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| Dr Bonners peppermint soap |
Q. Is there a certain kind of soap spray that is best for
plants? I remember you telling us at the grape seminar that if our leaves were
being eaten that we should use a diluted soap spray on them. I did that last year with success. This year I tried it on a few different
plants and the leaves did not like it AT ALL?
I think I used a soap that is more natural eco friendly (Costco brand)
so I don’t know if there is something in it that they don’t like? Is my concentration off? The leaves of everything I sprayed ended up
with brown spots. Doesn’t seem to have
done too much damage over all, everything is still growing and got new growth
shortly after, but those originally sprayed leaves never recovered. THANKS
very important that you not use very much of this soap when mixed with water. 1
teaspoon in a gallon of water is usually enough. Here are some basic guidelines
to follow:
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| Safers insecticidal soap |
• if you
are not sure about the soap you are using and whether it is safe or not, use commercially
prepared insecticidal soaps
soaps kill by coming in contact with the insect. They leave no residue on the
plants that will kill the insects.
sprays on some plants may cause damage to the plants
purest water possible such as distilled water rather than Water
sprays are more effective than large droplets
the evening or early morning hours
soaps may cause a burn on the leaves of sensitive plants such as the cole crops
like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale
rate to use it as a 2% solution so mix no more than 2 ounces in 100 ounces of
water
your own soap such as Ivory liquid don’t use anything with extra ingredients
such as hand conditioners or special aromas like lemon scented
soaps worked best against insects with soft bodies like aphids, thrips,
whiteflies, spider mites, and a young leafhoppers.
expect a 100% kill. Insecticidal soaps may only kill half of the insects.
Repeat sprays will be needed as the plant grows larger