[jayjayfrank]

just found this thread, lots of great info and ideas, thanks!

[Scrappy4]

I have harvested lavender twice now this summer and expect one more harvest. I have dried the lavender by hanging in a shed until bone dry. I thought i might be able to seperate the flowers, but it turned out damn near impossible to do. So if and when i use the lavender as a pest spray I'm not sure how effective it will be. I know the dried flowers work very well on bugs. Anyone have experience using the flowers and leaves? scrappy

[ixnay007]

Originally Posted by Scrappy4

I have harvested lavender twice now this summer and expect one more harvest. I have dried the lavender by hanging in a shed until bone dry. I thought i might be able to seperate the flowers, but it turned out damn near impossible to do. So if and when i use the lavender as a pest spray I'm not sure how effective it will be. I know the dried flowers work very well on bugs. Anyone have experience using the flowers and leaves? scrappy

I'd toss the leaves on your compost, most info I've read says the plants concentrate the active compounds around the flowers (unlike mint for example), I tried to make an extract from the leaves over the winter, and it had nowhere near the smell that one made from half the volume of flowers did.

That's just my personal experience though.

[DARC MIND]

Originally Posted by Scrappy4

I have harvested lavender twice now this summer and expect one more harvest. I have dried the lavender by hanging in a shed until bone dry. I thought i might be able to seperate the flowers, but it turned out damn near impossible to do. So if and when i use the lavender as a pest spray I'm not sure how effective it will be. I know the dried flowers work very well on bugs. Anyone have experience using the flowers and leaves? scrappy

i hear the compounds we want are in the flower but I never ever seen a mite on lavander leaves,stems aswell..
I do use fresh leaves,dry and flowers from 3 different types of lav I got in the garden & dry flowers from the famed Grosso..
love the smell and plants look happy after application but i use this & recomend it more as a deterrent prevention/nutrient supplement; then a actual contact organic pesticide...
canes make a wounderfull aromatic mulchs & leaves/stems of some varieties reek to high heaven,a gift to the sences during breezes(with or with out bloom).

I'm willing to use whatever I get when I cut it down.

[ClackamasCootz]

Originally Posted by Scrappy4

I have harvested lavender twice now this summer and expect one more harvest. I have dried the lavender by hanging in a shed until bone dry. I thought i might be able to seperate the flowers, but it turned out damn near impossible to do. So if and when i use the lavender as a pest spray I'm not sure how effective it will be. I know the dried flowers work very well on bugs. Anyone have experience using the flowers and leaves? scrappy

Really? They don't fall out when you smack the dried flowers against your hand? I wouldn't worry too much about the leaves in with the dried flowers on this plant specifically.

Does your Lavender flowers smell like 'lavender' or do you get a strong Camphor smell? (moth balls)

Just curious

CC

As this thread is on organic pest control, I thought that this article would be fitting -

https://remineralize.org/blog/magazin...d-pest-control

J

[Scrappy4]

Originally Posted by ClackamasCootz

Really? They don't fall out when you smack the dried flowers against your hand? I wouldn't worry too much about the leaves in with the dried flowers on this plant specifically.

Does your Lavender flowers smell like 'lavender' or do you get a strong Camphor smell? (moth balls)

Just curious

CC

I harvested the dry lavender plants over some newspaper laid out then stripped the flowers and leaves off. I tried to concentrate just on flowers but it was impossible the way i did it. They were so dry and crumbly the leaves and flowers pretty much just fell off the stems pretty easy.

The lavender variety is unknown, just some of my wifes plants that I took a particular interest in. I potted them up to large outdoor pots (20 gallon maybe) I suspect they are french lavender. But they do have a nice lavender smell much like the dried flowers I have bought before for pest management.....scrappy

[green planet]

Originally Posted by Wait...What?

Commercial greenhouse organic growers use what is referred to as a 'host plant' whereas the plant hosts both the pest and its predator. The predators need a steady food supply if you want them to stay around. As I've grown many other types of plants in my grow room, I've noticed that more often than not, one plant will attract the pests before the rest. I let that plant host the bugs, but only that plant. As long as I don't disturb that plant, the other plants will be free of the pests more or less. A sacrificial lamb, as it were.

I have had many problems with pest including broad mites and used various predator mites with great success. Presently I have a complete "life cycle" going and the plants seem to benefit from both pest and predators. Pests, make plants more resilient while the predators keep the pests in check. A secondary benefit is that one does not have to keep your rooms sterile / clean and thus you have much more time to spend on other aspects of growing. Thanks for the post happy growing