Creating Food Security, Health and Community, One Street at a Time.

Insecticidal Soap

When you have an insect pest in your garden you want to take care of it quickly and safely.

While there are many insecticidal soaps available to buy, making your own is very easy and
cost-effective and you will know what is in it, and more importantly what is not.

How does it work?

This insecticidal soap works by smothering soft-bodied insects like aphids, caterpillars, and mites.

To see how your plants will react, it is always a good idea to do a spot test and wait a day to see if the plant can tolerate it. It is also a good practice to apply the spray after the plants have been watered. Wilted plants don’t take well to any type of pesticide, no matter how mild. Soak the tops and underside of the leaves. You will probably need to reapply every week. Applying the spray in the morning and evening is usually best when the sun isn’t at its strongest.

This can also be used on indoor plants.

References:

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/how-to-make-and-use-insecticidal-soap/
https://www.thespruce.com/homemade-flower-garden-pesticide-1316079

Insecticidal Soap Recipe

The following recipe will make a concentrate that you can use and store
until needed. Simply mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1/4 cup of liquid soap
and shake well. A glass mason jar can be used to store the solution.

  • Vegetable Oil.
  • Biodegradable dish soap. (Castille soap may be used)

When you need to use, just add 1 tablespoon of the soap solution to 1 quart of water.
If your tap water is hard, you will want to use either, filtered, distilled, or rainwater,
as the product won’t work as well.

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