Hello there fellow gardeners!
When planting season gets going, the one thing you don't want to think about is those pesky pests and aphids munching on your precious greens. There are a few ways to take care of them safely, and that is with insecticidal soap.
Today, we are going to share our favorite, easy insecticidal soap recipe that you can whip up anytime to save your plants from bugs who are eating them before you do.
Insecticidal soap, often called horticultural soap, is a safe and environmental bug spray you can either purchase or make at home to keep aphids and other pests off of your plants. It does not harm your plants and does not affect the food or flower that the plant produces. Insecticidal soap is a preferred method of organic pest control by natural and organic gardeners.
Note: The concentration of 5 tbsp of soap to water works out to a 2% soap concentration. We recommend spraying a test area on one of your plants and checking it after 24 hours, especially if you try the dish soap. If your plant reacts to it, it may be too strong. You can cut the soap from 5 tbsp to 2.5 tbsp to bring your solution to a 1% soap concentration, and try it again.
Voila! And there is a homemade insecticidal soap you can make, keep, use and feel good about!
You may have more questions about this homemade insecticidal soap, and here are some answers we have for you below:
Insecticidal soaps work by adhering to the bodies of soft-bodied bugs such as aphids, spider mites and mealybugs and penetrating their skin, causing cellular breakdown. The bugs essentially die and fall off of the plant host or they suffocate.
If you are worried about the bees, worms and other plant-friendly bugs, worry not my friend. Insecticidal soap kills bugs on contact. Once it dries, it can really do no more harm. So unless you are directly spraying the plant-friendly bugs (please don't do that), they are safe.
Insecticidal soap can be used without rinsing once or maybe twice if you are spritzing your plant. If you find you are reaching for that homemade insecticidal soap more often, you will want to reach for the hose (on a very gentle, mist setting) or even a new spray bottle with water and give your plants a little water bath. This will avoid a soapy build-up on your plants.
Well we hope you found our post for homemade insecticidal spray enlightening! Please be sure to bookmark this post or save a Pin to your Pinterest board so you can come back when you need to whip up a DIY insecticidal spray again!
You may also be interested in seeing some gorgeous, handmade gardeners gear on our article, Best Gifts For Gardeners! Check it out :)
Have a sunny day :)
Comments will be approved before showing up.