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Organics for mites

guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
I've used rosemary oil and it works...but it is a bit spendy,especially if you have a large garden. I'm doing a lavender experiment tonight on a new family of thrips that set up camp on a nice piece of real estate over on the Blue Mystic side of town a couple weeks ago. Hoping that my soil will eventually break the cycle,but why not see if the lavender is effective.
 
Clackamas Coot

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
CC1

Lavender works. And it works very well - especially if you were to add some of the liquid soap that you've mentioned before - Dr. B's (I can never remember how to spell the name of that product). Shaking up the mixture to activate the foaming action is very helpful anytime you're using some kind of surfactant - especially the purer forms like Yucca extract or the powdered Yucca root powder version (about 4x the amount of saponins).

You'll like the lavender deal. It was my observation that using the dried flowers produced a darker tea vs. fresh flowers with the same brewing times. I don't know if that means anything relative to the strength of one over the other.

HTH

CC
 
Clackamas Coot

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
CC1

In looking at several rosemary oil recipes it's not very difficult to make. What was your mixing ratio for rosemary oil to 1 gallon of water?

Thanks!

CC
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
Clackamas Coot said:
CC1

Lavender works. And it works very well - especially if you were to add some of the liquid soap that you've mentioned before - Dr. B's (I can never remember how to spell the name of that product). Shaking up the mixture to activate the foaming action is very helpful anytime you're using some kind of surfactant - especially the purer forms like Yucca extract or the powdered Yucca root powder version (about 4x the amount of saponins).

You'll like the lavender deal. It was my observation that using the dried flowers produced a darker tea vs. fresh flowers with the same brewing times. I don't know if that means anything relative to the strength of one over the other.

HTH

CC
Click to expand...
I'm going to try both on separate plants.....suppose I'll get those results back 2 tomorrow. I was going to try it without the soap first to see if lavender alone works. Maybe I'll try the Dr.B addition on another.
Bear in mind that I'm not at all freaked out over a few thrips....not much of a encampment,just thought it would be a good opportunity to revert back to childhood and make some bugs squirm.
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
Clackamas Coot said:
CC1

In looking at several rosemary oil recipes it's not very difficult to make. What was your mixing ratio for rosemary oil to 1 gallon of water?

Thanks!

CC
Click to expand...
When I had mites about a year ago I think it was around a tablespoon per gallon...don't think I was hip to using Dr.B's at the time and I abandoned the mess...but it worked. Can't remember if I then went to neem to finish the deal.
EDIT: It wasn't as bad as a spray bottle that gets destined for neem use,but it definitely oiled up the bottle in a way that I wouldn't use it for other foliars. Some leaves were damaged if I remember correctly...probably the lack of an emulsifier.
 
Clackamas Coot

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
CC1

I was thinking about a business concept of fermenting rosemary, mint and adding cinnamon oil and clove oil and making an insecticide. "Rose Mary's Mighty Miticide Mystery Mix"

Oaksterdam U has a branch operation in Molalla, Oregon called "Ball Sack U" and I've completed all of their classes.........

  • Flushing - It's Not Just for Human Exudes
  • Boil Those Roots! It's the Dankiest
  • Molasses - Can You Ever Use Too Much?
  • Endo vs. Ecto - Does it Really Matter?
All I would need is a dozen sock-puppets to promote this new product and I could be walking in tall cotton.

Looking for a career change?

CC
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
Clackamas Coot said:
CC1

I was thinking about a business concept of fermenting rosemary, mint and adding cinnamon oil and clove oil and making an insecticide. "Rose Mary's Mighty Miticide Mystery Mix"

Oaksterdam U has a branch operation in Molalla, Oregon called "Ball Sack U" and I've completed all of their classes.........

  • Flushing - It's Not Just for Human Exudes
  • Boil Those Roots! It's the Dankiest
  • Molasses - Can You Ever Use Too Much?
  • Endo vs. Ecto - Does it Really Matter?
All I would need is a dozen sock-puppets to promote this new product and I could be walking in tall cotton.

Looking for a career change?

CC
Click to expand...

