Topic: HORTICULTURAL SOAP

[Duke Ellington]

Hi..:)

Could someone please explain to me what are the active ingredients in Horticultural soap and why this should be used and not detergent eg washing up liquid or a very mild soap for example baby shampoo.
How does soap work to kill aphids? ( apart from washing them off).
Is horticultural soap organic? (or more so than any other type of soap)

I would just like to have a better understanding of all this

Yes Kea I agree and where to buy Horticultural Soap as none of the garden centres around here have it !!!

Duke :)

[Kea]

and where to get it!

[amphibian]

Hi..:)

Could someone please explain to me what are the active ingredients in Horticultural soap and why this should be used and not detergent eg washing up liquid or a very mild soap for example baby shampoo.
How does soap work to kill aphids? ( apart from washing them off).
Is horticultural soap organic? (or more so than any other type of soap)

I would just like to have a better understanding of all this

Duke :)

Detergents and soaps are not the same thing, soap kills aphids by plugging their breathing holes and causing them to suffocate. I've no idea if this is how detergents work, most domestic soaps are actually detergents.

Soaps can be made in many different ways, but a natural soap can be made in to a horticultural soap and be certified as organic, not all natural soaps will be organic though, check the packaging.

There are plenty of soap based organic approved sprays and applications available, they are very effective when used properly, I have no blackfly on my broad beans this year, I have even left the growing tips on.

[amphibian]

and where to get it!

Here

They have more preparations available.

[BarriedaleNick]

By and large soap is made by reacting acidic oils or fats (olive, hemp, lard) with an alkaline solution like sodium or potassium hydroxide.  Technicaly soap is a salt of the fatty acids found in oils.  I believe that Horticultural soap is made with potassium. It works because the fatty acids disrupt the cells membranes and allow the contents to spill out!  Nice!
A detergent on the other hand can be many things and is often used to deferentiate between soap and non soap detergents.  basically a soad is a detergent but not all detergents are soaps.

Soap making is great fun by the way - Im sure a lot of gardeners would be interested in making soap as you can add flowers, seeds or whatever to your batch.  Made some recently from olive pumace oil with grapefruit and lemon.

[djbrenton]

You can make a perfectly usable soap with rabbits brains and charcoal. I guess it could be used as a toothpaste too

[grannyjanny]

I was looking into this a while ago & came across a product called Dr Bronner's soaps. They are organic & recommended for aphids, I got the lavender one so they die relaxed ;D ;D ;D. Amazon do it but I got a small one to try from abay & it was £4 inc P&P. It has so many uses.

[Duke Ellington]

Glad you like the soap Granny:) . There is a part of me that thinks that Dr Bronners is too good to use on the pesky aphids! but it works! :)


Duke :)

[davyw1]

I just use stergine washing up liquid, not that i bother measuring about 1 teaspoon to a pint.

[shirlton]

Does ecover washing up liquid qualify for a soap spray to kill the aphids

[Hector]

That Dr Bronners stuff is great :)

[Duke Ellington]

YEP....I have been using it for a couple of years as a shower/ bath soap. It has a lovely old fashioned smell:)
Especially the Lavender one! and it smells like the real thing

Duke :)

[Eristic]

It has a lovely old fashioned smell

Whould that be carbolic? :P

[alwyn]

SAVONA soft soap ( google it to find suppliers) about £6.00 for a quarter litre. Only difficulty - you need HOT water to dilute it, so if you're on an allotment you need a stove or a thermos flask!.

It's organic, and works by clogging up the breathing tubes of aphids

[Tulipa]

Here too...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/JUST-GREEN-SAVONA-1-LITRE/dp/B000P6PV26/ref=pd_bxgy_lp_text_b

and horticultural soap...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Savona-Horticultural-Soft-Soap-250ml/dp/B000VPIJ2K/ref=pd_sim_lp_1

T.

[Poppy Mole]

I boil up some rhubarb leaves, strain off the water into a squeezy bottle & add some washing up liquid & use it to spray the aphids. Am still using last years mixture & it is still working, my understanding is that the detergent sticks to the leaves.