It all began when I left my house early one morning on the way to the pool. I was aware of an earlier visit by the garbage workers, heralded by their noisy trucks as they went about their business, disposing of our wastes. Of course, plants figure in this tale and this tale involves the street tree that I had lovingly planted around 18 months ago, after a succession of planting failures due to unsuitable plant choice and tree vandalism. The tree I had planted was around 40 centimetres in height when planted and was standing at over one metre in height ahead of this morning.
However, on this morning, the street tree was snapped well down the central trunk and our garbage bin lay casually poised at an angle against the tree’s trunk, as if proud of its damaging powers. The bin workers strike again! Being a nutty plant person, I felt some fury at the crime against an innocent plant and sad that the tree had been damaged badly.
So, I went to work on a home remedy to repair this tree. This involved only items I had lying around the house and garden already. These items were honey, strips of torn light weight cotton cloth, Velcro plant tape, a wire tree enclosure I had used seasonally as a vegetable trellis and three tomato stakes. I sealed several tree wounds with honey and held together the snapped limbs with cloth bandages and Velcro tape. I then enclosed the damaged tree with the trellis and supported that with three stakes in a triangular pattern.
I could also have screwed two eyelet screws into each side of the damaged trunk and held them together with a thin wire. I saw this as a solution offered on Youtube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2Vwdd4giZo
Now a few months on, the plant appears to be surviving but I guess, it’s early days. Happily, I can see evidence of the cambion tissue of the split trunk growing together. Anyway, it got me thinking about all the plant home remedies out there. Whether you are trying to repair a plant that is damaged as I was or to prevent and/or treat a pest or disease problem that a plant might be experiencing. So, let’s discuss a few plant home remedies here.
Home remedies to help treat plants with a pest problem
Garlic/chilli-based spray
You can use a homemade garlic/chilli-based spray to deal with small sucking insects such as aphids as well as caterpillars.
How: Mix crushed garlic and chilli (can be powdered chilli) with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and a small amount of dishwashing liquid. Soak these ingredients overnight in a jar, then strain and spray on plants. Avoid contact with your skin and eyes and keep away from kids. Use within two weeks of mixing.
Coffee grounds spray
Used or fresh coffee grounds can deal with slugs and snails you no longer want in your garden.
How: Mix used or fresh coffee grounds with 10 parts water and spray on areas of the garden where you’ve seen slugs and snails. The caffeine will kill them. To repel rather than kill, try copper barrier tape or pick the creatures off the plant you wish to protect and relocate them.
Home remedies to help treat plants with a disease problem
Rose Tonic
When growing roses, black spot or powdery mildew is a common problem. Why not try this mix as a tonic spray?
How: Mix these ingredients into a tonic: 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap in almost 2 litres of water. Spray the tonic on the rose bush which will protect the rose for months.
Chamomile tea tonic
When you’re starting seedlings, sometimes the tops of seedlings just fall over because the stem has rotted. Chamomile tea contains sulfur, which fights this fungus.
How: In a spray bottle add 1 chamomile tea bag and 1 litre of cold water. Soak the chamomile tea in cool water for 15 to 20 minutes. Mist the solution over seedlings and young plants.
