Insecticide soap killing my garden?

nauticalady · Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:49 pm

This spring in Oregon was even colder and wetter than usual. Still, my plants were finally growing and looking healthy, but getting eaten up. I found tiny bugs on my three tomatoes. I put Sevin on two of them and insecticide soap on the other one. The one with soap sprayed on it now has all the leaves turning yellow and shriveling up. I also sprayed in on my beans, which looked good, but had a few holes in the leaves, and now they are turning brown also. Same with my broccoli; its leaves are starting to turn brown also. Have I killed them? I'm at my wit's end! What should I do?

BTW, I don't see any change in the tomatoes I put Sevin on.

Kisal · Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:35 pm

Did you use soap, like Ivory or Dr. Bronner's? Or did you use "dish soap", which is usually a detergent? Detergents are much stronger than real soap, and can burn the leaves of a plant. JMO.

Sorry for your trouble with your plants.

applestar · Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:09 am

Sevin is not organic. Do read the sticky at the top of this forum.

Agree with Kisal that you need to be careful what kind of soap and what concentration, as well as not spraying in direct sun. Washing off within 15 min or so is another way to be safe.

JONA878 · Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:29 am

It amazes me that over your side of the pond you can still use Sevin.
it is banned over most of Europe as a carsnogenic and has been off our usage lists for several years now.

rainbowgardener · Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:35 am

Concentration matters too. If you are making soap solution at home (you can buy products like Safer's insecticidal soap), a couple teaspoonfuls of soap in a quart of water is all you need. Adding a little vegetable oil helps the solution adhere to the plants better. But don't over do anything!

And yes, the US has an amazing tolerance for poisons that are banned elsewhere. It's that laissez faire capitalism thing!

nauticalady · Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:07 pm

The brand I used is E.B. Stone Insect Soap, and I sprayed it on in the evening.
Never realized I was supposed to wash it off.

Kisal · Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:54 pm

I've used Safer's Insecticidal Soap many times and never washed it off afterward. I don't wash off my homemade soap solution, either, which I make with Dr. Bronner's soap.

applestar · Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:59 pm

I wash them off if I feel like it might be warranted-- sun, wind, solution seems too sudsy or intentionally stronger on persistent pests, spray used or overprayed/drifted on near harvest produce (I hate soapy lettuce

), etc.

I'm not saying it's absolutely necessary, but it's an optional extra step to keep in mind. FWIW, I haven't had a burn problem since I started doing this.