Organic gardening is not a new idea; it's a fair bet that Eve's apple was pesticide free. Many gardeners are new to the idea, however, and figuring out the best organic pesticides can be confusing. Using organic pesticides is safer than trying to master the chemical-laden ones used by the factory farms, and making homemade pesticides is much less expensive than purchasing commercial ones.
Vegetable-Based Organic Pesticides
Crush fresh, raw garlic and onions into a paste using a blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle. Place them in a small bowl or jar and cover them with warm water. Let them soak overnight, and then strain the liquid into a sprayer for use against apple borers and aphids. Another way to fight aphids is to boil 1 lb. chopped rhubarb leaves in 1 qt. of water for 30 minutes, and strain the liquid into a clean spray bottle. Treat leaf-spot diseases by crushing 2 cups of tomato leaves into a puree. Add 4 1/2 cups of water and 1 tsp. of cornstarch and mix well. According to Mother Earth News, tomato leaves contain a substance called solanine, which inhibits black spot fungus.
Soap-Based Organic Pesticides
Pour 1 cup of vegetable oil into a clean spray bottle. Add 1 tsp. of liquid dish soap and shake well until the mixture has thickened and turned opaque. Add 1 qt. of warm tap water. The people at Mother Earth News recommend that you use this as an all-purpose pesticide for aphids, spider mites, white flies and other insects. This works well on peppers, eggplants, cucumbers and celery. The gardeners at No Dig Vegetable Gardening recommend using pure soap with just a splash of detergent because plants seem to tolerate it better. Variations on this include substituting 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol for the vegetable oil and using the spray once per week, or adding the strained liquid from 3 tbsp. of crushed red pepper flakes to the original soap and oil recipe. The oil in these recipes suffocates the pests, while the alcohol and pepper either poisons them or chases them away.
Tobacco-Based Organic Pesticides
Use tobacco to poison garden pests by mixing tobacco and water until it forms a thick, brown liquid that is the color of root beer. Pour the liquid into the soil around the roots of plants to kill underground pests like centipedes, fungus gnats and root lice. Bury cigar and cigarette butts in the soil of your houseplants to kill worms, or sprinkle snuff on top of the soil. Mother Earth News also recommends blowing cigar or cigarette smoke into a dish garden or terrarium and then sealing the top as a way to rid the container of plant lice.
Commercial Organic Pesticides
Use commercial organic pesticides if you don't have the time or inclination to make your own. The most popular organic commercial pesticide is pyrethrin, which is made from certain species of chrysanthemums. According to the experts at Cornell University, pyrethrins penetrate the insects' central nervous system on contact, though many insects can neutralize them. Many commercial pyrethrin-based pesticides include synthetic pyrethrin--called pyrethroid--along with other ingredients to ensure their effectiveness. Plant-based ryania and sabadilla are both made from plants native to South America, but the latter can cause eye and lung irritation if it is not used properly. Read and follow all instructions on commercial organic pesticides.
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