Consider the pepper. The food item is commonplace in many spicy dishes throughout the world. But did you know it has uses in both gardening and self-defense?
I’m talking about pepper spray! The most immediate thought is the self-defense tool, but it has a wonderful use in most gardens as a means of keeping pests away from your harvest. Capsasin is the oil that stimulates the sensation of spicy. It evolved in a number of plants as a method of keeping wildlife from chomping away at their plant bits. While us humans may have developed a fondness for the taste, we can still use this trick to keep critters away from our own crops.
Pepper spray is primarily known as a self-defense tool. A good spray to the face will disable any attacker, after all. Arisol cans of pepper spray specifically designed for this purpose is ideal, but you can use a homemade spray, should you prefer.
Home Made Pepper Spray Recipe
- 1 gallon of water
- 10 hot peppers chopped finely.
- Crushed Hot Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Special thanks to Old World Garden Farms for this recipe. Simply pour the complete mixture into a spritz or spray bottle of your choice, and spray overtop of your garden (or in the face of your attacker) for maximum effect.
Just be VERY careful to wash your hands after making the mixture.