Hello everyone, how are you? I have Oleander aphids on my...
Hello everyone, how are you? I have Oleander aphids on my milkweed plants.Can you tell me what is a good insecticidal soap and why you like it? What is the advantage of using a soap? Thank you Bob 😄🌱🪻🌸🌳🌸 🪻🪴🌳🌸🐝 #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #NewGrowth #OutdoorGrowing #TheWateringHole @HFplantoasis @HummingbirdMint @Idplantthat @ILoveMyPlants @Jadedbelle @Jujube @Luckeecharm1 @ModestCoconut13 @Ms.Persnickety @newplantgirlies @Preciousplants1 @princesspitstop @QuickKalopanax @sarah10orio @Shells_Garden @SillyPlantGirl @SizableSuncup20 @smushface @SolaceInSunshine @RefinedSandwort @Ponytailmom @Blhagmaier @BigPetunia80 @BEsucculent @UnbeatenSoybean @TopCoriander6 @stephongreg @ILoveMyPlants @SpyderLily @Ms.Persnickety @CutePolypremum @DreamMachine @ILoveMyPlants @MariansOasis @SillyPlantGirl @Tiffanypickles @4eva @ @NOLAPhoenix @Devsleafypals #Greggang #TheWateringHole
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Bob~ I use https://a.co/d/00btKDo4 Bonide Captain Jacks insecticide soap. It was recommended to me from someone here and it’s what I grab every time. It’s gentle on any of my plants- cacti, houseplants, flowering and fruit plants. It’s gotten rid of any pest I’ve had and none of my plants were harmed any way. I like it because I’d rather use this instead of going directly to Neem (which I use but you have to be careful when you use it). We used it on our patio Apple trees to get rid of the Aphids- gone. Just my opinion! 🪴💕😊
@SillyPlantGirl , how is this with spraying it on milkweed? I don’t want to harm any monarch caterpillars.🐛 
@Malagueña I like Castile soap as my insecticidal soap. It’s the gentlest of all, which is what you want. There are a lot of insecticidal soaps that are way too harsh, like dish soap is, they strip the outer protective waxy cuticle of our plants leaves which leaves them undefended to pest or pathogen attack.
Castile soap works as a contact killer. It basically causes the pests to suffocate and die. It’s not something that pests can build up a resistance to, like systemic granules or other chemical pest treatments. You can’t build up a resistance to suffocating! 😅 But, once it dries, it becomes inactive. That’s also why it is useful, and much more safe; it won’t linger and harm other creatures with its residue once it has dried.
If you DO end up buying a ready made product, the biggest tip I can give you is to look for a product that is OMRI listed. The product will have this seal somewhere on the package. It stands for the ORGANIC MATERIALS REVIEW INSTITUTE.
They are a nonprofit who specializes in making sure fertilizers and pesticides contain no harmful chemicals.
Any SAFE product will have the seal or logo on them. It is usually green black or white. But, say a package is blue and white it they sometimes reverse the print white and blue so it blends in more.
Once you notice it the logo will start to jump out at you. But seeing the seal tells you it's safe without you having to do the footwork.
Castile soap works as a contact killer. It basically causes the pests to suffocate and die. It’s not something that pests can build up a resistance to, like systemic granules or other chemical pest treatments. You can’t build up a resistance to suffocating! 😅 But, once it dries, it becomes inactive. That’s also why it is useful, and much more safe; it won’t linger and harm other creatures with its residue once it has dried.
If you DO end up buying a ready made product, the biggest tip I can give you is to look for a product that is OMRI listed. The product will have this seal somewhere on the package. It stands for the ORGANIC MATERIALS REVIEW INSTITUTE.
They are a nonprofit who specializes in making sure fertilizers and pesticides contain no harmful chemicals.
Any SAFE product will have the seal or logo on them. It is usually green black or white. But, say a package is blue and white it they sometimes reverse the print white and blue so it blends in more.
Once you notice it the logo will start to jump out at you. But seeing the seal tells you it's safe without you having to do the footwork.
@Malagueña usually any good Castile soap is good for inseticidal purposes, all tho I never really have had to use that, I stick with need oil or a diy garlic spray which helps
@DreamMachine Nadia- do you buy Castile soap liquid and mix it with water? Or is there a product already made?
