Highly toxic substances such as DDT, lindane, E 605 or mercury were also sprayed into private gardens well into the 1970s and 1980s, until the legislature finally pulled the emergency brake and numerous dangerous substances out of circulation. Today, only a very manageable number of agents and active ingredients are permitted for home and garden use. Furthermore, hobby gardeners often work with self-made plant extracts.

Chemical pesticides are extremely toxic to humans, animals and the earth

Use chemical pesticides with caution

Even if most of the means that are approved for the hobby garden can be used today without any major concerns, restraint is still appropriate. No remedy that is supposed to work can be completely harmless. Careless use of some products can lead to skin or eye irritation or even severe allergic reactions. Even severe poisoning cannot be ruled out if used improperly. Therefore, use all plant protection products only exactly according to the instructions for use and keep them safe from children.

Choose products that are harmless to bees

Many chemical pesticides are not only effective against the unwanted pests, but also against beneficial insects such as bees. Therefore, pay attention to the label on the plant protection product: Products that are harmful to bees must never be sprayed on flowering plants, not even on weeds. But even substances that are not dangerous for bees have their pitfalls: only spray them outside of the main flight season, because bees will become hypothermic and unable to fly simply by spraying them with water.

Rules for safe deployment

In order to apply chemical pesticides safely, please observe these rules:

  • Only use agents approved for the home or small garden.
  • Read the instructions carefully and follow them scrupulously.
  • Wear protective clothing.
  • Only spray when there is no wind.
  • Observe the specified minimum distances to bodies of water.
  • Note the waiting times.
  • Always keep pesticides out of the reach of children.
  • Dispose of leftovers with hazardous waste, never with household waste.

Treat fruit trees with plant extracts you have prepared yourself

As we know today, plants know how to defend themselves against pathogens and pests with various ingredients. You can take advantage of this by using home-made extracts and herbal tonics.

How to make plant extracts yourself

You can get the raw materials for your plant extracts in your own garden, in nature or in the pharmacy. The plants used can be processed into an ecological pesticide in the following ways:

  • Broth: First soak the chopped plant parts in cold water for 24 hours, then let them simmer for half an hour.
  • Tea: Pour boiling water over the fresh or dried parts of the plant and let them steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Excerpt: Put the parts of the plant in cold water for two to three days.
  • Slurry: Soak the parts of the plant with plenty of water and place the container in a sunny spot. stir daily, add some rock dust (14.13€) to control the smell. After the formation of bubbles and foam has subsided, the liquid manure can be used.

Depending on the intended use, the preparations described are used diluted or undiluted. So that the agents stick better, add some soft soap (44.90€) (potassium soap at best).

Overview: Which herb helps against what

As a rule of thumb, add 100 to 150 grams of fresh or 10 to 20 grams of dried herb to one liter of water.

plant type preparation use dilution
field horsetail broth, manure fungi, spider mites 1:5
nettle Excerpt, liquid manure Aphids, Whiteflies Manure 1:10
Bracken and Worm Fern liquid manure Aphids, scale insects, snails 1:10
Bracken and Worm Fern liquid manure mushrooms undiluted
tansy broth, manure various pests undiluted
yarrow abstract mushrooms 1:10
onion skins liquid manure mushrooms 1:10
Garlic cloves tea fungi, bacteria undiluted

tips

Design your garden to be insect and bird friendly so that these beneficial insects keep the harmful creatures at bay in a completely natural way.

Category:

Trees