Hi Toni,
Yes, please share your recipe. I disenfected my plant table and lights tonight. I just got my 600 watt HPS light from HID HUT. I have to say that so far i am VERY pleased with there product. I am hoping to be able to get some FE and start treating all my plants. I cannot believe that between last year and this year I bought or was given at least 60 more plants!! That number includes some cherimoya seedlings, guava seedlings, plumeria seedlings, a tangerine seedline, and passionfruit seedlings. I hope to install the HPS light tommorrow.
Andrew

Hey Andrew,
I have a question for you. Is fish emulsion fertilizer? If so, how does it help kill insects? Do you use it all winter and how often? Thanks

citrus

FE is a fertilizer and I believe the theory behind using it as a pest deterrent is not that it kills insects/pest, but that they would prefer to not eat leaves that taste like fish. It contains no insecticide. Making a diluted solution in water and applying on all sides of the leaves once a week is what some will advise. If your plants come in the house I dont suggest doing it sooner than a week before you bring them in. Unless of course you like you house to smell like a fish processing plant, LOL.

lol so I'm guessing fish fertilizer and fish emulsion is the same thing right? Do you use it all winter long? Thanks Andrew

It is the same thing.
It is a mild fertilizer, generally.
The Alaskan brand that I use is 5-1-1.

I was under the impression that the FE
actually makes the leaf surface or pests
sticky, protecting or suffocating respectively.
I could be misremembering, however.


Josh

Josh

thats sound more appropriate than my idea of the taste,LOL

but either way it make the pest go elsewhere and that is the goal. I also use the Alaskan brand, I mix a few tablespoons in a spray bottle of tap water and, well, spray everything down.

Citrusfreak,

This is what I use that Toni has taught me..

16-20 oz mister
2-4 drops dishsoap (not Dawn)
Garlic, (either chopped or squeezed..Liquid prevents sprayer from clogging. 1-2 cloves
Citrus Rind, (prefer lemon or lime) Like garlic, adding lime or lemon juice prevents clogging. 1/4-1/2 teas.
Cayenne Pepper, sprinkled in water..1/8th teas should do. Thank you Toni for this.

You can do without the Cayenne pepper as I found out..It can also clog the sprayer..

Do this at least 3 times a week for two a couple of weeks, or every other week as a preventative..

As for FE?

If you are using a 16 ounce bottle you could use a capful in warm/room temp water. Shake thoroughly. Spray all portions of the plant, upper and lower leaves, stems, trunk, everywhere.
Spray a second application a week later. Thank you Toni for this..

I personally do not rely on FE as a fertilizer, although many do...I just find that my plants benefit much more being fed through the root zone which has proven very beneficial with my plants..Thank you Al for this..

Ps...

The FE does have some natural "oils", especially the cold pressed such as "Neptunes Harvest", that seems to suffocate scale very well....
I persoanlly find it works for every other pest that I use to deal with in the past, as I think it quite possibly may be coating them as well..I don't think it is the stench that keeps them away? It certainly keeps your friends away for a bit though......

Mike

thanks for the recipe mike, I have wanted to try that. I will say this, FE will NOT deter grasshoppers. I found a couple, no kidding, about 2-3 inches long just having there way with my trees. Some spots look like a buzz saw hit the leaves.

Howdy All,
Sorry I didn't see this thread. I've been busy lugging plants inside, (and other chores)..The weather was beautiful, 80's and sunny, but I believe today, 10/13/10, is unofficially autumn.
Woke to lightning, thunder, hail and pouring rain. Tonight it's supposed to drop down to 40..wet soil and cold nights = problems. Especially succulents.

Mike, thanks for jotting down the ingredients and dossage of my 'organic' insecticide.'

Not only does this insecticide kill insects, but works as a preventative. We have to be one step ahead of plant bugs, before they attack.

For years, living in IL, dealing with 'dry and stuffy rooms once heat was turned on,' was a battle.
I use humidifers, run a ceiling fan on low, and even occassionally boil water..(misting and showering, too.) Although the extra humidity and air from ceiling fan helps, those little brats manage to find a way on our plants..
Since I don't use chemicals, I sat down one night, contemplating what type of home-made foods would deter plant bugs. That's how the home-made insecticide began. Year, mid 90's.

