You are here: Home | Frugal Living Tips

Manure Tea – Best Natural Fertilizer?

Published by

If you’re growing your own food you need your plot to be as fertile as possible.  Manure is the small-holders best tool for improving fertility quickly.  If you have a supply of manure then making up some manure tea or manure water is a quick way of ensuring plants have a soluble supply of all the nutrients they require. Make Manure Tea / Manure Water Fill a bucket 1/3 full of manure. Fill up with water and put on a not too tight lid. Leave the manure water for two weeks to ferment and allow nutrients to dissolve. Dissolve the […]

Oil Fruit Tree Spray – Winter Insecticide

Published by

One of the main problems in the fruit orchard is combating over-wintering insects.  A simple effective homemade solution is to use an oil based pesticide. Oil Fruit Tree Spray Recipe Mix one litre of cooking oil and 200g soft soap. Boil, mix again and bottle. Dilute with 20 parts water before spraying on trees and shrubs The oil smothers insects and their eggs while they shelter in trees and shrubs.  As it is oil based it is long lasting and will not need to be re-applied after every rainy spell. This is particularly good in the fight against overwintering mealy […]

FREE Eco Tips Every Day

Published by

Please note this offer is no longer available… This is a quick post to introduce you to a great FREE offer. Ideal bite offers free eco tips every week day straight to your inbox. You can sign up for free and get even more great tips then you get from us! Why not sign up and see what they have to offer. I am sure you won’t be disappointed. Just click on the banner and fill in your email address. There is nothing to pay and it only takes a moment. For a more self sufficient future

Nicotine Spray Insecticide

Published by

Another frugal, vegetable plot tip for you.  If the insects are winning and your soap spray just isn’t strong enough to cope with a massive infestation why not try a nasty nicotine spray insecticide?  Smoking may be bad for us, but it can be even worse for insect pests in the garden. Nicotine Spray Recipe Boil 100 cigarette ends in 4 litres of water. Strain and bottle. Dilute with two parts water before spraying the solution on infected plants. Nicotine spray is a very effective insecticide against many pests including weevils, caterpillars and leaf miners.  It is strong though so […]

Homemade Insecticide – Garlic and Chilli Soap Sprays

Published by

This is a more potent version of  the standard insecticidal soap spray. One of the most effective fungicides and insecticides you can use in your garden is a simple soap spray. Homemade Insecticide – Garlic Soap Spray Recipe Simply mix one part homemade soft soap or bought liquid soap with 100 parts water. Steep a few crushed garlic cloves in the mixture overnight,, then filter. Add to a cheap plastic plant spray bottle. This has all the benefits of the ordinary soap spray insecticide but the added whiff of garlic too.  We use this weekly in the orchard to deter […]

Homemade Insecticide – Soap Spray

Published by

If you’re gardening for fun or to provide your home with sustenance there are times when insect pests can really threaten garden plants and crops.  A simple homemade preparation for the garden will save you cash, help the environment and cause you less worry if children and pets share your garden space. One of the most effective fungicides and insecticides you can use in your garden is a simple soap spray. Homemade Insecticide – Soap Spray Recipe Simply mix one part homemade soft soap or bought liquid soap with 100 parts water. Add to a cheap plastic plant spray bottle. […]

Soft Soap Recipe

Published by

The ultimate eco cleaner, green cleaner or just plain old cheap cleaner is soft soap.  Commercial liquid soap is just as good but much more expensive and often much less green and eco too as detergents tend to be added to commercial cleaning products. To achieve a more frugal and self sufficient cleaning regime you need to make your own soft soap so here’s how: Basic Soft Soap Recipe Grate a large bar of cheap vegetable based soap.  You can often find cheap vegetable soaps in the laundry section of grocery stores. Mix with four litres of water and simmer […]