Zucchini, members of the summer squash family, trace their origins to Central and South America. Early explorers took zucchini back to Europe, where the Italians worked to develop the fruit we are familiar with today. The popular summer squash has been grown in the United States since the 1920s. Although easy to grow, numerous insect and fungal pests can attack crops. Homemade sprays are an effective solution to prevent and manage these pests.
Homemade pesticide sprays can be used to control problems on zucchini plants, but it is important to make one that will be effective against common summer squash pests. Insects likely to attack a zucchini crop include aphids, cucumber beetles and spider mites. Besides bugs, fungal diseases can pose a serious problem for home gardeners; in particular, powdery and downy mildew are threats to zucchini plants.
Homemade insect sprays are made using ingredients commonly found in the kitchen or medicine cabinet. For example, to curb a spider mite infestation on your zucchini plan, a simple spray can be made using water, buttermilk and wheat flour mixed in a spray bottle and shaken. Problems with insects such as aphids and cucumber beetles can be effectively managed with an herbal brew. Allow basil, lavender, mint, rosemary, wormwood or sage to steep in a water-filled jar kept in the sun for a few days. Strain, add a drop of liquid soap and shake before spraying. Shaved laundry soap dissolved in hot water and then mixed with rubbing alcohol makes another spray useful for managing aphids. An all-purpose homemade spray to successfully control most zucchini insect enemies is made using garlic, onion, hot peppers, water and liquid soap. After steeping the vegetables in water for an hour, strain, add 1 tablespoon of the soap and mix well before spraying.
The kitchen and medicine cabinet also house ingredients used to make sprays for preventing and managing fungal diseases in zucchini crops. For example, chamomile is an effective antibacterial and antifungal agent. Simply simmer tea or dried chamomile flowers in water for 20 minutes; remove from heat, and allow the chamomile to steep for several hours before straining into a spray bottle. In addition to managing insect problems, garlic can be used to fight fungal disease. Make a garlic soup using pureed garlic and water before adding a small amount of liquid soap and transferring to a spray bottle. Powdery mildew is a fungus that can destroy a zucchini crop but can be thwarted using a couple of homemade sprays. The first is made by dissolving two 325-mg uncoated aspirin tablets into 1 quart of water; the second uses milk and water mixed at a nine to one ratio. Both should be sprayed on the stems and leaves for maximum effectiveness.
Always test a homemade pesticide on one zucchini leaf before spraying the entire plant. To prevent sunburn, crops should be sprayed in the early morning and never in temperatures above 85F. Homemade spray ingredients can also irritate skin, eyes and nasal passages; therefore, wear rubber gloves and avoid spraying when windy outdoors.
- University of Illinois Extension Urban Programs Resource Network: Zucchini
- The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: Zucchini: A Treat in the Heat
- Organic Gardening: All-Purpose Insect Pest Spray
- Fine Gardening: 35 Pest and Disease Remedies
- Mother Earth News: Country Lore: Nontoxic, Homemade Insecticidal Soap Spray
- Organic Gardening: Powdery Mildew
- Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images