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Insecticidal soap

8 years ago

Hi folks, I've seen people mention about watering houseplants with a solution of insecticidal soap to stop bringing insects indoors. Does anyone know what the UK equivalent is?. I've asked at garden centres and they don't know what I'm Talking about. Many thanks and kind regards

averil

Featured Answer

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

8 years ago

The UK forum is pretty much dead.

I'm not sure why there was a problem locating insecticidal soap in the UK . I found lots of hits just Googling. Insecticidal Soap

Bear in mind that the home brewed recipes advocated by US gardeners are actually illegal here, even stuff which seems relatively harmless, like washing up liquid. It may seem heavy handed it it protects the rest of us from people who might decide that nicotine is a great idea to spray over the garden fence. UK law on pesticides

Personally I don't think there is any need to treat houseplants when you bring them back indoors. What I do is place them all up off the ground on a garden table a couple of weeks ahead of coming inside and inspect them carefully. Wash off anything on the leaves with water. Check the bottom of pots for woodlice or slugs. Check under the rims for tiny snails. Repot if necessary and check roots. Do this a few times before bring them in. (Not the repotting, obviously!) You could even immerse the whole pot in a bucket of water to see if anything floats to the surface. Since we don't have anything dangerous in the way of buglife the worst you're likely to get is an occasional woodlouse wandering about your windowsill. I've never had a problem other than that. In fact the plants come in cleaner and healthier than they went out.

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Comments (9)

laticauda
8 years ago
I'm pretty sure it is a simple soap to break up oil and also water tension.

it does not contain poison.
Averil
Original Author
8 years ago
Laticauda, thanks for your response. Do you mean something like ordinary washing up liquid?
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Insecticidal soap and Neem oil only work on contact. They will kill any soft bodied insect. Ants are not considered a soft bodied insect and that's why it does not work on them. From the document linked below: What is Insecticidal Soap? All soaps are made of salts and fatty acids, but not all soaps are good for killing insects. Some soaps can be highly destructive to plants and are useful as herbicides. Insecticidal soaps, however, are specifically formulated to kill insect pests while having few adverse effects to people, plants and the environment. Insects must come in contact with the soap before it dries in order to be controlled. Therefore, thorough coverage to both tops and bottoms of leaves is essential. Do not apply insecticidal soaps directly to water or use near a water source. Multiple applications are needed to control most insects. Hard water is not effective for mixing soap sprays, so use softened or distilled water for best results. Read on for more info like this. Here is a link that might be useful: Insecticidal Soap
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Not a chemist - so can't tell what all the ingredients are. If you want to know exactly, search would most likely get you scientific explanation. I have used it in the past; can't tell you what kind of results you should expect since your infestation seems to be quite high. As for aphids, I am sure you know that most often it is advised to spray them off. May not be enough, and how much water would one want to use on succulents? Mara has good advice regarding ants - they 'farm' aphids, so need to be eliminated too. I use alcohol spray on just about anything and so far - so good. Hopefully it will stay that way, as I have more plants every year - bigger chance of infestation. From the info on the Safer's: Does not kill beneficial insects and can be used up until the day of harvest OMRI Listed and compliant for use in organic gardening
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If there are yellowing leaves in only a few places, it could be entirely coincidental. Evergreen azalea leaves naturally turn yellow before dropping and being replaced by new leaves. Acute sensitivity in one variety is possible, but very, very unlikely to be seriously damaging, let alone fatal. Testing on a small area first is good practice no matter what sort of spray is used. Equally important is not spraying in bright, hot, direct sun.
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Just guessing, but perhaps there are few a lessons to learn - - Make certain the plants are thoroughly moist before spraying with anything. - Temperatures matter - how hot or cold was it? - Dosage matters -- Did you follow label directions as to how much per gallon? - Plants grown indoors are very sensitive to sprays of any kind.
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laticauda
8 years ago
Some people use Dawn dish soap. Just a tiny bit.
Averil
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks Laticauda. Much appreciated
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years ago
Averil, I'm certain that you can find commercial insecticidal soaps in the UK. I just searched UK Amazon and found Safer (brand name) Insect Killing Soap! I never recommend the use of washing up liquid; there are too many additives, no label, etc. They aren't soaps, but detergents. You'll find the commercial stuff much more effective and much easier on the plant than dish soap.

Insecticidal soaps break down the insect's cuticle and probably disrupts the cellular function. As always, read and follow the directions carefully. Some plants are quite sensitive to soap sprays.

Here's a link to the UK GARDENING FORUM. I think that you should ask your question there and you'll probably get just the right answer.

Good luck!
Averil
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks Rhizo. I appreciate your reply. Will have a look
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
Do not use on crown of thorns, and test other euphorbias for phytotoxicity before committing to spraying the entire plant. Do not use on dracaena, delicate ferns, dieffenbachia, ornamental ivies, palms or succulents without testing ....... is what the label says.

Al
laticauda
8 years ago
What can you use it on? Lol.

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