Are Aphids doing a number on your plants? Are you finding clusters of the little terrors on your Roses or Lupins? I have just the thing for you! This Homemade inexpensive Garlic spray is super easy to make and most importantly…super effective! Here’s how I make it…

Little Sap Suckers!

Now, let’s start by saying, i’m all for ‘live and let live!’ I generally like to let nature do its thing, if the odd slug or snail gets a lettuce seedling or 2…it’s no big deal-I always have spares. If birds help themselves to the cherry tree…fine, I have more than enough to go around! I have a… ‘let’s all live happily together’ mantra…but Aphids seemed to have missed that memo!

Aphids are good for one thing, and that is….Sucking the sap from your plants!

Why is that bad? I’ll explain…The sap sucking can cause the plant to suffer and lack vigour, it may distort growth and can cause the plant to excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. Honeydew in turn offers the perfect environment for sooty moulds to grow! Aphids are also skilled disease carriers, transmitting Viruses plant to plant….aren’t they a Joy!

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links please see my disclosure policy

Why Garlic?

We mostly think of Garlic for its culinary purposes…I mean take my Creamy Garlic Mushrooms and Onion Heart Cheesy Garlic Bread for instance, they’d be pretty bland without it! But did you know? That Garlic is also a wonderful non toxic pest repellent too, thanks to its sulphurous compounds!

For example, simply companion planting garlic alongside, beetroot, carrots, cabbages, potatoes, Aubergines, tomatoes, Peppers, broccoli and Cauliflower, acts as a repellent, discouraging predators from attacking your Crops. This intercropping method is a wonderful way to naturally control pest invasions!

So How does the spray work? It’s the same theory…just in liquid form! By infusing Garlic in Water, the same sulphurous compounds can do their work -but in an alternative way, not from the ground, but from above and directly!

When garlic spray is applied to the plant it absorbs the scent and the beneficial compounds of the garlic. This repels the pests and allows the plant to maintain an unappealing environment that harmful bugs will not want to occupy!

Which Pests Does Garlic Spray Work With

So many! Garlic spray will repel most crawling or flying bugs. It is most useful against Aphids, Ants, Mosquitos, mites, caterpillars, Slugs, whiteflies, beetles and flies. *Though it will not dissuade burrowing insects.

What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Garlic Spray

Affiliate Links

3 options- Food Processor or a Pestle and Mortar Or A Mixing Bowl

Jug

Sieve or Muslin Cloth

Spray Bottle

How To Make Garlic Spray For Pests

Ready to gain back control of your plants!? All you need is 3 Ingredients for my garlic spray recipe! And you probably already have them at home!

Ingredients

1 Whole Head Of Garlic ( Check out my easy ‘how to grow garlic’ post!)
30 ml Washing Up Liquid
900 ml Of Water

Food Processor Method

Peel all of the Cloves from the garlic head and place them in a Food processor
Add 1/3 of the water ( 300mls) and whizz until the garlic is pureed
Add The Rest Of the water and the Washing up liquid (or liquid soap) and whizz again for a few seconds
Transfer to a bowl or jar, cover and allow to steep overnight
The following morning, strain the liquid using a muslin cloth or sieve (separating any garlic bits from the liquid)
Pour into a spray bottle and store in a cool place

Pestle and Mortar or Bowl Method

If you don’t have a food processor- Peel all of the Cloves from the garlic head and chop them up, place them in a bowl and crush with the back of a spoon or with a Pestle
Add the water and stir
Add the washing up liquid and stir again for a few seconds
Transfer to a bowl or Jar, cover and allow to steep overnight
The following morning, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth or sieve (separating any garlic bits from the liquid)
Pour into a spray bottle and store in a cool place

How To Use Garlic Spray

Prevention– To apply the garlic spray, hold the spray about 15-30 cm away from the foliage, spray stalks and leaves (underside too) spray your plants once a week or twice a week if Rain has been frequent.

Already Infested?– Spray directly onto the affected parts of the plant, you will see the bugs scatter! and begin to slip off the plant! Continue spraying the whole plant once or twice a week thereafter

Can You Use Garlic Spray On Vegetable Crops?

Yes! But be mindful that garlic spray is a broad spectrum pest spray, so you don’t want to harm any beneficial insects! So only apply Garlic spray to affected areas. *Also, don’t spray too close to harvest time, unless you want your lettuce tasting garlicky! As always wash homegrown Fruit and Vegetables thoroughly before eating.