Homemade Plant Spray Insecticide

Homemade insecticides will help save gardening costs.

Making your own homemade plant insecticide is a wise choice that saves you money and helps you avoid using harsh chemicals that can harm the environment. Homemade insecticides are effective in controlling mites, white-flies, aphids, thrips, soft scales and mealy bugs. Most plants do well with this type of solution, as long as it does not have curled leaves that make it hard to saturate the entire leaf.

Things You'll Need

• Large, clean sprayer
• Dishwashing liquid (without degreasers or anti-bacterial properties)

Instructions

1. Test your water for hardness. Mix together 5 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid and 1 gallon of water. Mix the solution well and allow it stand for 15 minutes. If the solution is uniform in color and retains a milky shade, your water supply is adequate to make your homemade plant pesticide. If the solution forms a scum on the surface of the water, add a water conditioner to your mixture or purchase purified water.

2. Pour the solution into a large, clean spray container. Add a commercial defoaming agent if your solution contains an excess of bubbles.

3. Spray the entire plant with the solution. The insecticide will only destroy insects that are present while applying the spray, so be sure to spray under the leaves.

4. Wash the soapy solution off the plants after allowing it to dry for a couple of hours, if you are worried about it harming or burning the plant.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the purest water, you can find, even if you have to buy bottled water for the solution. Hard water can reduce the effectiveness of homemade insecticides.

• Purchase defoaming agents at spa and pool supply stores.

• Avoid spraying the homemade insecticide on young, tender plants, under drought conditions or any other stress, or in temperatures above 90 degrees F.

• Certain varieties of tomato plants may be sensitive to soapy insecticides. If you are uncertain whether your plant will do well, test the spray on a small section of the plant; phytotoxicity will appear within 48 hours in the form of yellow or brown spots or scorched areas on the leaves. If this happens, discontinue use or try using less dishwashing liquid.

• Avoid using dishwashing liquids that contain antibacterial properties or degreasers in them. Never use automatic dishwashing liquid for an insecticide.

References

• University of Florida: Clean Up Pests With Soap

Resources

• Planet Green: Gardening