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(such as Elmer's) or cooking oil to form a thick paste. This paste is fairly waterproof and can be used to cover the wound.FUNGICIDE:

Those of you who frequent the internet orchid forums know of my crusade for the use of cinnamon as a fungicide. I ve done a lot of digging, and it turns out that the chemicals in the bark have all sorts of medicinal applications (I ve even curedathlete s foot with my alcohol extract!)Choose the consistency that is best for your situation:Powder: Apply normal, household cinnamon powder directly to the affected part of the plant by dusting heavily. This has proven to be a good way to control slime mold and mushrooms in the mulch in my outdoor flower beds, too!Poultice: Mix cinnamon powder with sufficient casein-based glue (Elmer s) to make a thick, brown paste. Apply to the wound and let dry. The Elmer s Glue is water soluble, but resists washing-off quite well. This is the preference for mounted plants that get watered or misted frequently. An alternative to the Elmer s Glue,but just as waterproof and long-lasting is made by mixing cinnamon powder and cooking oil to form a thick paste. (Thanks to John Kawamoto!)Spray: You can prepare a cinnamon spray using either alcohol or water as your solvent. The alcohol infusion is faster to prepare, and offers some insecticidalproperties as well. This is my preferred method, and has been effective at eliminating all sorts of fungus problems, including damping-off of deflasked seedlings.Put 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of cinnamon powder in a pint (500 ml) of isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Shake well and let stand overnight. Filter the solution to remove

the sediment (coffee filters work well), and use the brown liquid as a spray. (While it s not a big problem for most orchid growers, I ve heard that this is good for powdery mildew, as well.) orPut the cinnamon powder in hot water. Shake well and let stand for several days. Filter and use as above. (Some feel that the alcohol can be too desiccating when used on seedlings.)Here s another alternative Ground Corn Meal. Place one cup of whole ground corn meal in an old sock or panty hose leg and immerse in a gallon of water. Let stand for a couple of days, then use the liquid as a spray.Hydrogen Peroxide - If your phals look like they re starting to get crown rot, sometimes simply pouring some straight-from-the-drug store hydrogen peroxide on the wound can stop the process. Just be sure to tilt the plant and drain the grownafter about five minutes so it can dry.

General Purpose Spray: Put one cup of the alcohol cinnamon-extract in a pint bottle, add two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent, and top up with water. Use as a spray. The soap and alcohol are good insecticides, while the cinnamon is a fungicide.INSECTICIDES:

Your choice of home-made insecticide should be based upon what you re trying to eliminate.

Soft-bodied bugs, such as aphids & mealie bugs:

Straight 70% or 90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol touch insects with a soaked cotton swab, or for larger infestations, spray the entire affected plant, being sure to thoroughly wet all surfaces. Repeat every 3 days for about 2 weeks. (I have ne

ver experienced any problems with buds, flowers, or any part of the plant when using an alcohol spray.)Garlic/pepper spray liquefy 2 bulbs of garlic and 2 hot peppers in a blender 1/2 to 2/3 full of water. Strain to remove the solids and add enough water to the garlic/pepper juice to make 1 gallon of concentrate. Use 1/4 cup of concentrate per gallon of spray. To make garlic tea, simply omit the pepper and add another bulb of garlic. Add two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses for more control.Insects that have hard shells, such as scale, and thrips:

Mix 1 teaspoon (5 ml) each cooking oil and liquid dishwashing soap or detergent

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in a quart (liter) of water. Concentrations are not critical some recommend a tablespoon (15 ml) of oil be used. Shake well, and spray the plant, being sure tothoroughly wet all surfaces. Repeat every 3 days for about 2 weeks. (The soap breaks down the waterproof, waxy coating on the insects shells, and the oil will smother them.)General-purpose insect spray:

