Below are just the first two teas lifted from a link, using aphid as a search term, provided by Aquilegia on the 'which feed for which plant' thread on the mainboard. I have saved the contents of both links and I am going to look into them further as I think they are going to prove invaluable to a totally organic gardener - who even shies away from soap.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Needs no explanation, except to say that garlic is perennial if left in place.
Active ingredients. Sulfur-containing compounds.
Action. Insecticide and fungicide.
Preparation. In decoction: chop 4 oz. peeled cloves and add to 1 quart water. Bring to boil, cover and remove from heat, infuse for one hour. Strain and use without diluting. Used as a soil drench, excellent to prevent damping off of seedlings. In oil maceration: Place 4 oz. of peeled cloves and 2 T. linseed oil in a mixer or blender and pulverize. Filter, washing the filtrate (and mixing in) 1 qt. rainwater. Store one week before using. Adding a bit of soap as a surfactant before spraying is useful. Effective against aphids and mites.
Note: This is a great use for spare garlic at the end of the winter storage season, which is beginning to sprout and taste unpalatable.
English ivy (Hedera helix). Perennial vine.
Active ingredient. Heteroside which is liberated during fermentation.
Action. Insectifuge and insecticide against white fly, spider mites, and aphids.
Preparation. In fermented extract, use 2 lbs. chopped leaves in 2.5 gal. of water. In observing fermentation, don't confuse the foam caused by the saponins in the leaves with the gas bubbles of fermentation. Dilute to 5% before spraying. Beekeepers in the 18th century rubbed their hands with ivy to protect themselves from bee stings. Caution! The extract is toxic and must be kept out of the reach of children. Also, many people are allergic to the sap of ivy and/or to the fine hairs on the reverse of the leaves. Wear gloves to protect yourself.
Hope you find them useful.
