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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 ? |
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Post by Tel on Oct 27, 2014 19:47:22 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 ? When the leaves have holes in. sorry  |
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Post by daitheplant on Oct 27, 2014 20:04:52 GMT
Two things come to mind. 1/ Rhubarb leaves are poisonous to man and beast, 2/Technically, if it`s not a licensed pesticide it is illegal to use it. Up to you whether or not you use it Roofgardener.
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Post by roofgardener on Oct 27, 2014 20:38:32 GMT
They ARE ? Blimey, I didn't know either of those things.  I will google this a little wider... particularly in relation to toxicity. Bear in mind that we are using the water from the steeped leaves, not the leaves themselves. Nevertheless, that is very worrying. Thanks for the 'heads up' on that, Daitheplant. |
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Post by daitheplant on Oct 27, 2014 20:51:54 GMT
Check first.
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Post by roofgardener on Oct 28, 2014 8:54:30 GMT
Well, I'm glad I posted the question now. Apparently (and according to this website), rhubarb-leaf water is indeed poisonous to humans, and should not be used on edible plants. It DOES work to kill aphids, so it CAN be used "on non-windy days, and not on vegetables or fruits" I can only assume that my barber (who gave me this tip) wants to kill me, or is deranged. Possibly both. Perhaps I'll stick with a ladybird colony ! |
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Post by daitheplant on Oct 28, 2014 19:35:32 GMT
Well, I'm glad I posted the question now. Apparently (and according to this website), rhubarb-leaf water is indeed poisonous to humans, and should not be used on edible plants. It DOES work to kill aphids, so it CAN be used "on non-windy days, and not on vegetables or fruits" I can only assume that my barber (who gave me this tip) wants to kill me, or is deranged. Possibly both. Perhaps I'll stick with a ladybird colony ! Actually, as it is NOT a registered pesticide it shouldn`t be used at all. Of course, it is finally up to you.  |
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Post by sweetpea on Oct 30, 2014 13:18:10 GMT
Essence of CYANIDE is better...................................not!
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Post by daitheplant on Oct 30, 2014 19:58:35 GMT
Essence of CYANIDE is better...................................not! Or nicotine spray.  |
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Post by roofgardener on Nov 1, 2014 22:52:33 GMT
I would imagine that most plants are not effected by Potassium Cyanide, as they don't use haemoglobin. As for nicotine... here's a funny thing. My mum is a smoker, and has several ashtrays on the patio table. When they get full of water, she empties it into the patio potted plants. She's done this for years, and the plants seem non the worse. Mind you... I've noticed that the Chive plant starts to show signs of stress if it DOESN'T get the ashtray at least once per day ?  |
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Post by daitheplant on Nov 2, 2014 19:54:24 GMT
Before the EU took control, nicotine spray was regularly used as a pesticide.  |
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Post by regbull on Oct 2, 2023 14:46:41 GMT
I am hearing for the first time about this and I think I'll want to hear more opinions before trying it.
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Post by regbull on Jul 7, 2024 20:10:16 GMT
Hey! I’ve tried using rhubarb leaf tea as a pesticide before. It did keep some pests away, but it wasn’t perfect—didn’t work on everything. I’d suggest testing it on a few plants first to make sure it doesn’t harm them. For me, it was more of a preventative measure rather than a cure-all.
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