Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in a Minute
Episode Archive

Episode #354 | Original Air Date: July 8, 2021

Related Resources

• Ask IFAS: Managing Plant Pests with Soaps
• Insecticidal Soap in the Garden
• Gardening Solutions – Soaps, Detergents, and Pest Management

Transcript

Horticultural soaps are environmentally friendly pesticides.

They can be used to treat small, soft-bodied pests like aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and spider mites. Horticultural soaps can be used on indoor and outdoor plants, including vegetables.

You can find homemade recipes, but it’s often safer to use commercially available sprays for more predictable results.

Be sure to follow product labels, since timing matters in many situations. For example, spraying on a hot, summer day may cause damage to the plant.

Horticultural soaps work only when they come in direct contact with pests, so it’s important to have thorough coverage. You may need to reapply weekly until you get the pests in check.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in a Minute is a production of the University of Florida’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program, IFAS Extension, and WUFT-FM in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.