Every home center and garden center I’ve been to I’ve asked if they have agricultural soap, and they look at me like I have two heads. They’ve never heard of it. Is there an alternative I can use? For example any biodegradable dish soap or something? There no ivory brand here either.
Thanks
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that organic solutions can sometimes be riskier to plants than synthetic alternatives. Hort oil in particular can lead to phyto-toxic outcomes.
Dr. Bronners is said to work well and is very concentrated. In this article they suggest 1 TB per quart. Think I will try it on white fly on my kale. I use it diluted as a liquid hand soap so always have it “on hand”
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Thanks, Alan for the article. I bought this per our friend’s recommendation several months ago. I intended to use as a dish soap but put it away and forgot about it. I know that friend has used it for dish soap, body wash, shampoo, etc. (I thought it was odd, then).
After reading your post, I’ve found the bottle. It can also be used to spray plants for bugs and remove residue from fruit and veggies among other things. Gotta try it now.
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It’s a product I’ve used for 50 years. Love the writing on the container. I use the hemp-peppermint version- peppermint enhances the hemp high:wink: Mixed 50-50 and put in a used hand-soap container it makes a superior hand soap. My wife doesn’t it like it for the same reason I do- it actually cuts grease so it gets my hands clean. A little coconut oil or hand lotion following and good to go. .
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Peppermint, tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus have antibacterial and antifungal properties. I don’t know if there is enough or the right type contained in the various Dr. Bronner’s soaps to help on plants but maybe. Also there may be some insect repellent properties.
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I plant to spray it on ny house plants after I bring them in this winter.
What about good old diatomaceous earth?
It is in the article that @alan linked above.
I will water my plants probably every 7-10 days. I don’t know if I want to reapply DE every time I water.
Thanks guys. That product is not available in the country here. does anybody know the exact chemical name of the type of soap I could use on plants? I may be able to track down alternative that way.
For example, I started using a non-allergenic simple hair shampoo (also separate bottle conditioner), very basic and concentrated.
I’ve also seen biodegradable dish detergents.
You want vegetable glycerine soaps ideally. Also coconut based soaps SLA - SLS types work