One cup (250 ml) each Formula 409 or Fantastik household cleaner/degreaser and isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 2 cups water, making a quart or liter of spray. Use the same as the formulas above. (I ve not tried this one.)Mix three tablespoons of Dr. Bronner s Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap and 3/4 cup isopropyl rubbing alcohol in a quart bottle, tehn add water to fill it up. Supposed to be a good, general purpose insecticide.Orange Plus, a household cleaner made from byproducts of orange juice production, can be sprayed directly on plants to eliminate insects. (I suspect other concoctions made using citrus oils may also be effective, but have no knowledge or experience concerning them.)in a 1 quart spray bottle mix 1 tsp Murphy s Oil Soap, 1 tsp Sunspray (or cookingoil), 1tbs lemon juice, and fill the rest with 1/2 water and 1/2 alcohol.Ant eliminator:

Melt about 1/4 pound of candle wax, then slowly stir in about 1/4 cup sugar and4 ounces boric acid powder (available at your local drug store). When thoroughly mixed, pour into a pan, creating a 1/4? to 1/2? thick slab. Cut or break into c

hunks, and distribute around the greenhouse. If you decide to try this indoors,be sure to keep them away from children and animals.A surprising and no doubt smelly ant repellant is fermented cow manure tea. Putabout a gallon volume of fresh manure in a 5-gallon bucket and top it up with water. Cover and let stand for a couple of weeks or more until it s fully cured. Spray around the greenhouse and under the benches. (CJ Maciejeski claims this keeps fire ants away down in Houston, and if it works for them )Here s another volunteered from the world of cyberspace: raw grits or corn meal! Sprinkle them in an area where ants are attracted, and they will gobble them up.Later they will swell in their bellies. (Need I say more?) Another contributorverified that the grits or corn meal works, but only for larger ants. For the small ones, try sprinkling some bath powder around.Along those same lines, a 50/50 mix of powdered (confectioner s) sugar and baking

soda is supposed to be effective against ants.OK, another one volunteered by a reader aspartame! You know Nutrasweet, the sugarsubstitute? Apparently it is attractive to them, is taken back to the colony, and kills the lot. This one is even supposed to be effective against fire ants. You may find it necessary to dampen the powder or granules to make it attractive to the critters.Insect Repellant:

Place small, open containers of eucalyptus oil in the growing area. The vapors will discourage critters from approaching. (Yeah, it s going to smell like a Hall s Cough Drop factory, but it s good for opening your sinuses, too a la Vick s Vapo-Rub.) Eucalyptus oil has also been shown to be an effective fungicide, but I know that a dispersion in water and alcohol, when sprayed directly on the plant, will d

amage flower buds, so I can t recommend that use.FUNGICIDE:

Those of you who frequent the internet orchid forums know of my crusade for the use of cinnamon as a fungicide. I ve done a lot of digging, and it turns out that the chemicals in the bark have all sorts of medicinal applications (I ve even curedathlete s foot with my alcohol extract!)Choose the consistency that is best for your situation:Powder: Apply normal, household cinnamon powder directly to the affected part of the plant by dusting heavily. This has proven to be a good way to control slim

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iums probably won t do much. If you can find horticultural grade material, it is coarser and has much sharper edges that make a great barrier.Mechanical II: Staple wet/dry sandpaper to the legs of your benches, grit side out.Mechanical / Electrochemical: Tightly wrap the legs of your bench with a 2? (5cm) wide strip of copper foil, being sure to apply it tightly enough to avoid gaps. The copper is supposed to create some sort of uncomfortable electrochemical effect when in contact with the slime secreted by the critters. I suppose it s like biting on a piece of foil if you have metal fillings in your teeth!Chemical: Apply a thick layer of the product Tree Tanglefoot around the legs ofthe bench. Available a most good garden centers, it is sold as a bird repellentfor ornamental trees, it contains a castor-bean extract that repels slugs and snails.Bait:

If you just want to lure the critters away from your plants so you can dispose of them, try putting slices of raw potato near the potted plants on the bench. The slugs and snails can be found on the underside in the morning. (Thanks to Janet Price.)Boil approximately 2 cups of water, 2 teaspoons or a packet of yeast, and 2 tablespoons of honey together. The relative proportions aren t important. Mix, and then put it out in shallow trays or pans for the snails. Refresh every week or two. (Thanks to Tania Nowell)ALGAECIDE (for cooling pads): Place one cup of whole ground corn meal in an old

sock or panty hose leg and tie a knot in it to contain the meal. Place in the water tank for the cooling system. The algae will dissolve in a few days. Note: I have no idea if this methodology can be used for algae growing in pots.)

