Pesky Pest (or Pets!) Spray

Something's been eating my plants...

And it's not me.

Poor peppers...

I was looking through pest control options, and everything out there is all chemically, or mostly chemically, or processed, or "one beeeellion dollars."

So, naturally, I decided to make my own.

I knew I wanted a spray, and it needed to be something that would both deter pesky pests (and pets) while not damaging my plants or making them un-harvestable.

I would still like to eat this stuff.

After perusing my options, I concocted a combination of condiments.

I gathered my spray bottle, garlic, and chili powder.

Happy, earth friendly, all natural chili powder, obviously.

I steeped a tablespoon of chili powder along with the garlic in water for a few hours.

Oh, hello there!

Then I ran the liquid through a cheesecloth lined, fine-mesh strainer to get the solids out, and filled my spray bottle, adding a tablespoon of biodegradable liquid soap (Seventh Generation, if you must know).

Then we took it to the mattresses...

Or, to the porch, in this case.

Yeah, we see you cat... waiting to make your move...

The spray bubbled more than expected, but coated the leaves nicely, and dried clear. 

A few weeks later, and my plants are decidedly less nibbled upon. I actually witnessed a certain cat, who shall remain nameless, try to nom upon one, pull a terrible face, and continue on his merry little way. So, I call that success. 

Turns out the cats were my main culprits, so by coating the leaves within their reach, I've cut down on their crunching, and given my plant babies a chance to grow.

Full disclosure, though, it did discolor my leaves, so maybe not the best option for an edible, like lettuce. The cats were uninterested in the lettuce, though, so that required no spraying...

The actual recipe for the spray was...

3 cups water

1 T chili powder

5 cloves garlic

Steep for 2-3 hours.

Strain out solids.

Mix in 1 T liquid, biodegradable dish soap, and add a few drops of orange or lemon essential oils if you have them on hand (I did not).

Spray away! (Though aim for the early morning or evening. Doing it in the heat of the day can burn those tender little leaves. Bad plan.)