Post by roofgardener on Oct 27, 2014 19:32:13 GMT
Hello everybody
Has anyone ever tried "essence of rhubarb leaf" as a pesticide ?
This was recommended to me by my barber. The recipe is:
Strip leaves off rhubarb.
Use stalks to make yummy rhubarb crumble puddings.
Steep leaves in a bucket of warm/hot water for a day, or untill bored. (1)
Strain out - and discard - the leaves and gunk, retaining the liquid.
Apply the liquid using a garden spray bottle.
He reckons it is completely safe for humans and most wildlife (birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, rabbits et al), but discourages just about every type of bug, weevil, aphid... everything up to and including a meteorite strike, according to him.
Now, I tried this about three years ago, and I didn't get any bugs. BUT.... my RoofGarden was brand new then... all the plantpots, tools, seeds etc. And it was a previously plant-free barren asphalt area. So there may simply not have been any nearby bug colonies.
This made me complacent, and I simply didn't USE it (or anything) until this year, when blackfly ate my Nasturtions, half my runner beans, and part of the chainlink fence in the yard downstairs. It was only by the application of some hastily purchsed bug spray from B+Q that I was able to save the car !
I'm going to try it again in 2014/2015, (assuming I can find the rhubarb leaves) but I thought I'd just ask if anyone else has already tried it, and if so, what did they think ?
Notes:
(1) Untill you're bored that is, not the rhubarb leaves. I mean... how can you tell if a rhubarb leaf is bored, anyway ?
Has anyone ever tried "essence of rhubarb leaf" as a pesticide ?
This was recommended to me by my barber. The recipe is:
Strip leaves off rhubarb.
Use stalks to make yummy rhubarb crumble puddings.
Steep leaves in a bucket of warm/hot water for a day, or untill bored. (1)
Strain out - and discard - the leaves and gunk, retaining the liquid.
Apply the liquid using a garden spray bottle.
He reckons it is completely safe for humans and most wildlife (birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, rabbits et al), but discourages just about every type of bug, weevil, aphid... everything up to and including a meteorite strike, according to him.
Now, I tried this about three years ago, and I didn't get any bugs. BUT.... my RoofGarden was brand new then... all the plantpots, tools, seeds etc. And it was a previously plant-free barren asphalt area. So there may simply not have been any nearby bug colonies.
This made me complacent, and I simply didn't USE it (or anything) until this year, when blackfly ate my Nasturtions, half my runner beans, and part of the chainlink fence in the yard downstairs. It was only by the application of some hastily purchsed bug spray from B+Q that I was able to save the car !
I'm going to try it again in 2014/2015, (assuming I can find the rhubarb leaves) but I thought I'd just ask if anyone else has already tried it, and if so, what did they think ?
Notes:
(1) Untill you're bored that is, not the rhubarb leaves. I mean... how can you tell if a rhubarb leaf is bored, anyway ?