The first ingredients were soap and water. Keeping leaves clean makes a big difference. Some insects hide under felled leaves. I noticed uncared for plants tend to attract mites. Also, since I don't believe/use Leaf Shines, I figured dish soap and water would leave a natural shine.

Most insects don't like the smell of garlic and hot pepper. Place a piece of garlic or hot pepper near an ant mound. They ignore it, even run. Leave these foods overnight, 'for those who think ants ran because a human is standing there.'
As for citrus rind, because of its tartness, I figured, like garlic and hot pepper, 'most' bugs wouldn't want to be near.
I made my first batch of this insecticide in the mid-90's, when I spotted mites on my Hibiscus trees. I sprayed those suckers, twice in a week..mites went to bug heaven or he&&, wherever they go. lol
From then on, I started spraying twice a week. Once a week will do, when used as a preventative. If insects are spotted, start spraying twice a week..Do this for two wks. Then spray once a wk.

BTW, 'most here will shake their heads, lol.' Another item I added in the first batch...'cigarette butts.' All ingredients were kept overnight. The color was brown.

I don't suggest using cig butts to others..for myself, if I found a severely infested plant, I add the butts. Yes, nicotine is harsh, however, no matter how severe cig butts are, toxcicity doesn't come close to most chemical insecticides on the market.

I've mentioned this in the past..Years ago, I got hold of a tree Gardenia..w/Scale.
I went to Home Depot and bought a strong, 'sorry, can't recall which insecticide,' that killed scale. I did everything the directions said, to a T..not a drop more.
2 days later, the leaves browned and the tree died. I didn't toss it right away, 'kept it isolated from other plants,' it died. I vowed never to use chemicals again..they can keep their over-priced poisons!
Wonder if we eat this stuff, via fruits and veggies???

Fish Emulsion. Its true use is an organic fertilizer. I fertilizer using FE on Cactus and succulents. It's safe, won't burn roots, etc.

A woman I know who owns a citrus nursery in Fl, once told me they use FE as a Scale preventative.
Later that year, I ordered an Olive tree. This tree was Scaled-packed. I remembered what the nursery owner said about scale, phoned her, and got the dossage.
1 capful per gallon of water. Mix, and spray foliage.
I did as she said..2-3 days later, all Scale were gone. Dead..I'd have to check the date in my journal, but this happened more than 5 yrs ago, and since, never again found scale on any plant..

Before or after plants come in for winter, they're first hosed outside, then rehosed in kitchen sink or shower for taller plants.
That's when I add Fish Emulsion in the home-made mix. Every plant, including those that don't go outside, are sprayed.
Yes, FE emits a fishy odor that lasts 2-3 days. But there is a odor-free type on the market, though honestly, never tried it, so can't say if it's truly odorless.
The way I see it, a few days of a smelly house is worth fighting Scale all winter. Or all year.
Better yet, spraying FE outdoors before bringing plants inside is best. I'll be honest..The reason I now spray plants indoors is because I'm terrified of spiders..that's why plants are double-hosed..lol..We get thick-legged, ugly, huge spiders. Yuck. I don't care if they devour plant insects or not, I'll do the job myself, thank you. lol

Like I said, Fish Emulsion is a natural fertilizer. As for Scale, it's similar to most plant oils...it might smother bugs, but my question is, why and how does it 'prevent' Scale from attacking?? Unless eggs are smothered too.
Do you know what I mean?

So basically, FE is sprayed once in autumn along with home-made insecticide. Home-made insecticide is sprayed once a wk, afterwards.
Since most of my plants do not get fertilized in winter, I consider it a last 'feeding,' whatever you want to call it, of the year.

I hope, anyone who tries this spray is as successful as I've been. Cross my fingers, lol, Toni

Thanks to all of you who replied. I will try your spray Toni along with a little FE. So, do you use it all winter long?