Homemade White Oil Spray

White oil is an insecticide spray used for controlling a wide range of insect pests in the garden. The spray works by blocking the breathing pores of insects causing suffocation and death. It is effective in the control of aphids, scale, mealybug, mites, and smooth skinned caterpillars.

There are various suppliers of White Oil for the home gardener, but it is easy to make it yourself.

Other handy hints

An environmentally-friendly fly trap

You can make a simple, effective fly trap that works a treat and doesn’t pollute the environment  .  It also works well for fruit flies too.

 Click here for the instructions on how to make one

Pruning Paw Paw trees

Paw Paws are a delicious fruit to eat, and good for you too.

They are easy to grow from seed and, being a tropical plant, grow well in this area.

Unfortunately they grow quite tall within a couple of years, which means you need a ladder to harvest the fruit.

There is a solution: ................read more

Recipe

There are a number of different recipes:

1. In a blender combine 2 cups of vegetable oil with half a cup of kitchen detergent.  Blend it until it is well mixed.  Store in a jar and label as “white oil concentrate”  (ABC Riverina, 2003)

2. Canola White Oil 300ml, vinegar or ammonia 300ml water 4 litres. Use this for bromeliads (read this article before trying it out)

3. Peter Cundall’s Recipe: cup of vegetable cooking oil
half a cup of water, a little squirt of dishwashing detergent. Put into a plastic bottle and shake.  Dilute before use.

Directions for use

Dilute 1:50 with water (i tablespoon of concentrate in a litre of water), spraying leaves from above and below. Thoroughly cover upper and lower surfaces of foliage. Repeat spray after 4 weeks, if necessary. Often applied to deciduous fruit trees and shrubs during winter.

The contents of the stored concentrate will separate over time. Simply ensure that the concentrate is well mixed each time before you attempt to dilute it for use.

Spray as often as required.

Effectiveness

Failure to control insects could be due to improper coverage or rain following within 24 hours of spraying. Dead scale may remain on the plants for a few weeks after spraying.

Precautions

Do not spray when temperatures are near 35^oC or above. Do not use on citrus trees in late autumn/winter. Do not apply to edible crops later than 1 day before harvest.

Always following the directions as to the dilution rate as oil-based sprays can burn if applied in strong concentrations. Do not use on plants with hairy leaves, ferns or palms and reduce to half strength on native plants with fine foliage (eg leptospermums or tea trees).

These precautions apply to home made preparations as well as commercially available oil sprays. Commercially available preparations are generally petroleum-based products and their use is not permitted under organic certification.