. If that were the problem, I know that using garlic spray would be the easy solution as it had been previously.

The leaves are not curling and do not have any leaf miner tracks.

There is no sea salt spray.

The plant is in a wooden barrel. The barrel has been attacked off and on by termites and has vining strawberry around the edge. The growing medium is a combination of compost, peat moss and manure. I have not refilled any of these elements for a few months. Is that the problem?

I notice that my neighbour appears to be spraying some kind of chemical weedicide along the fenxe line of our boundary lines which is about 5 feet away from this particular plant. However, the plant is elevated above the ground by about 4 feet.