DIY Insecticidal Soap For Plants | Get Rid Of Aphids Safely

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.

DIY Insecticidal Soap For Plants

 

Why would you want to make your own insecticidal soap?

• Insecticidal soap is a natural way to get rid of aphids and plant-eating bugs
• Insecticidal soap does not harm plants
• Insecticidal soap does not harm humans
• Insecticidal soap does not affect fruit, vegetables or flowers
• It is easy to make your own homemade insecticidal soap
• It is cheaper to make your own homemade insecticidal soap

What is insecticidal soap?

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.

HOW TO MAKE INSECTICIDAL SOAP

Insecticidal Soap Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsp Liquid Castile Soap (dish soap will work also, as long as you buy one without the moisturizers and degreasers) We like Dr. Bronners castile soap which you can find on Amazon here.
• 1 gallon of water
• A clean spray bottle. These are easily found at your local dollar store!
• Optional: you can also add 1 Tbsp of any cooking oil (olive, corn, canola, etc) to your solution to help it adhere to the plants a little longer. Some people prefer it, some prefer their insecticidal soap without. You can try both and see which you prefer, just be sure to give it a good shake before applying if you choose to add some oil.

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.

Insecticidal Soap Directions:

1. Mix your soap with water together
2. Pour your homemade insecticidal soap into your clean spray bottle
3. Test 1 plant that is affected by pests. Do not spray any fruit or food directly, this spray is best for leaves, vine and stem
4. Wait and watch your test plant for 24 hours. If everything looks good, spray your other plants that have pests on them
5. Repeat insecticidal spraying if necessary up to one time. I Repeating a third time or more, lightly rinse off your plants with a clean, water-filled spray bottle or a hose on mist setting. Let dry

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:

How does insecticidal soap work?

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.

What does insecticidal soap do to plant-friendly bugs?

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.

Do you need to rinse off insecticidal soap?

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 :)

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