Turning a Mistake Into Something Useful: Making Natural Pesticide - #15

Last summer we went to a local market and picked up a range of plug plants for our vegetable garden: lettuce, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, onions and kale. Or rather, what we THOUGHT was kale.
This kale plant turned out to be tobacco. Instead of pulling it out of the ground we let it grow because its flowers are very attractive and good for the bees. But we also found out that the tobacco leaves can be used to make a natural pesticide.
Join us for a video that takes place over almost 3 months - from early March to mid-May - to see how we harvest and dry the leaves, make "tobacco tea" and finally save the seed for future growing experiments.
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[@nelsondesilva3916]

I wish my folks were still alive to watch your videos. They were both from Portugal and immigrated to Australia in the early 70's and had been raised on farms in the old country. I remember growing up and them trying to grow veggies and raising poultry as perhaps they felt it was important to pass the knowledge onto their kids. We couldn't care less! Lately however watching your uploads I've had what could be described as "Vietnam moments" and the tobacco leaves pushed me over the edge so to speak. My old man told me that a couple of old farts (his description) use to grow and smoke tobacco but he was too sophisticated and smoked cigarettes. I use to wonder why he would always refer to how they used lime when clearly he meant cement right? Thanks for clearing that up BTW. I can imagine it they were still alive how they would have critiqued every single thing you did on the farm but secretly loved watching your show and dying to see the next installment! Every so often I yell out "that's what my mum use to tell me", or "is that what they meant?" But above all else if I had to pick one thing they could see, it would be the chicken coupe! Love your videos, really do.

[@mowtow90]

If you are wondering about the color- that is exactly how pure tabaco looks like. The deference between it and the stuff form cigarets is aditives (to lower the cost) Its also a signle kind , not a blend. If you shread or scqise some even finer - you can smoke it. Smoking pure tabaco is actually much safer then the factory stuff.

[@gunillaevanth1370]

You can also hang the whole plant upside down in a dry place. The leaves turn yellow gradually…

[@vickyoakes4584]

It's quite relaxing to watch your videos, it seems as though I'm among friends just chatting about the day. Thanks for sharing!

[@daffs0]

Awesome video Love the way your chickens try to help 😂 Thank you for sharing 😁

[@karennewberry4694]

My Dad used to work on a local Sunshine Coast farm that grew pumpkins, pineapples and tobacco ( probably more) back in the ‘70’s. I still recall the wonderful smell of the tobacco drying in the iconic tobacco sheds. Never been a smoker myself, but the aroma of pouch tobacco really is nostalgic. I recall the commercial tobacco leaves being 2-3 times the size of your leaves. Probably the copious artificial fertiliser used. Also, why don’t you just blitz the leaves in a food processor? To check seed viability, put a few on damp paper towels. Also if you’re not sure the seeds are 100% dry, don’t store in plastic, use paper bags instead. Sorry, I’ll see myself out now 🤪

[@layna8924]

SUNSHINE COAST? YOU MEAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA?...I AM JUST SOUTH OF THERE, SOUTH OF VANCOUVER...;)

[@loubob21]

LoL, "I'll see myself out" hahahaha, made me laugh. Thank you

[@karennewberry4694]

@@layna8924 Queensland, Australia

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I had no idea they used to grow tobacco on the Sunshine Coast .... I only remember the ‘Big Pineapple’ and a couple of other strange big things (it’s been a while since I’ve been). I didn’t even think of a food processor, but quite a few people have suggested that so I’ll give it a go for the remaining leaves. The seeds were 100% dry, but normally I do use small envelopes just in case 😀

[@karennewberry4694]

@@helenvann3506 oh!! The horror!!😱

[@km987]

Chickens are super social and intelligent. I used to have four but my garden was a bit small and they were very noisy. I gave away two, one died of unknown causes and the remaining one was so lonely it started hanging out all day with the dog. One day it came inside, plonked itself down in front of the TV and refused to leave. I eventually picked it up and realized it had been badly injured and had a really big wound underneath. Maybe it had been attacked by a stray cat. Poor thing had been asking me for help. I had to take it to the vet to get the wound sorted out and we then had to bath it every day for a week and dress the wound. It lived for quite a while but never was able lay eggs again. I was so fond of that chicken - I still miss it.

[@cheskydivision]

I’m sure the chickens love the compost piles.

