Hi!
I've read a couple of posts from folks who suggest using soap spray to control aphids. What is it and how do I make it? Thanks!
I haven't actually even planted my broccoli yet but I want to be armed with knowledge just in case.
Peace!

Yo Bird!

The soap acts as a surfactant, making the liquid stick to the aphid's soft bodies (no shell/no armor/no protection). Try a few different formulations, depending on how many aphids come around.

Basic measure: clean Windex type trigger spray bottle
Basic mixture: water, a squeeze of dish detergent

My own favorite: 60% water, 40% rubbing alcohol.
Others I know use less alc. and more water.

The trigger blast dislodges the aphids, they then have to climb all the way back up. The detergent does not help them either. The alcohol works if you want instant death ie if the aphids are attacking a prized flower or plant.

I cannot remember ever seeing aphids on plants within the brassica family, you are more likely to be prone to damage from worms, caterpillars etc. Aphids suck the plant juices from new growth and can stunt or kill a shoot.

fwiw!

John

Thanks!

Will the alcohol version work on roses too?

! teaspoon of real soap mixed in 1 quart of water, or 3 tablespooons of real soap per gallon of water. There is no need to add alcohol to this mix. Look closely at the "soap" you purchase for this purpose because many detergents (Ivory today) do not have the fatty acids necessary for the Insecticidal Soap to propely work.

flour dusted on damp plants works better soap at killing aphids without the side effects.

quote:

Originally posted by peterpo:
flour dusted on damp plants works better soap at killing aphids without the side effects.

Uh, not exactly Peterpo. First off - aphids are easily controlled simply by hosing them off with plain water. Second - dusting your plants with flour will do nothing but block their pores, & after a rain can encase parts of them in a mummy-like casing. Not to mention the attraction flour has for vermin - from crows upward.

breezy you rinse the plants 20 minutes after dusting , which is not enough time to attract crows.

Crows notwithstanding, I still wouldn't do it, & certainly not for a pest that can be eradicated simply by diligent rinsing with plain old water.

First time I have seen someone proposing using flour to control aphids. Other then the expense, I can see several problems with that. Since Aphids are easily knocked off plants with a sharp spray of water and since you would need to wash the flour off the plants anyway, why bother with the flour in the first place?
If needed, for Aphids, the soap spray would be much less expensive then flour.

Call the press. Breezy and Kimm agreed on something!

For insecticidal soap, I use 1 T. Dr. Bronners or Murphy's + a couple T. alcohol to a quart sprayer.

LOL!!!!!!

4nematode, is that 1 Tablespoon, or 1 teaspoon?
The alcohol simply is not necessary.

Last year we made this mixture to control the aphids on my roses:

One spray bottle filled with water, a tbs of eco-friendly dish soap, and a crushed up hot pepper from the garden. Very successful. Had to re-apply it for new infestations, after the old application was washed off by watering or rain though.

I use soap...not deodorant soap...scraps of dr bronner, ivory that I throw into a cup or so of water and let it melt. Then I use a teaspoon: Qt water.
A strong blast of hose water works all by itself.
The soap spray is good for other soft bodied pests.
I DO NOT use detergent, mostly because it will burn the leaves if they are wet and in the sunshine.