HERBICIDE: Spray full-strength household vinegar on weeds, repeat daily as needed. This is NOT to be used for weeds growing in the pots of your other plants, but is good in driveways, walkways, the greenhouse floor, patios, etc.

GENERAL-PURPOSE DISINFECTANT: Add one ounce of household chlorine bleach to a gallon of water and spray on utensils, benches, even your plants to control a wide variety of pathogens. It even helps control algae.

LEAF SHINE: If you live in an area where the water has a fair amount of dissolv

ed minerals, or if you mist with a fertilizer solution, the leaves of your plants can become dull in appearance. Folks may warn you that these treatments can clog the pores (stomata) on the leaves, but I ve never seen a problem.

Pineapple juice, or any citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange), when rubbed onto the leaves with a soft cloth or paper towel will also remove such deposits so yourleaves will be nice and shiny. I suppose the acidity reacts with the mostly alkaline deposits. (Thanks to CJ Maciejeski)Reka Hikari reports that stale beer may also be used for shining up leaves, although we re both at a loss for how to get stale beer, as it never gets that way around our houses!Mix about a 50% dispersion of whole milk in a quart of water. Using a soft cloth or paper towel, wipe the leaf surfaces with the dispersion.

Similar to the milk above, dilute mayonnaise with water to form a thin paste. Again, apply using a soft cloth or paper towel, being sure that you wipe off as much of the paste as you can.If you like going natural, but don t want to bother making up your own stuff, I have formulated a great spray Rise & Shine that is a great leaf cleaner and shine. Go to The Store to see more.

DO EVERYTHING SPRAY:

Fermented Compost Tea take about one- to two cups of some really well-compostedorganic matter (the stuff at the bottom of the pile), place it in a cloth bag (a

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n old sock will work), and immerse it in a gallon of water at room temperature.Let it stand overnight or longer until you have a dark liquid. Remove the tea bag and let the container sit outdoors for about two weeks.

Remove the scum that forms at the surface, filter the liquid and spray.

Supposedly, this brew will be loaded with bacteria and other microorganisms that attack pretty much all of the fungi and diseases that harm plants. (It has also been suggested that the unfermented brew from above, once diluted to about 20%in water, is as close to the food source an orchid sees in nature as you can get!)

CROWN ROT TREATMENT:

Crown rot is caused by letting water sit in the folds between leaves, resultingin a bacterial or fungal infection, or even both. Prevention is the key, so water or mist early in the day so the stuff has time to dry by nightfall. If you doget a case of crown rot:

Pour a liberal amount of hydrogen peroxide in the wound and let it stand for about 5 minutes to kill the infecting agents.Tilt the plant to pour the liquid out of the crown.Let the plant dry completely.Sprinkle with dry cinnamon.

Treat the plant normally, being sure to keep the wound dry.If you spot evidenceof mites, isolate the plant immediately and bathe it weekly with mildly soapy water. Be sure to wash away any webbing and give the undersides of leaves a good scrubbing. This will remove all or most of the adults, but it won t affect the eggs. To get these, you have to wait a week until they hatch, then wash again. Repeat once more a week later.If you find thrips, two or three washings with a mild detergent solution (two teaspoons to a gallon of water), followed with lukewarm rinses, usually eliminates them. Space the baths a week apart so you can treat any eggs soon after they hatch. And you ll want to keep the plant in quarantine until you re sure it s pest-free.I used surgery and isopropyl alcohol, then kept the orchids that weren't consumed dry and warm until they recovered (with further alcohol treatments). Good luck!I would treat them with Gentian violet which is a bactericide and an antifungal agent.We all know that Iodine is known for its anti-ba

cterial / fungal properties, and ive begun experimenting with that. I recently found a bit of Pythium on a phrag, and wiped all infected areas with Ioidine after cutting out infected areas. There may be reasons why i shouldnt use Iodine, so im not advocating its use yet. If it harms my phrag, ill be sure to post aboutit.

