[gardeners] soap
Byron.Bromley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 11 Mar 1999 21:51:40 -0500
I have been using dish deterent for 5 years, as a bug spray, I have yet
to see any problems. I found it more versitile than Safers and I think
more effective. The first year I tried starting my own seeds, I used
garden soil without treatment. I had lots of aphids in my house. I used
dish deterent on emerging seedlings and did not affect them, Safers,
burned them. Potassium is more caustic than sodium
I usually don't get a chance to spray until near or after sunset, so I
can not
say anything about using in bright sun.
Maybe something like a baby shampoo or castile soap would be
better. I'll have to try that this year.
The basic concept of soap is in soft shelled bugs, it plugs up their
breathing pores, Hard shell bugs, clean their apendages, It they have
soap on them it gives the bugs terminal dysentery eg they sh_t themselves
to death.
Byron