tobacco evolved nicotine as a defence against insects. you can also use it as a defence against insects!

first, a few caveats: do not use this on any member of the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, etc.); they are susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus. do not use on any plants that flower. do not use this on anything you intend to eat. do not use on any plants that are going outside in the next six weeks; this is basically just for houseplants. do not use if you have pets. do not dispose of any leftovers by pouring down the drain, etc. (nicotine is an insecticide, and bees are insects, so this will kill them too.) wear thick rubber gloves when you do this.

fatal nicotine poisoning from this is very, very unlikely, but not impossible. it’s much more likely you’d just have a very uncomfortable afternoon, but trust me, nicotine poisoning is uncomfortable enough that you want to avoid it!!! yes, nicotine is pretty toxic, but so are all insecticides more or less, and this one you can do without taking your plants outside to spray, so i think just on that basis alone, it’s probably better for the environment than spraying pyrethrins everywhere. i am not a biochemist or a pest control expert; i claim no special knowledge; this is just what works for me.

first, how it works: acetylcholine is a chemical that your brain uses to tell your muscles when to fire. when an acetylcholine molecule hits a receptor, the muscle connected to that receptor contracts. (acetylcholine does other things, too, but this is what we care about right now.) too much acetylcholine and the receptors fire uncontrollably; too little acetylcholine and the receptors don’t fire at all. since you need muscles to breathe, both of these situations are bad. insects also have acetylcholine receptors, which is what just about every insecticide targets; although in their case, the receptors are only in their central nervous systems. nicotine is a receptor agonist for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. (a receptor agonist is a substance that causes a receptor to become activated.) nicotine works by overstimulating receptors to the point where they can no longer respond to acetylcholine and shut down, which results in paralysis and death. this is, obviously, a vast oversimplification. but it’s true enough for our purposes.

now, how to use it as a pesticide: i’ve talked to a lot of different people about how they do this. perhaps unsurprisingly, this was a very common method of pest control amongst grandparents— a lot of people mentioned their grandma boiling cigarette butts, or their grandpa putting two cigarettes in a watering can, etc.

with some trial and error, i’ve cobbled together a method that works pretty well. first, get a pouch of loose (rolling) tobacco. you can probably do this with cigarette butts too, but i don’t know anybody who smokes cigarettes. next, get a gallon jug. do NOT use anything you’re going to put food in later. any container you use for this will become exclusively for this purpose. put a few big pinches of tobacco in the jug and fill it with water. leave it overnight. the next morning, strain the tobacco out and throw it away. i always wrap it up in a few plastic shopping bags and throw it in the trash. you should now have a gallon of tobacco tea! use this to water your plants directly (pour on the soil or bottom water, it makes no difference). your plants will take the nicotine up through their roots and into their stems and leaves, where any insect that feeds by biting/scraping/sucking the plant will get a mouthful and die.

this should provide residual control for 3-6 weeks, but you should combine this method with other methods of pest control: spray the leaves/stems with insecticidal soap and wipe down carefully; hang sticky traps; and put diatomaceous earth on the soil when it’s dry to the touch. give your plants a thorough wipe-down with soap once a week for three weeks; then keep a close eye for insect damage. good luck and happy bug killing 😤

#DIY #houseplants #insecticide #houseplant #houseplanthour

Finally, I can share photos!

This Schlumbergera is thriving this year #houseplant #houseplanthour #christmascactus @plants

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A #HouseplantHour thread on simple planty things to do indoors even if you don't have any houseplants right now.
1. Check your spice rack for seeds of coriander, fenugreek, mustard, and fennel. Soak for a few hours, then sow as microgreens. More info: https://www.janeperrone.com/on-the-ledge/2018/7/13/episode-57

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/janeperrone/status/1240024015240126472