Using hydrogen peroxide as you did, works well. Listerine > The regular, not mint. Listerine is intriguing, It has proved antibacterial properties. I have used listerine many times, and have not lost a plant yet.Catts like to have fairly dry roots most of the time I have used Phyton (especially on phals)but it doesn't always work on rot that advanced. On Catts I cut off all the rot I can and I cauterize the wounds. I make the side of a knife hot with a flame and then hold it on the wound until the sizzling stops. Seems pretty radical but I have had this

work as well or better than the chemicals. I saved my Pam Hetherington that way after my greenhouse leaked and dripped cold water all over her. I wish I wouldhave took pictures of the process.Our main defense is Worm Tea. More properly called Vermi-liquid, it is the liquid extract from a worm bed. Humans have been growing plants in a symbiotic relationship with worms for thousands of years. We know it is beneficial for plants.Worm ProductsWorms excrete liquid and manure that is very rich in microbes thatthe plants need. When we spray an Orchid or soak the plant in the Worm Tea, themicrobes enter the roots and become symbiotic with the plant.How to use Neem oil as a fungicide:

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You can purchase a 70 percent formulation of Neem oil at most garden supply stores and online, or purchase the oil extract and dilute the oil with water and place into a spray bottle. Do not spray during hot periods of time or it will burnthe plant's leaves.

Baking Sodabaking sodaBaking soda is a staple in kitchens for baking and in laundry rooms for brightening dingy clothes and softening hard water to allow detergents to work better and reduce costs. It is a natural multi-tasking product that is used to absorb odors in refrigerators, dampness in basements and eliminate odors in kitty litter.Baking soda is also a wonderful fungicidal that is safe for humans, pets and surrounding vegetation.

How to use baking soda as a fungicide:

Dilute three tablespoons of baking soda into two-gallons of warm water.Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid.Mix thoroughly and pour contents into a spray bottle.Spray every three days to control fungi as needed.Always spray plants after the heat has subsided or when the sun is setting to avoid burning your plants.This formula also kills eggs on the underside of plants and effectively reduces

mites and other microscopic pests.CornmealCornCornmeal, which is made from corn and found in the food section of most supermarkets and household pantries, is an effective soil fungicidal that adds nutrition to the soil. It is safe for use around pets and non-toxic to humans. It is also an effective alternative to chemicals to kill algae in pools and ponds. It hasbeen found effective on eliminating fungus on peanut farms, household plants and destroying black patch fungi.

How to use cornmeal as a soil fungicide:

The Dirt Doctor recommends using 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet of garden soil. There is no need to mix it in; simply sprinkle it liberally with a seed spreader on wheels if spreading over large areas.

How to use in ponds and water features:

Use five pounds of cornmeal per 1,000 square feet. According to The Dirt Doctor, one or two treatments will last several months.

CinnamonCinnamon adds a great flavor to specialty coffees and deserts, but it also makes a great fungicidal for orchids and other houseplants.

How to use cinnamon to combat fungus:

Orchids

The American Orchid Society recommends sprinkling cinnamon onto the affected leaves. Make sure to damp the leaves lightly with water so the cinnamon can stick to the leaves. Allow them to dry out for a week.

AspirinGeneric aspirin fights fungus in plants. The University of Rhode Island conducte

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d testing on tomato plants and discovered that the plants treated with aspirin also yielded more fruit per plant than those treated with commercial fertilizers.

How to use aspirin as a fungicide:

It is recommended to dissolve 3/4 of a tablet into a gallon of water and spray the plants. *I hardly think that dissolving a full tablet would do any harm. Also, keep aspirin away from children since ingestion can cause them to develop Reye's syndrom.

