We love eating avocado. It is fresh and creamy. And instead of throwing away its bone, we can use it to prepare a homemade insecticide . It is very easy to do, it requires few elements and no money, and we will have enough for a large garden or orchard extension.
This insecticide is effective for all types of pests and for eliminating their eggs from plants, which stops them in their early stages. In addition, it does not affect plants since it is one hundred percent natural. Just water and avocado pit.
Below I will detail the elements you need and the step by step preparation.
Ingredients:
- Two bones or three, if they are small, of avocado.
- Two liters of water for cooking and ten liters to dilute.
- A sprayer of approximately thirty liters.
- A home grater.
- A pan
- Wooden spoon.
- Washcloth or towel.
- Strainer (if the sprayer does not have one)
Procedure
- We need the bones to be dry , so the first thing we should do is leave them in the sun for two days.
- Once the seeds are very dry, we have to grate them with a home grater. During the process the seeds will begin to change from brown to yellow . This is normal and occurs due to oxidation of the seed.
- We pour two liters of water into the pot and heat it over maximum heat until it starts to boil. We turn off the heat and add the grated seeds. This should be done little by little and stirring with a wooden spoon so that it mixes well.
- We cover the pot with a cloth or a towel, and let it cool overnight. This process will be a maceration , where the soluble properties of the avocado pit will be incorporated into the water.
- The next day, when we uncover the pot, we will notice that the water took on an intense red color . The next step is to strain the liquid and pour it into the sprayer. Some sprayers have a strainer in the mouth where the liquid is poured. If yours doesn’t have one, you can use a kitchen strainer.
- It is very important to dilute the infusion , otherwise we can damage the plants. For every two liters of avocado insecticide you must add ten liters of water.
Application
And the insecticide is ready. I suggest that you spray it on the plants during the evening so that the sunlight of the central hours does not burn it on the leaves. Additionally, in the afternoon is when pests come out to feed.
The ideal is to apply it to recently transplanted or young plants, at the moment they produce new leaves, which is the period when the plant is weakest and most vulnerable. For stronger plants, we can add a few drops of organic soap to the insecticide so that it has more adherence to the plants.
This insecticide repels not only any type of pest but also the larvae that form galleries in the leaves and lay their eggs, which in turn can cause diseases. It also fights aphids, which feed on the organs of younger plants, and caterpillars, which are voracious and damage leaves and fruits. They chew the leaves until they reach the veins and some pierce the stems of the plants.
Being a natural product, the insecticide does not have a long shelf life, so I recommend using it as soon as possible after preparation. If it is necessary to save a little, the best way to preserve it is in the refrigerator, and for a maximum of fifteen days. The advantage is that it is something simple to prepare, it is economical, and very effective.
