DIY Garden Bug Spray Concentrate

One of my absolute favourite Facebook groups is the NZ Vege Gardeners page. It’s full of clever gardening ideas, fantastic recipes, handy tips, stunning photos of homegrown produce, and inspiring Kiwi gardens. Every time I scroll through, it puts a big smile on my face!

A while back, someone shared a recipe for a natural garden bug spray. I’d come across it years ago in an old gardening magazine but had completely forgotten about it. This spray is great to use as a preventative for aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies, or as a remedy if you’re already dealing with an infestation.

Apply spray anywhere bugs are most likely to congregate, under the leaves and on the stalk is the most likely location. Do this in the evening as the sun can cause the spray to burn.

If you have a serious infestation you’ll need to apply it a few times leaving a few days in between.

DIY Garden Bug Spray Concentrate

10 drops of cinnamon leaf, vetiver, or eucalyptus essential oil
10 large cloves of garlic
5 hot chilli peppers, dried or fresh
1 cup cold water and 2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon Green Goddess Unscented Liquid Castile Soap

There’s no need to peel the garlic for this recipe. Place the garlic, chiles, and one cup of cold water into the blender, blend until pureed. Pour into a glass jug and pour over the two cups of boiling water then let stand overnight, or at least 5 hours.

The liquid should now have separated and left the pulp in the bottom of the jug. Pour the liquid through a stainer or some cheese cloth to ensure all the particles have been removed – you don’t want them to block your spray nozzle.

Pour the remaining clear pinkish coloured concentrate into a jar with a plastic lid (not metal), add the soap and the essential oils, close the lid and shake to combine. Store in a dark cupboard, should keep for 4 -5 months.

This recipe makes around three cups of concentrate. To use put 1 tablespoon of concentrate into a 500ml spray bottle and fill with water.