Make A Garden FungicidePowdery mildew and blackspot on vegetables, roses, melons, squash, and tomatoeswill be eliminated quickly when you use this formula, which is just one of the many effective homemade garden fungicides that are safe for people.

Mix the following:

3 tablespoons of cooking oil3 tablespoons of baby shampoo1 gallon of water2 tablespoons of baking sodaInstructions:

Shake well before and during application.

Apply only when plants are away from direct sunlight.Spray the underside of leaves as well as the top.Let it sit for four hours.Rinse thoroughly with clean water.Repeat every five days if the weather is excessively humid.White Distilled VinegarWhite distilled vinegar is a mild acid that changes the pH balance in which bacteria and mold thrive. Mix white distilled vinegar and water in equal parts in aspray bottle and spray onto the moldy soil. Spray lightly to avoid saturation and do so only away from direct sun light to avoid quick evaporation.

Oxygenated BleachOxygenated bleach is far superior to regular household bleach because it is not

harmful to pets or humans and will oxygenate the soil while killing mold. An extra advantage is that oxygenated bleach will not harm the surrounding vegetationwhen applied directly or if used to wash exterior walls. To kill mold in the soil, mix one cup of oxygenated bleach to one gallon of water and spray the infected and surrounding soil lightly.

Just like all other fungicides, oxygenated bleach solutions should be sprayed when the area is not in direct sunlight to avoid quick evaporation and to maximize its effectiveness.

ConclusionAs you can see, homemade garden fungicides that are safe for people are easy tomake without much of a financial investment from items found easily in the kitch

en or laundry room.

ResourcesEPA: http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_ 025007.htm

The Dirt Doctor: http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Cornmeal_vq1372.htm

Images: Neem Tree by J.M. Garg under CC BY-SA 3.0

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Baking soda by Michael Francis McCarthy under CC BY 2.0

Corn by Ashlyak under CC BY-SA 3.0

Orchids by Kabir Barkie under CC BY-SA 2.5I use Bonide copper soap on my cattleyas, and laelias and a couple of stanhopea and gongora with no ill effect.Bonide Liquid Copper, Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide ConcentrateThis product is 10% copper octanoate.

It is said that copper is toxic to dendrobiums and bromeliads and stanhopea andgongora. I have kept the copper soap away from my few dendrobiums. It has not harmed my stanhopea or gongora and the other weekend I accidentally sprayed a tillandsia (spanish moss) with copper octanoate, I hosed off the spanish moss laterand it has shown no ill effects.

I suspect that the Phyton product which is copper sulfate may be more phytotoxic than the Bonide copper octanoateso I have this anti fungus spray that I beleive is mainly thyme oil an it kills 99% of fungus and bacteria. My question is- Isit safe to use on or near an orchid? Garlic, onions - all alliums are great forkilling soft body insects. Flying insects can be paralyzed by direct hits. Alsoa great fungicide. Best if crushed or liquified in a vegetable oil tea. Use several cloves of garlic per gallon of water.3. Hot peppers - fresh or powder is great for repelling rabbits and other pests. Many soft body insects can be killed by its acidic "burning" effect. Best when

mixed with garlic sprays applications.4. Canola oil, vegetable oils - mineral oils work also, but they are made from petroleum products. Oil sprays suffocate soft body insects. Don't use too much on sensitive plants. May burn leaves. Don't use no more than 1 cup of oil per gallon of water.5. Alcohol - rubbing alcohol is good but it is made from petroleum products. Drinking alcohols are made from plants. Using only a few tblsp per gallon of waterwill kill many soft body insects. Too much alcohol in water will produce a super herbicide.6. Apple Cider Vinegar - Use 1-2 tbls per gallon of water for a mild fungicide or acidic liquid fertilizer. Like alcohol can be a natural herbicide if too muchis used in tea. Most white vinegars are made from petroleum products. Apple cider vinegar can contain up to 30 trace elements.

