How to make garlic spray for plants – [Recipe]

Homemade garlic spray is a preferred option by many gardeners. It helps them fight off aphids, snails and stink bug infestations. Of course, there are a couple of other options for homemade pesticides, which you can check out and test, but now we are going to concentrate on garlic spray.

You will find this useful if:

• You want to know how to make garlic spray for plants;
• You are dealing with an aphid infestation;
• You want to prepare homemade pest control spray.

What you’ll need to make a garlic spray for plants

All recipes begin with the ingredients and tools that you are going to need, and this one is no different. Here is what you’ll have to get in order to make a garlic wash to deter slugs and treat aphids:

Needed items:

• Garlic – 6 cloves to a bulb;
• Hot water – two litters;
• Sieve;
• Mixing container;
• Garden sprayer – 2L (or bigger, but you should increase the dose of garlic).

How to make garlic spray for plants

Now that you have everything you need, it’s time to get to work and actually make your own natural garlic insecticide. It’s nothing complicated, you just need to keep in mind the proportions.

Steps:

1. Peel the garlic cloves and blend or crush them into a puree.
2. Mix the garlic paste with some hot water in a container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap.
3. Leave the mixture to steep overnight.
4. Next morning you can strain the liquid so the pieces of garlic don’t clog the nozzle of your sprayer.
5. Pour your fresh batch of garlic spray into your garden sprayer, and you are ready for action.
6. Spray flowers, veggies and fruits attacked by vermin.

What you can add to your garlic spray to make it even more effective

Some people prefer to add some extra ingredients, so their homemade pest control spray becomes more versatile and treats more pests. Such additives are:

What is garlic spray good for?

Garlic spray is known to deter a variety of crawling and flying insects, such as aphids, slugs, beetles, ants, armyworms, and flies. Since the spray doesn’t kill pollinators and only repels them from your garden, applying it to your plants will provide good results against pests.

Among the rest of benefits of homemade garlic spray are:

How to apply garlic spray on your plants

It is best if you spray your plants in the evening. Use your trusty sprayer and spray the plants from a distance of around 20cm. It is very important to cover the top and bottom of the leaves because usually aphids, and other insects, lay their eggs under them.

If you are dealing with an infestation, you should re-apply the garlic spray for aphids every few days. And always re-spray your plants after a rainy day. If the plants are not infested, and you simply wish to deter potential threats, spray them once a week.

Can you use garlic spray on all plants?

You can use garlic liquid to repel pests on any plants – vegetables, fruits, herbs or flowers. Just spray the bottom of the leaves to ensure that pests and their eggs are treated correctly. However, it is important to remember that garlic spray should be used in moderation. Although it can be very effective in eliminating garden pests, if used too often, it can negatively affect beneficial soil microbes.

Need help to get rid of the pests?

Homemade pesticide for plants is not something that guarantees the eradication of pests. In gardening, you can treat a couple of plants and rid them of different pests, but when it comes to home infestations, you should contact a professional pest control specialist.

Call in for an inspection if you suspect that pests are invading your personal space. Sometimes trying out different DIY pest control methods gives the critters enough time to set up nests and reproduce, which makes it harder to get rid of them.

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Have you ever tried a garlic garden spray solution? Did it work? Share your experience below!