[@susannepeters5886]

Very useful to mix these fine seeds with fine, dry sand when sowing them ;-)

[@lisawoods9391]

wow! I am just loving your video's! The more I watch, the more I want to MOVE to Portugal! lol. . Thank you for all your trials and errors! That just shows that you're human, and I thank you for that :)

[@annettemccabe3669]

Love you guys ... inspiration for any nature person....in Puglia Italy and my neighbor has Salvia planted near vegetables , beautiful flowers and I'm sure a very good bee attractor...just keep doing what you are doing 👍

[@LaReynedEpee]

I watch the Chateau Diaries channel and they have trouble keeping their peacocks out of the house 😄

[@lilivdl]

I enjoy your videos. Here’s a tip for those who don’t grow tobacco: I make the insecticide with a couple of cigarettes, soak, strain and add a bit of liquid dish soap to help it stick to the bugs, works great every time.

[@c-mac2228]

Not in Australia, though - with the cost of cigarettes!

[@robertbird3086]

Back in the Caribbean , my Dad grew tobacco plants and used the leaves to put in is Pipe or roll and smoke. He stored the dried leaves in a large burlap bag . They seemed to last a long time as long as the area was not damp. I must say I learned a new usage for the leaves from you both today .. I would grow a few plants just for that , but have no seeds and don't want them taking over my yard. But planting a few plants in an area where the Bees and the Birds that love a natural high can partake to their hearts content seems like a great idea. Ninette Bird- The Caribbean Wife- Tx.

[@elkaro5]

There's a lot of buildings that used to be tobacco dryers around here. Back in the day, growing tobacco was incentived by the Spanish state.

[@WinkyR709]

This was excellent info on tobacco plants. I'm gonna file it away in my "must do's" for when I finally get over there and have a garden :)

[@suzipam1234]

So nice to see Kylie more comfortable in front of the camera

[@leighbush4177]

It’s time for ducks!! If you have a slug problem ducks are for you 😄 they don’t dig like chickens, their poo is super dilute so can go right onto the garden and their eggs are amazing. Ducks are also wonderful companions and funny as anything to have around. You need to do research though - which I know you will love. Your videos are awesome 😃 you’re doing a great job, both with your projects and with your videos. All the best from New Zealand

[@cynthiarios7299]

Everything is looking so beautiful!

[@edwardweeden8837]

Kylie, that's how they hang tobacco in barns all over KY, TN, VA and NC!

[@monicatata6725]

Love the way You share Your learning process! your love for Nature’s and Your respect for Nature’s intelligent & complex interconnected Network of Systems is commendable, hopefully it will irradiate to all watching You! Someone’s quote “a mistake only stays a mistake when you resist the lesson it offers”

[@carolbulmer8253]

This is another informative episode! Thank you😊

[@celinaabrey6883]

I'm learning so much from your videos! Thanks so much!

[@dawnkerr6966]

Love your show

[@jeniceowen5184]

This was so interesting!

[@d.j.robinson9424]

Fabulous, no matter what..👍💛

[@bcmbdk]

Excellent. Compelling. The garden and the yard are looking great!

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

Great experiment!

[@raycharsley]

Very informative , thank you, your farm is really taking shape.....

[@offgridwanabe]

Interesting stuff the gardens are beautiful.

[@monalingan9523]

How clever you are! Wonderful natural pesticide to use on your garden.

[@arabella959]

Harvesting tobacco leaves was so interesting to watch!

[@halleyvolo5868]

We just harvested the whole plant and hug it in the barn on a stick.

[@celiasnyman2885]

Your videos are so great to watch and you do such an incredibly wide range and interresting things.

[@jeangodding6348]

In the past my county was a huge tobacco producer and I have worked on the tieing line preparing huge poles of leaves to be hung in row after row of drying kilns , because we are in Canada our kilns we’re equipped with burners to heat the small buildings & speed the drying time. The stalks were sometimes made into beautiful painted walking sticks by a very talented artisan here .. I could never afford one myself for many years & now he’s gone & I haven’t been lucky enough to find one …yet. Your spoiled chickens look beautiful & healthy .

[@jo-annewoerle3390]

I grew up on a tobacco farm in southern Ontario. I miss the wonderful fragrance of the dried tobacco. It was a lot of work and we kids hated it at the time, but I look back on it fondly now.

[@jeangodding6348]

@@jo-annewoerle3390 in Delhi ? I was in Port Dover .

[@jo-annewoerle3390]

@@jeangodding6348Aylmer, west of Tillsonburg. All my family is still there. I live in Alberta now.