@SillyPlantGirl these two products are the only two things I ever buy for pest management (aside from beneficial insects of course)
Dr. Bronners peppermint Castile soap and
100% pure neem oil 🤗
Dr. Bronners peppermint Castile soap and
100% pure neem oil 🤗
@SillyPlantGirl that brand says “leaf polish” but it’s still just 100% pure cold pressed neem oil 🙄 Here’s another brand of neem I buy
@DreamMachine thank you so much. I use Castile bar soap- grate it and use on some bedroom laundry….i never thought about it for plant bugs
@SillyPlantGirl yes, it’s the best! But also, while it is the most gentle soap you can use on plants, you don’t want to use it as like a routine maintenance sorta thing. Because if you use it too regularly, even Castile can dry out your plants. So I only use it for active pest infestations!
@DreamMachine absolutely. I’m always afraid of using rings like this…I never want to hurt any plants- and I have certainly learned the hard way. I don’t even like fertilizer- and use worm castings (which I’m seriously thinking of having my own worms) . You are such a wealth of if I formation- and I appreciate all of it.
@SillyPlantGirl it’s my pleasure Catherine! I could talk plants all day 😅 And I totally understand about being wary of products!! You being worried for your plants makes you a good plant parent 🥰
But I do recommend a good fertilizer! Plants in nature are getting a slow released fertilizer all the time with other plant matter decomposing nearby, animal deposits and the like. They suck it up with their roots. When we bring them into our homes we cut them off from that natural fertilizer, and there are some essential macro and micronutrients that plants can’t make by themselves. So I do believe it’s necessary to fertilize your indoor plants for good healthy and LONGTERM growth. 🥰 Superthrive Foliage Pro is what I use. It’s complete, gives plants all their vitamins, is not ridiculously expensive, and it’s safe to use. (If you do start with this I’d recommend a quarter of a dose, so 1/4 tsp per gallon of water and slowly working your way up to 1 tsp over several months. And I pause all fertilizing during winter to give them a rest)
The problem with relying solely upon worm castings, or other “natural” fertilizers is that it’s not reliable, and the nutrient content can change drastically by what the worms are eating. You can also easily upset the balance of your soil and not even know it, which in turn can affect your plants nutrient uptake.
I hope you don’t feel like I’m pushing you to fertilize, that’s not my intention!! I’m just trying to show you my reasoning and encouragement. 🤗 I would say indoor plants without fertilizer would kind of be like how we would feel if we only ate meat and potatoes and never had a salad or fresh fruit.
But again, being cautious about these kinds of things shows that you really care about your babies and that’s so important!! The best part of Greg is all the wonderful , caring, planty people on here, yourself included! It’s truly my pleasure to be able to interact with everyone and share our thoughts!!
But I do recommend a good fertilizer! Plants in nature are getting a slow released fertilizer all the time with other plant matter decomposing nearby, animal deposits and the like. They suck it up with their roots. When we bring them into our homes we cut them off from that natural fertilizer, and there are some essential macro and micronutrients that plants can’t make by themselves. So I do believe it’s necessary to fertilize your indoor plants for good healthy and LONGTERM growth. 🥰 Superthrive Foliage Pro is what I use. It’s complete, gives plants all their vitamins, is not ridiculously expensive, and it’s safe to use. (If you do start with this I’d recommend a quarter of a dose, so 1/4 tsp per gallon of water and slowly working your way up to 1 tsp over several months. And I pause all fertilizing during winter to give them a rest)
The problem with relying solely upon worm castings, or other “natural” fertilizers is that it’s not reliable, and the nutrient content can change drastically by what the worms are eating. You can also easily upset the balance of your soil and not even know it, which in turn can affect your plants nutrient uptake.
I hope you don’t feel like I’m pushing you to fertilize, that’s not my intention!! I’m just trying to show you my reasoning and encouragement. 🤗 I would say indoor plants without fertilizer would kind of be like how we would feel if we only ate meat and potatoes and never had a salad or fresh fruit.
But again, being cautious about these kinds of things shows that you really care about your babies and that’s so important!! The best part of Greg is all the wonderful , caring, planty people on here, yourself included! It’s truly my pleasure to be able to interact with everyone and share our thoughts!!
