prevent bugs from eating holes in my basil

Question

How can I prevent bugs from eating holes in my basil plant and still be able to eat the plants? Can we eat the soapy mixtures if you wash the plant thoroughly? Or if I have slugs eating them, if I sprinkle the slug stuff around them, can I still eat the plant?

Answer 1

When you use a home made pesticide, you know what's in it, and you know whether or not anything in it will harm you. Here are some good recipes: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/natural-home-pesticides-organic-garden-pest-control.htm
In the case of slugs, the repellent is sprinkled on the soil around the plant, and acts on the slugs when they crawl through it, so it's nothing that is absorbed into the plant, so the plant is safe to eat.