[@heatherd3660]

Your property is looking a-ma-zing! A testament to all of your hard work!

[@jeantriplett8478]

Always so interesting....

[@lorimontcalm9086]

Making a positive from an error, brilliant! Love that you put work into making everything usable in some form. Btw the gardens look lovely. Hugs from 🇨🇦

[@robinbowman2464]

Just found you folks. Brilliant save.

[@T_Barb]

Only one time, when I was little (I’m 65 now) I helped my grandpa with his tobacco harvest. His plants had huge leaves compared to yours but the whole plant looked different. Grew low to the ground, like hostas. I assume if you let them grow longer they bolt? Then they’d look like your plants? We’d cut the leaves off. Headed to the barn where he had wires strung across the area he had for his tobacco. We’d take each leaf and poke the wire through the stem and hung whole long rows that way. Turned your fingers brown so I’d wear gloves. Very interesting video!

[@lenneam3745]

Yes, poking the leaves through a wire or stringing them one at a time is how I remember tobacco leaves being dried. Better air circulation around the leaves.

[@FrinkyBaby]

Your grandpa was probably growing a different variety of tobacco. I believe it is shade tobacco that is bushy with large leaves.

[@gaynor3976]

Thank you Kylie for teaching us about tobacco plants. Good processing of leaves and seeds. Be interesting to see if its a good insecticide. Was a lovely bird singing during the seeds process. Xxx

[@footplate0]

It should be a very good insecticide as many years ago I was a smoker and I used to put all my butt ends in water to steep and used that water (diluted) to do the same job. It used to work a treat.

[@konnie7029]

Love the chickens 🐔💕

[@macorey54]

I remember driving through the Eastern Southern US, to go to college or vacation and seeing barns with tobacco drying. It looked very similar to what you have grown.

[@columroche435]

Great stuff....one of the things to remember when sowing the tabacco seeds in seed compost is to not cover them...

[@pnmoura]

Good video!!!

[@johnscarborough8425]

As a kid in the 50’s I recall feeding goats a chunk of tobacco as a dewormer. Use a big needle and string through leaf stem and hang for better air flow.

[@kathybaugh3823]

Very interesting. Thank you for another great video once again. You are inspirational and I am now planning on moving to Central Portugal too. 👍😎❤

[@louisecooper4803]

Good to know.

[@oomwat6101]

Ooo, I'm going to try that ... I have problems with slugs living in my walls and coming out at night (3 ft thick stone walls in west wales) ... I do smoke, and I have some old dried out tobacco which I could concoct into a spray and dose my walls with it :D

[@JJaci17]

Memory escapes me at times. It was not only for personal use he sold tobacco too. I remembered this thinking of how I got my finger tips yellow. To grow broad leaves you have to nip out the small buds and it's takes some work to do a good size field.

[@1970jel]

In our family there is a photo where my great grant parents are weaving bee hives and you see the tabacco leaves drying. My great grandparents rolled cigars of the leaves. They had wooden planks with elongated hollows in it to roll and press them in. BTW ❤️ the Rolling Stones shirt.

[@RitaMoore]

Put the tabacco leave in a bag and then just smush the bag. You could then put what is left between two sheet of paper and roll over them with a rolling pin.

[@brettboonen953]

Just a small tip, I don't know about the concentration of nicotine in the leaves of your plants, but the tobacco plant generally produces nicotine as a defense, so crushing the leaves helps nicotine production before drying, and I would recommend using gloves when handling the plants /leaves, nicotine passes the epithelial Barrier of your hands....it's a toxin that indeed kills bugs, but by extension isn't very healthy for humans either. Nice video, keep safe.

[@dotcorke]

Tobacco leaves need to be semi fermented and flavoured to make them palatable to smoke. One way to get rid of the bitterness is to take the leaves and put banana peels into the container of leaves for a few days. But as you don't smoke you don't really need to bother about making them palatable for smoking.

[@layna8924]

YOUR DRIED TOBACCO LEAVES REMINDED ME OF WHEN I USED TO DRY COMFREY LEAVES...I WOULD TIE THEM UP, THEN, CRUSH THEM & JAR THEM...THANKS FOR THE NATURAL PESTICIDE INFO...;)

[@MAKEDOGROW]

WE PLAN TO DO COMFREY TEA TOO, JUST HAVE TO FIND SOME SEEDS 😀

[@Dirtguerilla]

Respect for making the best of the tobacco :) I think a chaste tree (vitex agnus castus) would be a nice addition to your garden as it attract pollinators in and it is also a perennial.

