(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
green(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Dear AT,
We've been very proudly growing Jalapeno peppers on our balcony in NYC
and they were doing very well until this morning when we discovered
the poor plant covered in green fly.
Do you know of an eco friendly way to save our plant?
Claire
***
Dear Claire,
Our idea involves something you may already have around the house.
A weak soap solution is ideal for dispatching little buggies like the ones which are eating your plant.
Make sure to use real soap and not detergent (most commercial dish soaps are actually detergents). For example, Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is real soap and is certified organic... perhaps you already have some around the house.
Mix a tablespoon or two in a quart of water and give the plant a good spray. The soap will dehydrate (and therefore kill) the bugs and, in small quantities, will not harm the plant -- or render your peppers poisonous.
Other natural pest repellents include onions, horseradish, cayenne, and garlic, which is particularly good for repelling deer... though we doubt that's a problem on a NYC balcony!
Have other ideas for Claire? Please share them below.
I have used the "Garden Cure-All Tonic" recipe for years with great success! At the first sign of insects or disease, mix up a batch of this Tonic to set things right. Eco-friendly, too!
1 small jalapeno pepper
1 tsp Murphy's Oil Soap
1 tsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
Pulverize the pepper, garlic, and onion in a blender, and steep in a quart of warm water for 2 hours.
Strain and dilute the liquid with 3 parts warm water.
Add Murphy's Oil Soap and vegetable oil.
Mist-spray flowers several times a week.
view Aunt Honey's profile
isopropyl alcohol mixed with DE. Spray it every day for a few days.
view Amphetamine's profile