When I was picking lettuce for salad tonight, I noted that there were some holes on my new Romaine sprouts. Checking more closely, there were eggs hatching on the backsides of the leaves and little green and pinkish things wiggling.... Ugh, thrips and something I've never seen before. I decided to mix up some Garlic Fire Spray.
10 Garlic Cloves
1.5 Tbs of Hot Chili Powder
1 tbs Vegetable or Olive Oil
2 c Hot Water
Put the cloves of garlic (I don't even peel them) and powder into a blender. I use an electric coffee grinder). Then scoop it out into a the hot water and let set for five minutes. Pour out the concoction into a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, or if nothing else, a coffee filter to strain into another cup or container and add the oil. Pour half of the strained concoction into a clean spray bottle and add water to make one quart. Refrigerate the rest of the concoction until you need more.
Spray the leaves (tops and bottoms) with the mix every few days until you notice that the new leaves are in better shape without holes and fewer bugs. You can also spray around the plants with this. It is supposed to help with cabbage worms, leaf miners, thrips and aphids. We will see! If this works, then gradually cut back the applications to about once per week and after rains.
I have found another version of this Bug Spray.
Onion and Garlic Fire Water Insect Repellent
1 Whole Onion (A hot one is best)
1 Whole head of Garlic (6 to 10 cloves)
1 Tbs Hot Chili Powder or Cayenne Pepper Powder
1 Qt Water
1 Tbs Liquid Dishsoap
Basically liquify the onion and garlic with a blender, a blender stick or food processor. In a sauce pan, add the garlic, onion, pepper and water to cook on low simmering for about 45 minutes or longer if you did not get the garlic and onions quite down to being liquified. This will stink up the house. Cooking this outside with a hot plate is the better option. Strain the concoction through a cheese cloth, squeezing as much of the juice out as possible. (I recommend wearing rubber gloves.) In a quart spray bottle, pour the Fire Water concoction into the bottle, add water to bring it back to 1 quart if necessary, and add the dishsoap to create a "sticking" effect for the spray. Spray plants a few hours after watering them but not on a hot day. Best to spray this when the day is cooling off in the evening at least once per week.
