Absinthe macerate
Absinthe macerate
Macerates are compounds that exploit the solubilization operation of some substances through water or other solvents at room temperature.
To obtain a macerate it is necessary to subject the vegetable products to maceration and through this process active ingredients useful, for example, in agriculture are extracted.
One of these very useful macerates is absinthe macerate.
The absinthe macerate has an especially interesting action as a natural pesticide. This function is due to the presence in the absinthe macerate of some compounds which are sesquiterpenic lactones contained in the plant, which have a strong insecticidal and repellent action.
With the absinthe macerate, therefore, insects such as ants, aphids, etc. can be kept away in a natural way. or even mites.
Preparation –
For the preparation of the absinthe macerate, the absinthe plant can be used both in the fresh and dry state.
In a typical preparation, 300 g of fresh plant or 50 g of dry plant are taken and placed in 10 liters of water, possibly rainwater. For greater needs obviously the quantities are changed while maintaining the proportion.
For the maceration period it is recommended to use a glass container or, at the very least, hard plastic, since this process lasts about 6 days.
Furthermore, since the maceration operation produces a whitish foam, which covers the surface, it is necessary to mix everything at least once a day to promote oxygenation.
In addition, the container should be kept open and in a sunny position, which favors the decomposition of the plant.
At the end of the maceration, which manifests itself in the fact that no more foam is produced, the macerate is practically ready and can be filtered, possibly with a sack of jute.
This mixture, once ready, can be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 2, that is, a liter of macerate in 2 liters of water.
Uses –
The absinthe macerate can then be sprayed directly on the plants, possibly in the evening, using a special knapsack pump or sprayers for larger quantities.