I've been following the other thread on Spider mites with interest as I have been just plagued with them in the house and the plants I wintered over at my office this year. I tried that safer soap solution (but I don't think it was the one with Seaweed) and it worked but the mites were back a month later. Most recently I tried something called Organicide (heard about this stuff on the same radio show where I learned about Messenger). It's primary ingredients are Fish Oil and Sesame Oil - well - it worked okay, but it defoliated my varigated Mandevilla and on my gardenia - the mites came came anyway :-(
But .. today I received a book I just bought called The Giant Book of Garden Solutions by Jerry Baker. He specializes in "potions" you make out of household products to solve garden problems. Anyway he gives this solution which he says will make mites rue the day they landed on your plants. Haven't tried it but sounds interesting:
Take 1 lb of rhubarb leaves, choped
2 Tsp of liquid dish soap
1 quart water
Boil the rhubarb leaves in water for 1/2 and hour. Strain out solids and pour the liquid in spray bottle. Mix in dish soap and spray away. BUT NOTE: Rhubarb leaves are highly poisonous, so never use this spray on edible plants!
So what y'all think? I haven't a clue where to get rhubarb leaves this time of year, or would give it a try. Anything but that stinky, stinky fish oil spray!
Diane Krny
Possible Alternate Solution for Spider Mites
Well, I love Jerry Baker and lost my books in a fire. So, if I can find 1 pound of rhubarb leaves, I'll try it - but, 1 pound is a heap of rhubarb leaves - WalMart has rhubarb but I don't have a clue if they will have that much and looks like, to me, that you would need the pound since it only makes a quart. I surely appreciate the info, Diane!!!!
Yeah, I have to agree - I did a doubletake when I read 1 lb of Rhubarb leaves too -- but for mites, it must require that much - because later in the book he give a similar solution for bug control that calls for only 3 medium leaves and 1/4 cup of dish soap to 1 gallon of water. He recommends this for general bug spray including bulb leaves. Those (*)(*% mites though, are tenacious - guess you need the big guns for that.
Hubby's mom told me today that when she was a girl that they boiled rhubarb, without the soap, and used it for bugs, she thinks lots of bugs, but she doesn't remember any particular ones...
I had good fortune from using 20 drops teatree oil and a few drops dishsoap soluted in 5 liter tapwater and sprayed on the leaves. It killed both spitermites and the aphids (there is always at least a few on the Brugs during the winter). As the solution only kill adult mites, but not eggs, the cure should be repeated 3-4 times with a weeks interval. At 40-60 drops in 5 liter water the leaves might get slight burns.
This is a situation, which needs the diligent investigative powers of MaVieRose. I bet she could verify the amount, find a source for the leaves and tell us other uses for the mixture.
MaVie ???
well most rubarb you buy around here has all the leaves off so that lets me out of trying it
Judy, tea tree oil is available at the pharmacy dept. of Walmart for less than $5.00 [2 fl. oz bottle]. don't quote me on the price, that is what i paid the last time i bought it... about 2-3 yrs ago.
be careful in using tea tree oil cuz it is very potent.
i used to used 1 tsp. tea tree oil, 1 tbsp Palmolive soap to a gal of water. hth.
Doris, same thing here at our local grocery - the manager said it was because the leaves are 'toxic'...
I will have to try the rhubarb leaves this spring and summer.. it grows like wildfire around here. I have been using tea tree oil ALOT lately, seems I keep spraying and keep spraying, and the spidermites keep coming back. I drench the plants with the solution (water, liquid soap, tea tree oil, and neem oil). I will be anxious to try the rhubarb leaves. Thanks for the info Diane!