Q: I know there are some homemade remedies that shouldn’t really be tried. However, is there a book or an internet site that has legitimate homemade pesticides, fertilizer mixtures, etc.?

A: I try in all my writings to use scientifically research-based information. In this way I can be reasonably sure that whatever product I recommend has been thoroughly tested to make sure it is effective and safe.

Many home remedies have been proven by science…we wouldn’t have aspirin or quinine if doctors hadn’t adopted native remedies. Many homemade remedies don’t seem to work at all when investigated in a laboratory.

The book has pretty well been closed on using garlic to repel mosquitoes, marigolds to repel garden insects and spraying beer and soap for a fertilizer tonic. They are all useless.

You are welcome to read and experiment…but the sources I see in books and on the Web seem to be hopelessly jumbled and inaccurate.