You might enjoy using rhubarb in pies and other foods. Most of us never think about trying to make insecticide from rhubarb leaves. I know I didn’t.
We know the Rhubarb stalks and stems are perfectly edible, on the other hand the leaves are not.
If you grow a garden, you can use the leaves of the rhubarb plant to act as a natural insecticide. Here’s a short guide that will help you create this helpful concoction.
Why Do Rhubarb Leaves Work To Repel Insects and Pests?
Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which can not only stop your heart but makes a great natural pesticide for leaf eating insects.
If plant lice (aphids) or other insect pests attack your plants, the acid in the rhubarb leaves should work to suffocate and otherwise disturb them. Over time you won’t need to worry about the bugs.
How To Make Pesticide From Rhubarb Leaves
The first thing you must do to make an insecticide solution: collect rhubarb leaves. Of course, if you grow the plant yourself, you can use your own leaves. If not, you can head down to the supermarket and buy some rhubarb, which typically still has the green leafs attached.
Rhubarb Leaf Insecticide Recipe
Cut the stems off the leaves to use in cooking or other activities, and keep the leaves for your insecticide.
Once you’ve your rhubarb leaves, you’ll need to boil them in water. Try to keep a 1:3 ratio between the leaves and water.
For instance, if you’ve got a cup of rhubarb leaves, use three cups of water. Boil the leaves in a pot for about half an hour, and allow to cool.
Next, using a strainer, remove all the leaves from the pot. Add a little liquid dish detergent, and then pour the solution into a spray bottle. That’s all there is to it!
Once you’ve made the natural insecticide plant spray, begin spraying the various plants in your yard or garden. You might want to do this spraying in mid-morning or mid-afternoon so that it doesn’t evaporate too quickly. Over time, you should start to see that insects find your plants less attractive.
NOTE: Always TEST the spray in a small area to make sure the plant will not suffer any damage.
How Long Can You Keep The Insecticide Spray?
Ideally, you’ll want to use the entire rhubarb pests control solution within a day or two. Keep in mind that the longer you wait, the less effective it may become.
Should You Use The Spray On Plants Grown For Food?
While insecticide made from rhubarb leaves uses can be effective against insects on all different kinds of plants, you may want to exercise some caution and avoid spraying the solution on plants you plan to eat.
The oxalic acid content in the spray may be too high and could make you or a family member ill.
Now that you’ve got more information about how you can make and use a natural insecticide from rhubarb leaves, cook up a batch. You should soon see less bugs and more beautiful plants.
Discover more from Today Headline
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.