Tobacco Leaves as a Natural Pesticide
During late 1800's, the United States had become a major tobacco cultivator. However, one of the problems these early motivated growers ran into was flea beetles, which attacked their young tobacco plants. It was these ghastly beetles caused the destruction of over half the tobacco crops in United States in 1876.
By the turn of the century, many experiments were conducted to discover a way to protect the tobacco crop from these beetles. This concluded in many successful methods on containing or reducing the effect of these pests on the crop.
One of the pesticide methods they learned of was to actually grind up the tobacco to they grew into dust or powder, and make a juice or tea out of it to apply to the crop.
Believe it or not, tobacco dust is ideal for making a great natural pesticide for tobacco plants. If you were to sprinkle the tobacco dust around the base of the plant you wish to protect, you will find that it works great to keep away beetles and other leaf eating bugs. It's also effective against a host of other insects, including aphids
You can add a few things to the list below to make it slightly more effective, but essentially you are making a tobacco tea. Here is a quick and easy recipe to make your own tobacco leaf insecticide:
Tobacco ‘Tea’ Pesticide
- 1 teaspoon tobacco dust
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap
- 1 gallon of water.
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
Mix the amount of liquid soap into your water. Then, mix in the tobacco dust, and after the entirety of your tobacco dust has been added, slowly mix in the black pepper while stirring the whole mix. Stir for 5-10 minutes then let steep for 1 hour.
Remember, Tobacco plants normally suffer from several diseases, and are regularly attacked by several leaf chewers. Be cautious not to use any form of synthetic insecticide that will penetrate the leaf. Remember, you may be chewing or smoking this plant, and you do not want to be ingesting chemical residues.