I have been collecting over the last 3-4 months lots of old garlic, onions, hot and mild peppers, tomatoes (citrus acid), oranges, lemons, ground cloves, from my grocery store trash for my compost piles. I separate these pesticidal foods from my regular compost ingredients. I put them in several closeable 5 gallon buckets of water. I then add a little canola oil and liquid soap. I added some sugar to it to help it rot faster also.

Last month I added a pack or two of cheap natural chewing tobacco to the buckets, because I noticed a lot of Japanese beetles flying around my elephant ears and canna lilies.

I mix about a cup of this deadly soup per 5 gallons of diluted aerobic compost tea at application time in order to feed and protect these plants with these stubborn pests.

I used it on my squash, cucumbers, and melons the other day too.

Does this sound like a good idea?

would not the nicotine in the tobbaco kill or reduce the microbes in your aerobic compost tea? I know the tobbaco juice is a great insecticide but wonder how much it affects the microbal activity. Any ideas, Sounds like the Captain may be on the right track if it does not harm the microbes in the tea.

I believe you're right about tobacco tea, rotenone, etc. , I think they all harm or kill some microbes in tea form, to some extent.

However, I'm thinking (worst case of course) if you use it and get the pests under control, then for the next couple of days use a regular high microbial aerated tea as a foliar/soil drench in order to get the microbes and earthworms back.

Whatcha think?

I agree with you, should work. minimize the soil drench with the tobacco tea, and yes spray your normal aerobic tea after several days. Let me know how well your mix works. did it burn the leaves? do you think it would work on snails or slugs?

I think nicotine was taken off the market as a pesticide for all the reasons it will someday be taken off the market for good. It's just dangerous to be around.

What do I think? I think you are exactly right! "Knowing" you I believe we can all safely assume you are not talking about using this concoction on a regular basis. When available organic products can/do/will not handle our needs, sometimes you need to give them a little help. Luckily because we practice organics, our areas (plants/microbes, etc.) can and do bounce back.

I believe we've had a similar conversation in the past. How did your testing go?

I think it's kinda funny and hypocritical! The classic Rodale folks have been preaching about tobacco teas as pesticides from the 1940-1980's with no problem, in the organic farming world. Then in the 1990's all mild nicotine products and extremely dangerous nicotine sulfate products are banned from the USDA certified organic list. However rotenone is still considered "safe and mild" by many organic and sustainable folks, even though a diluted 30 minute chewing tobacco tea is not near as deadly as rotenone products.

A lot of you Texas gardeners are not "blessed" to have Japanese beetle swarms in your neighborhoods like it is here in hot Alabama. I have been lazy and cheap about buying milky spores and beneficial nematodes for JB larvae control. However the tobacco compost tea, followed by good aerobic teas, has been working for the past 2 years for me. I see less and less each year. Last year's flooding didn't help the situation either, since JB larvae love wet soil.

What ever is what I say!
To each his own is my philosophy! (LOL)

Happy Gardening everybody!

We have a different beetle called a June bug. Some call them Japanese beetles but they are different creatures. Our June bugs are not nearly so voracious as the Japanese beetle. Guess we're lucky sometimes.

I am curious to know if this worked, captain! I recently pulled ALL my squash and zuchinnis because of squash bugs (lots!!!), squash borers (just enough ) and some little black and yellow beetle that seems to eat any fruit that actually gets a chance. It is early enough that I will try again from seed, in a different area (and all together as Dr. G suggests). As a first year gardener on old pasture land, my insect troubles are NUMEROUS!!!
Update?
thanks so much,
mary

Rotenone is not acceptable to any true organic gardener - neither is any kind of nicotine product.

I know how frustrating it is to have an entire crop wiped out like that Merri. If this is your first year though, keep in mind that the soil is probably not up to snuff yet. (no pun intended there Cap. ) I was having a wonderful conversation with Tony M. the other day about getting some large scale crop production going here on my horse ranch in southeast Dallas county and he gently reminded me it may take up to 3 years to restore the soil to the degree where it will support healthy non-native - i.e. most any vegetable - plants. Unless or until your soil is at its peak health, your plants' health will also be comprimised. Which, going back to the earlier post by CC - you need to put reminders in place so you don't forget to put out the nematodes, release the predatory wasps, and build, build soil and spray with the compost teas.

I don't like to use any of the "all kill" pesticides, including orange oil, unless it is right on the little bugers I see. The teas with garlic and pepper, I believe, are more of a detterant than killer.

Remember, organic gardening requires a bit more patience - but in the end, you'll be wonderfully rewarded! Working with the natural cycle of life that He put in place is the best way in the end.