Good morning! Love those zinnias. I don’t get enough direct sun to grow them. Finally got my tomatoes planted; sowed seeds of basil and green beans. The basil came up right away. The beans will take longer. Sadly, the lettuce has bolted already. It tasted good and looking forward to fall crop.
Do you have any suggestions for getting rid of white fly? The rose bushes are covered with them and I’m afraid of losing the plants.
Diana here: You can use everyday dish soap as long as it doesn’t have bleach in it (like Oxy) or is an antibacterial dish soap. This simple spray works on a lot of stuff. I am on the lookout for Flea Beetles on my peppers - so far, haven’t seen them, but I will spritz them with this if they show up!
Materials
1 gallon water
2 1/2 tablespoons pure-castile liquid soap
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
Tools
1-gallon size spray container
Measuring spoon
Instructions
Fill a gallon-size spray container with water.
Add the soap (and oil, if using) and seal the container.
Shake the container to mix thoroughly.
Spray the insecticide directly on pests (making sure to get the undersides of leaves where they like to hide). Insecticidal soap is best applied in the early morning or early evening, as the cooler temperatures slow evaporation of the soap and favor better pest control. Avoid spraying on a hot, sunny day and make sure your plants are well watered first.
Notes
The oil helps the solution stick around longer after being sprayed. Since the oil can go rancid, I mix up a fresh batch of this insecticidal soap every time I need it. If you want to keep some on hand at all times, omit the oil.
To scale the recipe for smaller applications, use 2 teaspoons pure-castile liquid soap for every 1 quart water (using a 48-ounce sprayer).