Eggplant Pest Trouble

[QAC91]

Yeah... My eggplants must taste good because they are the only ones being eaten. When I examine them, there are always pinhead shaped and sized black bugs. I need to get rid of them safely. I have a book called "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" and it said a safe spray to make would be...

7 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
3 cups hot water

The only problem is that when I put it in my spray bottle, it clogs it. Does anyone know of a slightly less thick solution so that I can spray it? Thanks for any help.

[Yools]

[align=left]1 tablespoon of what? (you left something out)[/align]
[align=left]Perhaps you need to soak the crushed garlic in the hot water, then strain it before putting it into the spray bottle if it is the garlic pieces that is clogging it up?[/align]
[align=left]I've heard that one of the best things to spray on veggies is this:
Soak any onion peels that you use in a container of water with a lid on it. Keep adding to it and let it go rotten. Whenever you need to spray veggies, just take some of this 'smelly' water, strain it, and spray! Apparently nothing comes close!:P[/align]
[align=left]All the best![/align]
[align=left]Yulanda
ridges@3i.co.za [/align]

[Newt]

Hi QAC,

Here's some home made recipes.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page15.html
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=204
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/194

Newt

[QAC91]

Thanks for the help, I'll try out some of this sprays and report back if any work.

[Newt]

QAC, you are very welcome.* We'd love to hear what works and what doesn't and how it was to use some of them.* :shock:

Newt

[QAC91]

*** Well, I haven't had time to make any of the more complex stuff so I tried my best with some simple mixtures. I mixed 1 Tbsp of soap with 2 quarts of water. This seemed to work for a day, but I would need to spray it everyday and I don't have time usually. Then I was going to try to make a garlic spray. To sum up a long story, I messed up and ended up with 7 cloves of chopped garlic soaked in to about two quarts of rain water. I was going to dump it when I thought about pouring it onto my eggplants. I did just that and have not had a bug problem for the last 3 days. I recommend it to others. If I have anymore pest problems I'll try some others recipes and report any luck.

[Newt]

Thanks so much for getting back to us!* you said:

"To sum up a long story, I messed up and ended up with 7 cloves of chopped garlic soaked in to about two quarts of rain water. I was going to dump it when I thought about pouring it onto my eggplants. I did just that and have had a bug problem for the last 3 days. I recommend it to others."

I'm guessing you meant to type you have NOT had a bug problem in the last 3 days.* At least I hope that's what has happened.* :)

Newt

[QAC91]

Yeah typo, I have NOT had a problem since.

[Newt]

:D*:D*:D

Newt