Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/ru/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: Fungicides Published: December 10, 2011Republished: February 10, 2019Last edits: March 12, 2021
Any gardener, gardener and florist is familiar with such a product as green soap. It is safe, compatible with other drugs and effective in both pest control and the destruction of pathogens. You will learn about what this drug is and what its properties are from our article.
Purpose of green soap
Green soap, or potassium soap, or green potash soap is a means for the preventive treatment of plants against damage by pests and fungal diseases. It is used as an ingredient in self-prepared mixtures for treating plants against:
- aphids,
- scale insects,
- false scale insects,
- whiteflies,
- mealybugs,
- spider mites.
And the alkaline environment created on the surface of plants by this drug inhibits the development of fungal infections:
- powdery mildew,
- rust,
- late blight,
- cytosporosis
- and gray rot.
Scope of use of the product
Green soap is a product purchased to solve problems that arise during plant growing. It is generally accepted that the insecticide is most effective in the early stages of the disease, and also as a prophylactic agent.
Pest control
The environmentally friendly insecticide is not an overtly toxic substance, but has proven itself favorably in the fight against timely detected foci of insect attack. Despite the selectivity in objects exposed to the toxic effects of green soap, the list of pests affected by it is impressive:
- aphids (fruit, vegetable, flower, manifested both in open ground and indoors);
- spider mite;
- sawflies;
- bibs;
- psyllids;
- pennies, etc.
At the first harmful manifestations, the surface of the plant should be irrigated with a solution of green soap. It is more convenient to use a finely dispersed sprayer, which allows you to thoroughly treat both the external and internal parts of shoots, leaves and stems.
The use of green soap is possible during the flowering period without loss of volume of ovaries by fruit and berry crops. “Bathing” branches and shoots of plants, which are immersed in a container with a solution for a few seconds, can be successfully applied.
Seasonal attack of fruit aphids
Disease Control
In the form of an independent solution, green soap has a preventive rather than a therapeutic effect in cases of fungal infections of plants. The protective film formed on the surface of foliage and shoots helps strengthen the immunity of a healthy crop under conditions of risk of proximity to infected people.
Diseases that can be successfully treated with alkaline soap:
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- rust;
- late blight, etc.
In case of pronounced manifestations of plant diseases, green soap is used as an additional component of a solution based on fungicides, pesticides, etc. The viscous oil film of the ecological preparation envelops the molecules of the chemical substance and retains them on the surface, protecting them from being washed off by precipitation and prolonging the period of action.
Powdery mildew on cucumbers
Effect of green soap
Green soap has insecticidal and fungicidal properties, it also enhances the effect of pesticides and chemical fungicides. Green soap is not literally soap; it is a green or brown mixture with a soapy adhesive base. The composition of the drug includes potassium salts of fatty acids, animal fats (lamb fat and solid fats of cattle), water and natural vegetable oils - soybean or sunflower.
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After spraying a composition that contains green soap, an environment is formed on the treated surfaces that prevents the development of parasites and carriers of infections. Pests lose the opportunity to reproduce and feed on the tissues and sap of the treated plant, because not only the plant, but also their bodies are covered with a film of fats and salts after spraying. This film prevents parasites from breathing and their larvae from developing.
The main advantage of green soap is its safety for people, animals, beneficial insects and plants.
What is the danger of aphids on currants?
Aphids feed by piercing tender young leaves with their proboscis and sucking out the juice from them. The leaf surfaces become deformed and red-brown swellings appear on them. The leaf dries and dies.
Another type of aphid sucks juices from shoots, preventing their growth. Since young shoots of shrubs are affected, gardeners may lose part of the harvest not only of the current year, but also of the future.
Insects will not destroy the entire bush, but it begins to wither, weaken, and fruiting will be insignificant. In addition, insects are carriers of various viruses that cause diseases.
You can read more information about diseases and pests of currants here.
Instructions for using green soap
Treatment of plants in open and protected ground
Natural sediment in green soap is considered normal. Before use, the container with the drug must be shaken.
Spray the plants with a 2.5-4% solution of the drug. When used together with pesticides, the soap concentration should be 0.4-1%. Treatment is carried out no more than 3 times per season and no later than 5 days before harvest. Against eggs and larvae of pests, the drug solution is sprayed in early spring, before the buds swell. You can treat the plant with green soap just before winter arrives.
Treatment of garden plants
Preparation of the emulsion: 40-50 g of green soap are dissolved in 1 liter of boiling water. After the mixture has cooled to 50 ºC, 2 liters of kerosene are poured into it with constant stirring. This sour cream-like mixture does not separate and remains suitable for treating plants for several days. To spray trees, this mixture must be diluted with warm water, increasing the volume by 2 times. If the leaves on the trees are still green, then the solution is diluted with water 12-14 times. Treatment is carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather. Spraying with a 0.4-1 percent solution of green soap is used to prevent damage to garden trees and cultivated plants by scab, rust, powdery mildew, late blight and other fungal diseases.
