How often can I use a home made soap spray

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coolfire1952s Springfield, MO(Zone 6b) Jul 18, 2011

I hate non-organic pesticides. I have only been using a home made soap spray using murpheys oil soap. My question is how often can I spray my veggie and flowers with this mixture? I will often add a little oil to the solution. Also do I need to spray the plants with plain water afterward? Have heard both ways and I don't want to kill my plants....

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coolfire1952s Springfield, MO(Zone 6b) Jul 28, 2011

Am I doing something wrong here? No responses at all? Someone help me out!

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coolfire1952s Springfield, MO(Zone 6b) Jul 28, 2011

Also, something is eating my Canna leaves in half! I have them planted on both sides of the house but the only ones affected are on one side. The leaves are completely cut in half in a zig zag pattern. They don't seem to have any bugs that I can find and this seems to happen at night. Anyone have any ideas about what this could be and how to stop it from happening?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 28, 2011

If you're adding oil you need to be a little careful not to apply when the sun's out because the oil on the leaves can burn them. As far as the soap spray, I use pre-made insecticidal soap and in some cases have applied it every couple days when I had an infestation of something. But typically I'd only have to do that for about a week, it wasn't an ongoing thing. I'd keep an eye on your plants and if you start to see any damage to the leaves then back off on the frequency. As far as your cannas, it could be slugs or snails--they tend to be active at night. Check around and see if you can find any of their slime trails.

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coolfire1952s Springfield, MO(Zone 6b) Jul 31, 2011

Thank you ecrane3! Appreciate your feedback! :-)

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Technonana Heber Springs, AR(Zone 7a) Aug 01, 2011

Another good organic recipe for plants:

Add the following to one gallon of water and spray on plants
1 Tablespoon Listerine
1 Tablespoon Hydrogen Peroxide
1 Tablespoon Epson Salts
1 Tablespoon Dishwashing Detergent (such as dawn, Joy, etc.)

Spray again one week later to kill any eggs. This will not harm your plants or soil and will even help mildew and wilt. Spray after heavy rains or once a month.

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