I really, really hope you’ll never need a natural insecticide for your indoor plants. But chances are, if you have plants in your home, at some point you’ll also have spider mites, mealybugs, white flies, or other little creepy crawlies on your plants that you want to get rid of.
I mean, there’s possibly no worse feeling than checking in on your plant babies, only to find them covered in bugs trying to destroy them!
But don’t fret! And definitely don’t throw that plant away. Just whip up some natural insecticide and get at it!
How to Make Natural Insecticide for Your Indoor Plants
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Castille Soap
1 litre of water
Combine in a spray bottle.
How to Apply Your Natural Insecticide
- Separate your infected plant from your other plants to decrease the chance of your little buggies spreading.
- Use a spray faucet or hose (something with pressurized water) to spray down the leaves of your plant. Spray the top and bottom of each leaf, the stem, and the soil to remove any loose bugs or bug debris.
- Use the spray bottle of natural insecticide to liberally spray the whole plant. Be sure to coat the top and bottom of each leaf, stems, and soil.
- Let the plant sit for a day, then recheck for bugs, and if necessary reapply!
Why Does Natural Insecticide Work?
I’m going to go ahead and admit I don’t know the full chemistry behind exactly why this works… but here’s what I do know:
- Castile soap is plant-based, so it doesn’t leave a greasy residue on your plants and it’s safe for the leaves and the soil.
- When you spray the mixture onto the bugs, the soap mixture disturbs the cell layer of the insects, suffocating them (I mean, I almost feel bad… but then I remember they were trying to kill my plants, and not so much!)
Now, go forth, conquer those bugs, and get back to enjoying those beautiful, beautiful leafy friends.