7. Corn meal - Use as a topdressing or in a tea for fungal control.8. Compost teas - This multi-purpose fluid can contain beneficial microbes and soluble nutrients that can be a mild fungicide and disease controller.

9. Ground cloves - great repellant and can kill flying insects. Use several tblsp per gallon of water.10. Japanese beetles - these pests are best controlled by killing their larva during the winter and early spring seasons with mild topsoil tilling, or using milky spore or beneficial nematode soil applications. During the warm season, the best way to control them is with traps. Simple inexpensive traps can be made by placing several small open milk jugs, cans, or buckets all over your garden. Inside the cans place some rotten fruit or fruit cocktail in 1/2 can of water with 1-2 tbls of liquid soap and 1-2 tblsp of canola oil. You can also add dry molasse

s or liquid molasses for extra microbial power in the soapy tea mixture to attract and kill them. Also planting a border planting of buckwheat will attract these pests away from your crops.11. Diatomeous earth - this natural powdery substance will poke insect bodies and dehydrate many soft body soil organisms, but not earthworms. It can kill beesif direct contact of a spray mixture. This can be used on the soil or sprayed on the plant with soapy water. Unlike most natural pesticides, D.E. can stay in the soil working for decades.12. Neem oil - like vegetable oil sprays, it suffocates insects. However, neem goes the extra step of destroying soft body insects' ability to reproduce and mak

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es them starve by removing their appetites.13. Liquid soaps - Only use natural soaps or Murphy oil soap or mild liquid dishwashing soaps like Ivory. Soap help make teas stick better to plants and pests,and they also paralyze many insects in direct contact. Use no more than 1-2 cups of soap per gallon of water. Do not use much on flowering fruit or vegetable plants. Can hinder fruit production.14. Citrus acid and molasses - repels and kills fire ants and similar pests. Mix 1-2 cups per gallon of soapy water. Hot boiling water mixed with garlic products, poured over the fire ant mounds will also kill the queens. You can produce citrus acid from crushing whole oranges or lemons into a tea.15. Tobacco products - this is definitely a classic natural pesticide, but mostorganic gardeners today stay away from it. It may kill beneficials too if abused. It can cause diseases on tomatoes if not properly used. Most modern pro-tobacco pesticidal tea experts suggest to brew a tobacco tea no more than 30 minutes,to be safe enough to not harm beneficials like bees and ladybugs. You can mix in a liquid soap as a spreader-sticker. NOTE: Do not use tobacco teas on nightshade family crops. Also recent research has proven that the available nicotine produced in a tobacco tea is not the same stuff as nicotine sulfate. It is much safer than nicotine sulfate or rotenene. Just one drop of pure nicotine sulfate on your skin can may you sick. Homemade tobacco teas have great knock down power for tough pests like Japanese beetles. Chewing tobaccos are the most safest, natural forms for these homemade tobacco teas.16. Bleaches and Peroxide - great fungicides. However, most commerical bleachesare not natural. Use 1-2 tblsp per gallon of water.

17. Dolomitic Limestome, Hydrated Lime, Bone Meal, Egg Shells - sprinkle a little lime or crushed egg shells around soil areas where snails and slugs live. Most high calcium carbonate products will work. Also a light dusting of lime on plants acts as a fungal control. Egg shells also have the extra benefit of discouraging snails and slugs because of its rough edges.You can mix together several of the above materials in a special compost tea brew and it will become even more powerful against pests. Be careful not to abuse these brews, because they may harm beneficials if not used properly.Happy Gardening!Entered by CaptainCompostALI make my own white oil ,White oil is a home made insecticide spray used for controlling a wide range ofinsect pests in the garden. The spray works by blocking the breathing pores of insects causing suffocation and death. It is effective in the control of aphids,

scale, mealybug, mites, citrus leaf miner and smooth skinned caterpillars..the quantities vary depending on the source, but a typical mixture is 4 parts of vegetable oil to one part of dish-washing detergent (for washing by hand). Blend ina mixer until homogeneous and store. Dilute 1:50 with water for use, spraying leaves from above and below.