In an Aquaponics garden we need to be very careful because anything we apply to the plants will affect the fish and vice versa.

We should be aware that natural alternative treatments are not necessarily always safer than synthetic chemical sprays. This can be the case for the fish, plants, beneficial insects and humans, so some care needs to be exercised when using a treatment that you have not used before...

Safe Practices.
When using a pest control measure consider the following.

Wear disposable gloves
Eye protection may be a good idea.
Wash out containers and sprayers after use.
Store any home made mixture in glass bottles clearly labeled and dated.
Store sprayers and bottles of treatment fluid well away from the reach of children.

Practical Considerations.
Most alternative pest control mixtures work by direct contact, so you will need to make sure that you achieve good surface coverage. This may require you to spray the effected plant from several different angles such as the front, back and each side of the plant.

If using a new remedy test your plant by applying some of your mixture to some of the lower leaves first, wait a few days to see if there is any damaging reaction by the plant. Once you have tested the mixture it can be used with confidence.

It is not a good idea to spray foliage when the temperature is above 28 deg and if the weather is particularly dry as leaf burn may occur.

Be aware that natural remedies may not completely eradicate a particular pest. Natural remedies should be seen as control mechanisms rather than cure -alls.

Here are a few ways we can control some of the more common garden pests.

CChop up the garlic into medium size pieces.
Place in a large saucepan (5 or 6 litres) and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 1 hour.
Allow to cool and leave stand overnight.
Strain and bottle the resultant mixture.

Processing tips.
Keep the lid on the saucepan and have a good air flow through the kitchen. I find that the vapour will burn your eyes if you take a peak into the saucepan during cooking. (Imagine what it will do to the bugs.)
Wash your hands well after handling, unless you want to smell like a Continental Chef.

Usage:
Reduce the mixture 1:1 with plain water, and spray using a small pressure sprayer. Add a couple of drops of a good dish washing detergent to the mixture to aid the wetting of the plant leaves.
Very effective on plants like Bok Choi and Silverbeet. Works well on Tomatoes as well.
Wash the produce well before use.
Particularly good in controling aphid infestation.
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Chilli Spray.
Chilli spray is also effective against all sorts of bugs. It works well on aphids, ants and caterpillars.
To make a chilli spray, follow the same method as for Garlic spray.
You will need to experiment a little with the strength of the mixture as this will depend on the type of chilli used to make the mixture. Some chillies are much hotter than others..

Be Careful when using chilli spray, it can burn your eyes and skin.
If you choose to use chilli spray COVER the fish tank and make sure none of the mixture drips into the grow beds. It will kill your fish !!!

Great to use in a non aquaponic garden.
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Molasses Spray.
Molasses sparay is effective against chewing insects. Evidently they dislike the taste.

Method:

Dissolve one teaspoon of Molassis into one lite of warm water. Add a few drops of good quality organic detergent such as Amway LOC or Dish Drops to act as a wetting agent. This makes the mixture spread evenly on waxy type leaves such as cabbage.

Be careful not to over do the detergent in any mixture as too much can result in leaf burn and is also not good for the fish.

Remember to spray the plants from several different angles to the top of the leaves and the undersides as well. It is important to understand that few natural sprays and treatments actually kill the insect, they act as a deterrent so frequent application is essential.
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To be continued.

See www.aquaponics.NET.au for further Aquaponics Information.