[@TheMargaretecristina]

Hi. I love your videos and I learn a lot from you!!!! The type of kale you wanted is called couve Galega. It's a type of kale that grow very tall and is delicious. You can find seed in almost any farm supply shop in Portugal.😊

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We ended up getting seeds for the kale .... we planted it out in the garden last week 😀

[@JJaci17]

My paternal grandfather grew tobacco for personal use. He used to roll it up looking like a big cigar then slice it into small paper sheets to smoke. Yes, he rolled on the go. It was not odd to see him stop working to roll one up.

[@elainepearman2309]

Could you make paper from the dried tobacco leaves? Be interesting to try. Love your videos.

[@jirinasatavova6084]

You've done a lot of work. You could make a video about your house as it looked when you bought it and what your plans are for renovation. Very nice videos.

[@Chilicat1]

I did see a lot of tobacco drying and I think more efficient and quicker way is to put thin wire through each leaf and then hang the wires. I love your videos and I'm quite jealous of your straight from the tree oranges.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ohh, that’s a great tip, especially as we have loads of thin wire laying around 😀

[@alshirley3444]

You should try catmint it is amazing very hearty and the bees and other pollinators love it

[@benesss]

I love your videos always learn something new ... thank you so much 🤩.

[@machellep1]

Your chickens have joined your flock…they are now pets..lol. You are their leader so they stay with you.

[@crownethorne]

Hey Guys if you put the tobacco leaves ina blender and pulsed them a few times you'd save a load of time 👍🏼

[@dotcorke]

To break up the leaves you can use a herb cutter, or like scissors with many blades to break them up easier. Or you get the hard plastic surround with either blades, or cylinder and a handle which one turns to cut or break up herbs, and use it to break up the leaves.

[@elisekuby2009]

You could try maceration, which is what is done with nettles and water and then sprayed around vines as a natural weed killer. Don't know if this would work with tobacco (is it dangerous to chickens???), but it might work. I saw nettle maceration in France for the vineyards.

[@cheskydivision]

Are the flowers scented? They are pretty plants.

[@devad8181]

.. seeds are alive they need to breathe, plastic will suffocate them, also moisture kills them. Store them in paper bags or envelops. Good job ;)

[@fotmar]

Ηello from Greece /in greece we do natural remedy for the plants in a litter of water we put 100gr alcohol and 100gr natural green olive soap-not harm at all.Chickens too are very clever human touch animals like cats and dogs

[@Neilhuny]

Wow, what a coup! Not many KZbin channels can claim to have had help from a real live Smurf - 7:04 This should go viral Kudos

[@Alfablue227]

I would try a smoker on the tabaco leaves and you can bunch a few leaves in twine.

[@EastLondonKiwi]

Hi interesting experiment. Re drying the leaves. if you made simple frames out of batons, you could use construction mesh as the base, then stack them in a tower. should make laying out and turn the leaves easier than hanging. Re shredding, I'd have used Guy's food processor with the coleslaw blade in it, a couple of pulses per batch job done. Wonder if you burnt the dried leaves in a incense burner if they'd repel sand-flies?

[@Drogenkurier88]

I grow some tobacco in bavaria. First i thought it was too cold here but it grows just fine. I use it to kill aphids. Also slugs love to eat the leaves, but i dont know if it kills them. The leaves are full of dead insects and the flower looks beautiful. So its a nice plant to have

[@LaReynedEpee]

We grew nicotiana for the flowers when I was a kid. Had a lovely perfume.

[@patbradford3244]

FYI: tobacco leaves are usually strung on butcher's twine and then hung from the rafters.

[@mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.

[@vickiturner9392]

If you look on Martha Stewarts website she makes her own bug spray from hot chilies and garlic.

[@radmilamiljanic5977]

Ever tried stinging nettle, can be used as both pesticide and fertilizer?

