maus
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dr bonners pesticide recipe

I got a bottle of Dr bonners soap and wondering how to make a pesticide to use on my basil plants because something is attacking them

cynthia_h
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Start with 1 tsp. liquid soap to 1 quart water. Be sure to get the tops and bottoms of the leaves.

The soap spray works on contact with the insects; it's not preventive. OTOH, it also "works" on honeybees and other pollinators, so many of us here at the forum recommend using soap sprays and similar agents in the late afternoon/early evening, after honeybees have gone home for the night.

Cynthia H.
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maus
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does it stop bugs?

cynthia_h
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"Stop"? It kills aphids and other soft-bodied insects.

Cynthia

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rainbowgardener
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but obviously, it helps to know what the "something" is that is attacking your basil. My basil is rarely bothered by insects, which don't seem to like herbs very much. If the leaves are getting largish round holes in the middle, that is more likely slugs/ snails and soapy water spray won't bother them a bit.

Look closely especially at the underside of the leaves, see if you can spot anything. If not, come back at night with a flashlight and look again.

Tell us more about what kind of damage it is showing and we may be able to help you figure it out.

maus
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some of the leaves have brown spots near the edge and one or 2 leaves have holes in it. which makes no sense if they were getting attacked all my plants would have holes correct?

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rainbowgardener
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No, there's no reason to think if some bugs found your garden that they would attack all the plants at once. Hard to do unless some giant Day of the Locust swarm came in.

But if you just have a few holes here and there, I would just keep an eye on the situation, keep looking out to see if you can find the culprit. There's no reason to do anything about it as long as the problem is at that level. You actually want to have a few leaf-eating bugs in your garden to attract the beneficial ones. A plant can easily lose 10% of its leaf surface without noticing it. When you worry is when you have an infestation, with lots of leaves being turned to lace.



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