Hydrogen Peroxide for Garden Bug Spray
Many gardeners are always looking for methods to keep bugs off their plants. Different types of insects are good for your garden but many more are harmful. When working with a vegetable garden, you must be careful what you spray on your plants. Chemicals can either damage your plant or be harmful to you as you eat the produce. Hydrogen peroxide is a household item that works to repel bugs.
Organic
Hydrogen peroxide is a liquid found in many medicine cabinets. While many people use it to clean out wounds, it is also an organic product suitable for gardening. Hydrogen peroxide contains no chemicals harmful to humans, pets or plants. This is also one of the cheaper methods to keeping your garden plants free of bugs. Use the same solution to help your seeds sprout faster and be less susceptible to insect damage.
- Many gardeners are always looking for methods to keep bugs off their plants.
- While many people use it to clean out wounds, it is also an organic product suitable for gardening.
Why it Works
Adult bugs do not like hydrogen peroxide. As soon as you notice insects harmful to your plants, especially beetles, spray the bugs themselves with a hydrogen peroxide mixture. Hydrogen peroxide is technically water with an additional oxygen atom. While adult bugs do not like hydrogen peroxide, the extra oxygen in the mixture will kill the eggs and larvae from insects that have been on your plants.
Mixture
Mixing up a batch of hydrogen peroxide spray for your plants is easy. Simply add 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water. Stir and it is ready for a spray bottle. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle using a funnel if necessary. Make sure when purchasing peroxide to only buy food grade. Other grades may include medicinal chemicals that are not so good for using on your plants.
- Adult bugs do not like hydrogen peroxide.
- While adult bugs do not like hydrogen peroxide, the extra oxygen in the mixture will kill the eggs and larvae from insects that have been on your plants.
How Often
Spray the leaves of your plants as soon as you see any insects taking up residence. This will help to get rid of the bugs. To keep bugs from infecting your garden plants, spray them once a week with the hydrogen peroxide mixture. Make sure to coat the leaves as well as spraying around the base of the plant to prevent the root-boring insects from damaging your crops. If you start noticing a lot of bugs, spray two or three times per week or after it rains, as the rain will wash away any hydrogen peroxide residue.