[@Mrs-Emcee]

Interesting info! I planted these thinking they would stay small, (there are so many varieties of Nicotiana). I read that these tobacco leaves, dried, help to keep blood lice away from your chickens. Just put some dried leaves in the coupe and in their nesting boxes under your coupe filling.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ooh, that’s interesting, will have to have a read up on that. Thanks for the tip 😀

[@suznacky]

True, we have been using dried tobacco leaves and stems in the coop for years. Haven't had any parasites like mites or blood lice ever. We also use diotomaceous earth in their sand bath and occasionally under their wings in the hot, humid months to prevent parasites.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

@@suznacky have you been shredding the leaves and adding to the bedding, or just hanging the entire plant in the coop? I live the idea of this as a natural solution

[@suznacky]

@@MAKEDOGROW I just put some dried leaves under and through their bedding (wood chips and straw) if the leaves are really big I shred them in half but otherwise I just add them whole. I have silkies who actually sleep on the floor which is why I also use straw since they like having a fluffy bed :) (spoiled brats) :)

[@bluturtles4205]

love what your doing ! . have you considered keeping bees for honey ? and to help pollenate? it will be really handy to have natural honey and to help #savethebees !

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Unfortunately we don’t have enough land to legally keep bees 😞

[@yvindlien922]

When making smoking tobako you need a form of souse to smer on the blads

[@o0julek0o]

I'd be very curious to try that tobacco, as a smoker. Wonder what it's like.

[@carolined3058]

It looks like some old Cuban house waiting to be rolled into big cigars. Drink some rum

[@doreenwilliams9622]

Maybe try using a coffee grinder to transform the leaves into a fine powder

[@stevewoodw]

Some ideas sound stupid, and this one is. You could put some perches and some nesting boxes around the deck, then your dream could come true.

[@TexasHomesteaders]

A Ninja food processor/blender would work great for shredding that tobacco. I use it for my dried herbs. Now I want to grow tobacco. lol

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We actually have a decent food processor, will try that next time 😀

[@migueloliveira4242]

Hey , don't forget to go to S João to the city of Porto on the 24th of june , you 'll like it , you ' ve already missed the burning of the university students ribbons.

[@reevvaa]

Could you use a paper shredder for the tobacco leaves?

[@jamesreid8118]

I told a friend, who has been an organic farmer for many years, about your tobacco plant plans. She told me that if she were to use nicotine on her gardens, they would lose their organic statis. Such is the strenth of it and such are the rules here in Canada, or at least in B.C. So you might want to look into it.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

That’s correct of commercial grade stuff .... they make it very strong, and also add other things. The beauty of homemade is you can make it as required per application .... depending what you’re treating, and how much

[@ricardolandsman9465]

Hi guys just a question. Are the flowers not worth drying as well to add fragrance to the tabbacco ?

[@duartemonteiro7463]

😀

[@alicevanroyen5044]

Another useful video. You guys never disappoint. I was just reading yesterday that you can use rhubarb leaves the same way.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ohh, need to research that .... and then learn how to grow rhubarb 😂

[@LaReynedEpee]

Oxalic acid

[@michaelcripwell1724]

Do the hanging leaves in the house keep insects away or attract them?

[@josepampolsteruel]

Ni, Hola amigos. You don't need to break up the leaves...just deepen in water....

[@MAKEDOGROW]

They store better broken up, but if we were using it straight away yes it could go straight in

[@maciejolczyk]

I always thought oranges ripe in the winter but yours were full of fruit in March. Are you planning a harvest anytime soon?

[@MAKEDOGROW]

It’s now May and they’re still full of fruit. We tend to use the fruit that falls naturally from the tree - even that amount is too much for two people. We’re hoping they’ll last on the trees for another couple of months 😀

[@robbo4393]

are the leaves sellable or do you need a permit good information about the pesticide properties as well as the attractor info

[@Edward33direct]

Would you not get the same result by just putting the leaves directly into water without shredding them?

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Yes, I imagine you would. But for storage purposes you can fit more crushed material than whole leaves

[@notme35]

Be very careful as nicotine is highly poisonous, gardeners used to die from it.

[@jamesgrover2005]

Your land looks great, which area of Portugal is it?

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We’re in the middle of the country, the interior as they call it .... not too far from Sertã

[@agustinpiaggio8888]

Hi dears! tobacco texture, smell and colour (although is quite right) is quite different, because of growing season (spring-summer), "harvest-curing" method used and variety... no need of dehydrator... You can cut the entire plant or leafs and hang them for drying, similar as you´ve done.; was already quite on spot... once leaf are dried, last for many years... Original bigger seeds perhaps were in pellet form.. Healthy tip: please, consider gloves when manipulating and cutting tobacco with hands.... You can get in contact with me if you would like comments on "agricultural" topics... would be nice to know if a 1% of them could be of any help to you... Watch you soon... take care