Cultivating aromatic herbs on the terrace, on the balcony or at home requires above all passion and a pinch of good will: it is not a difficult nor tiring job, and with a few precautions it is possible to have luxuriant plants, healthy and insect-free all year round.
In addition, if you use them to season your dishes, you can disinfect your aromatic herbs in a way that is absolutely respectful of nature and your diet by making very effective organic pesticides at home.
Garlic spray insecticide
Garlic is one of the most powerful natural repellents, able to remove many insects from your vessels.
It is enough to blend a head of garlic and a few cloves with a little water and, after letting it rest one day, dilute the mixture obtained in about 3 liters of water.
You can then spray the solution with a sprayer, directly on the leaves of your plants, starting with small quantities until you get the desired effect.
Tomato spray insecticide
Also the tomato leaves, thanks to the alkaloids of which they are rich, are effective against many aphids, worms and moths.
Chop the tomato leaves until filling a cup, add water, let macerate for one night and then add another cup of water.
After filtering the solution, spray on the plants.
Pepper spray insecticide
It is not surprising that pepper, the undisputed protagonist of the kitchen with a strong taste, has a natural effect against many parasites.
Preparing this natural pesticide is simple: blend at high speed for a couple of minutes 100 grams of peppers with two glasses of water and put to rest the mixture so obtained for a half day.
Then filter the pulp and dilute further by adding another glass of water.
Your anti-insect pepper spray is ready for use. Of course, handle it with caution.
Macerated tobacco
Tobacco is a very effective repellent especially against bedbugs, known since ancient times. Its antiparasitic power comes from the nicotine, a substance naturally present in its leaves.
To extract it just empty the contents of 5 or 6 cigarettes in half a liter of water and leave to the pulp for a couple of days. Once ready, no further dilution is required.
Filter the solution through a strainer and pour the newly obtained liquid into a nebulizer.
Caution:
The substances contained in these pesticides, although natural and of biological origin, at high concentrations may be toxic, in addition to insects, also for humans and domestic animals. So remember to keep these insecticides away from the reach of children and pets.
Eggshells
Egg shells can be used to protect your plants from the bottom, not for their chemical composition, but for their particular conformation.
In fact, by breaking them into pieces, they can be arranged to form a protective ring at the base of your plants. Their edges will be sharp for small animals such as snails, caterpillars and centipedes, and will prevent their passage.
