Green Thumb

The other day someone asked me if spraying plants with a dishsoap and water solution was truly “organic” pest control?

I did some checking and discovered that the answer is “yes”.

Dishsoap and water sprayed on a plant to control bugs is organic because the components of dishsoap readily and easily biodegrade into harmless natural substances.

Here are several recipes for organic pest control that you may find helpful:

Dishsoap Spray:

This is especially effective for spider mites and other small bugs: Mix 1 Tablespoon of Dishsoap into one cup of water and spray plants, making sure to spray the undersides of the leaves where bugs often hide.

Garlic Spray:

This works well for larger bugs such as squash bugs and cucumber beetles: Crush several cloves of garlic and steep in 2 cups of warm (not boiling) water. Allow the mixture to cool and spray on plants.

Chili Oil Spray:

This is a good repellant for rodents. Mix two Tablespoons of chili oil with 1 cup of water and spray plants. Be sure to rinse them well before eating as the residue left by the spray is quite spicy!

The best defense against pests is to make sure that your plants are healthy and well fed. Studies have shown that insect pests tend to attack plants that are stressed or unhealthy before attacking healthy plants.

Happy Gardening!