[Swing Swang]

Shirley Hibberd is cited in 'Spade, Skirret and Parsnip - The Curious History of Vegetables', by Bill Laws as saying that she,
'advocated a drenching of laurel water to eradicate caterpillars from the brassica tribe' and also that,
'smoldering laurel leaves put paid to green- and whitefly'

Interesting...

I'm sure that the same nanny state/EU regulations that apply to using rhubarb leaf tea as a pesticide also apply to the use of laurel as a pesticide too, so purely in the interests of research you understand has anyone got any ideas as to the efficacy/safety/dosing regimen/manufacture etc of the above?

Regards,

SS

[gobs]

None of  homemade pesticides are legal.

As for laurel, it is fairly toxic - well, it wouldn't work otherwise -, don't know, never heard of using. Take care.

[Swing Swang]

Gobs,

Well aware that it would be illegal, but would still like to be informed as to it's effect on humal health if for example I decided to experiment in a non-EU country.

Would there be a bio-accumulant effect in the plants, what are the implications for repeated doses, how long would a typical brassica plant take to metabolise the alkaloid etc.

I expect that it would kill bugs really quite effectively - as a kid I used to trap wasps then watch them die really rather quickly after a few crushed laurel leaves were added to the jam jar.

SS

[Salmo]

Crushed laurel leaves in a jar was used by butterfly collectors to kill their captives before pinning them to a board.

I believe it gives off cyanide gas.

As far as I know you can use what you like as long as you do not sell it or the produce. or kill anyone.

[PinkTequila]

I am sure it would work! If you ever look at a laurel hedge there is very little wildlife in it and birds won't nest in it it is so noxious.