As an inexperienced gardener, I thought that the leaves of our okra and eggplant are withering because of the scorching heat of the sun. So we were only concerned of watering them in the morning and late in the afternoon.
But when my aunt stayed with us because of her medical appointment, she noticed that the leaves of the okra and eggplant were pest infested. And she recommended spraying it with mild soap. So we did. But we couldn't save it anymore.
That experience taught me to be mindful of the pests that may harm the plants. So, I did some research regarding organic pest control, because I believe that even if it is just a mild soap, there are still chemicals on it that may actually be harmful to plants.
I have read about water with chillies, and I think it was effective too. But the problem we encountered was that the small bits of chillies got stuck into the sprayer head and it didn't work anymore. I think we have tried three sprayers and all got broken. 😢
Some time ago, when we were discussing a different topic, my father mentioned that ants are somewhat allergic to calamansi (Philippine lime). And that was my light bulb. I immediately thought of our plants.
Mealy bugs is one of the pests that feeds on okra and eggplant leaves. They suck the nutrients especially of the soft leaves. These bugs produces sweet substance which is why the ants love it. And this is also the very reason why our plants are infested with ants, which initially we thought that the ants were the culprit why our plants were dying.
The mention of calamansi made me think that perhaps this can help us get rid of the ants and the mealy bugs from feeding from our plants! So, the very next day, as an experiment, I got calamansi from the garden, diluted it with water, and sprayed it to the affected plants.
After a few days, we noticed the difference. It seemed like our plants grew overnight, and they were happier, as if a burden was lifted on them. After a week or so, the eggplants blossomed and we recently have harvested its produce!
So, it worked for us. Now, every other week, I check the back of the leaves of the plants to see if there are mealy bugs and other pests pestering them. And if there are, I make my simple concoction.
Here's the very, very simple process:
- Squeeze 5 calamansi in a strainer.
- Dilute the juice in a 750ml water.
- Spray the solution to the back of each infected leaves.
This "organic pesticide" has helped us. Maybe it will help you too, hence, I am sharing.
For those who doesn't have calamansi, maybe lime will be a good substitute.
Happy gardening! ❤
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