I think the reason why I abandoned the rosemary oil was because I wasn't doing anything but adding the oil in a jug and then adding water. I also think I used way too much and that coupled with no emulsifier is why I burned some leaves...it's all coming back to me now.
I didn't even research any mixes...I just did it. Risk taker ya' know.
Funny stuff CC
Maybe I should take a risk and have my girl make some "long haired" sock puppets to drive home those important lessons to a specific target group.....work trade....teach me/I make "cool and heady" sock puppets.
 
jaykush

jaykush

dirty black hands
ICMag Donor
Veteran
It was my observation that using the dried flowers produced a darker tea vs. fresh flowers with the same brewing times
Click to expand...

yup, if you ground up the dried plants to a powder it would have made an even stronger tea. i always use less dry than fresh with any plant extract. or you have to dilute more. and when dealing with dry powders is when you can make the most concentrated teas in the fastest time. most likely because of the huge surface area.

i often put the fresh plants through a blender with some water to speed things up a bit. it can mean the difference in the tea being done in 3-4 days vs a week or two given the environmental circumstances.
 
Mezz Mezzrow

Mezz Mezzrow

Member
Nice thread. I am using homegrown Nicotiana rustica tobacco juice to fight thrips. It's that plus lemon juice and/or alcohol. Numbers are down, but they are hanging around. Gotta keep spraying for now. Maybe I will add Dr. B's and then see what's up.
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
"i often put the fresh plants through a blender with some water to speed things up a bit. it can mean the difference in the tea being done in 3-4 days vs a week or two given the environmental circumstances."

Great idea Jay....Doh!
 
jaykush

jaykush

dirty black hands
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Great idea Jay....Doh!
Click to expand...

check thrift stores for the blenders, i have gone through a few of them im quite rough on them, but for 3$ its ok. the power button on one just died the other day, went to the thift store i found a bottom with no top for 2$. they fit together perfectly.

Looks like we're growing some lavender next year. What else do you guys use? Rosemary, any others?
Click to expand...

other plants that seem to have pest control properties that i have used are sages and salvias.

nettle tea can repel aphids though.
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
jaykush said:
yup, if you ground up the dried plants to a powder it would have made an even stronger tea. i always use less dry than fresh with any plant extract. or you have to dilute more. and when dealing with dry powders is when you can make the most concentrated teas in the fastest time. most likely because of the huge surface area.

i often put the fresh plants through a blender with some water to speed things up a bit. it can mean the difference in the tea being done in 3-4 days vs a week or two given the environmental circumstances.
Click to expand...
Upon checking my teas for later use tonight I've noticed so far that the dried flowers tea is by far more arromatic and "potent" smelling. The fresh plant tea using only leaves doesn't quite match the smell.
I'm thinking the dried flower tea is better.
 
jaykush

jaykush

dirty black hands
ICMag Donor
Veteran
if you had put it through a blender first, the fresh would smell strong too i bet. but like i said dried plant matter makes stronger teas given the same weight. because the fresh is mostly water.
 
G

gamehaze

Member
wow thanks for this heads up jaykush once again you the man!!! i mixed the lavender with some neem oil and sprayed my plants and by the next day the was all dead im loving the natural methods.
Ive started some comfrey soaking in a bottle of ro water i want to see how that compares to bat guano.
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
So.........
I took 3 leaves that had some noticeable thrip activity from a plant and laid them flat on a table.
I sprayed them with the dried lavender flower tea,prefering it over the fresh leaves lavender tea I had made. I think the blender trick would have made it a lot better,as Jay said.
I watched and watched...and watching thrips is an eye straining trip...those guys are small!
Right away they became irritated and began crawling as if they were trying to run it off,and they kept going without stopping.
After about 10 to 15 minutes of watching them run I noticed that one died,I couldn't stick around and continue the observation as I was late for tea.
I have the feeling an emulsifier as CC suggested would have been the way to go for a quicker kill factor.
Overall my results were inconclusive about using lavender tea on thrips...I think a much stronger tea with a few drops of Dr. Bronner's soap would have a great impact.
I'll carry out more in depth experiments in the future.
 
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