BUTTERMILK
So you think that buttermilk is just a method for helping pots get that aged look or for getting moss to grow? Well, think again. For those pesky mites, the teeny tiny, reddish insects that you can barely see with the naked eye (but that can do tremendous damage to a plant in what seems like no time at all causing yellow foliage and twisted leaf tips), here is a homemade formula that is sure to solve your mite problem. Mix ½ Cup of buttermilk with 4 cups of wheat flour and 5 gallons of water. Strain this mixture through a cheesecloth. Spray it onto the diseased plants. It will kill all of the mites and their eggs.
GARLIC
A combination of 1 chopped garlic bulb and 1 Tblsp. of cayenne pepper steeped in 1 quart of water creates a mixture that will help keep cats and dogs out of the garden. Add 1 tsp. of liquid dishwashing soap to help this spicy combination adhere to the plant. Strain the portion that you're going to use and then spray on the leaves. The remainder of the formula can remain fresh in the fridge for several weeks.
IRISH SPRING SOAP
Chop up a bar of Irish Spring Soap and cut the end of an old pair of panty hose. Put a piece of soap in the panty hose and tie onto the trees and bushes where the deer have done damage. Before you know it, the deer will be gone. They can’t stand the smell of Irish Spring.
SUNLIGHT DISHWASHING LIQUID
Quite a few listeners from my show swear that the brand name of “Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid” is the one remedy that works 100% of the time on mites. Mix 1 Tblsp. of Sunlight with 1 gallon of water.
OLIVE OIL
If you place 1 Tblsp of olive oil on any water surface, it will prevent mosquitoes from breeding there.
RUBBING ALCOHOL
When in doubt, I go to my medicine cabinet and get out the old rubbing alcohol. I soak a few cotton balls in the alcohol and rub on the infected area for such insects as:
spider mites, aphids, slugs and whiteflies. It may take a few times before you successfully get rid of these pests, but eventually it does work. Rubbing alcohol is a 'must have' for the garden.
LEMON JUICE and SUGAR
In order to keep cut flowers fresh for a longer period of time, I add 1 Tblsp. of lemon juice and 1 Tblsp. of sugar to a container 2/3 filled with cool or tepid water.