Fighting diseases on indoor plants
The appearance of powdery mildew, spotting and rust on indoor plants can be prevented by treating them with a solution prepared according to this recipe: in one container, 2 g of copper sulfate is dissolved in 1 liter of water, and in another container, 20 g of green soap is dissolved in the same amount of water. Then the solutions need to be mixed and immediately treated with plants.
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Folk remedies + green soap
Green soap is also added to herbal insecticidal decoctions and infusions:
- A tobacco-soap solution is used against sucking pests. 10 liters of sixty-degree water are poured into 1 kg of tobacco waste, infused for 24 hours and filtered. 2 liters of this solution are mixed with 10 liters of water, and then 20-25 g of green soap are added to the composition;
- stir 3 tablespoons of wood ash into 10 liters of warm water, leave for 24 hours, then add 40 g of green soap and use immediately;
- against spider mites, aphids and scale insects, use the following mixture: 20 g of mustard powder and 200 g of green soap are dissolved in 9 liters of water. Then, with constant stirring, pour in 2 g of copper sulfate for each liter of solution. This mixture also helps get rid of powdery mildew on currants, gooseberries and strawberries.
What aphid attacks currants?
Despite the many types of pests, currants are parasitized by two of them: gall aphids and gooseberry aphids. Read about them in detail below.
Gall aphid (leaf)
The gall (leaf) aphid, or redcurrant aphid, as its name suggests, prefers shrubs with white or red berries. This is due to the fact that the foliage of these species is more delicate, the leaf surface is thinner, which allows pests to easily pierce the leaf, pumping out the juices from it.
Brown thickenings and galls appear on the damaged area. This is how the plant tries to heal. If you turn over such a leaf, you can see many small insects under it.
This type of pest lives wherever red currants grow. The gall aphid has an oval body, slightly more than 2 ml long, with small hairs. The color is pale green.
Most insects are wingless. Females are very fertile, hatching from eggs in the spring, and on the second day of life they are ready to reproduce. Being viviparous, they produce up to hundreds of new aphids.
Hot and dry summers contribute to the active spread of the pest. Winged forms of pests appear when it is necessary to colonize another place after the destruction of the previous one.
Gooseberry aphid (shoot)
Gooseberry aphid (shoot aphid) lives on black currants and gooseberries. This is a very numerous, prolific species. The insects are small, about 2 ml in length, greenish in color.
They feed on the juice of leaves and young twigs, accumulating on their tops, causing the leaves to curl, forming spherical lumps or cocoons. The branch stops growing, inside the damaged leaves there is a colony that is actively feeding and reproducing.
Females have a winged shape, which makes pest control difficult. New generations of aphids can destroy the entire garden, flying from bush to bush, especially in dry, hot weather.
Precautionary measures
- Use soap only for spraying plants, but do not add it to root treatment solutions.
- Do not use green soap for household purposes: do not wash your hands with it or wash things.
- When working with the drug, protect your eyes with goggles and your hands with rubber gloves.
- After finishing work, thoroughly rinse the sprayer and the container in which the solution was prepared.
- In case of contact with mucous skin or eyes, rinse the solution with plenty of water.
- To achieve the effect, strictly follow the instructions and dosage of the drug.
- Using a product for indoor plants, first cover the earthen ball with film, securing it to the trunk of the plant.
Safety precautions
Despite the fact that soap poses virtually no threat to humans and animals, it belongs to drugs of the 4th hazard class and it is recommended to carry out all work with the product wearing protective gloves. Do not spray the product near open fire, cigarettes, etc.
According to the instructions, green soap for pests should be prepared in a glass container. If splashes get into the eyes, immediate, thorough rinsing with water and treatment with eye drops is required. The product is washed off the skin under running water.
If the drug ends up in the stomach, it is necessary to induce vomiting, then take a dose of activated charcoal. If necessary, call an ambulance.
Reviews
Irina: I have been using green soap for several years, and I always have it in stock. I treat trees and shrubs, as well as indoor plants, with a solution of this drug before the buds swell. I don’t use chemicals because I have small children. The product is reliable, cheap, harmless and environmentally friendly.
Pyotr Nikolaevich: sprayed a solution of green soap on the cucumbers that were inhabited by aphids. I don’t use chemicals, but before that I treated the beds with garlic infusion, dusted them with wood ash, and the aphids didn’t seem to decrease in number. After spraying the leaves with green soap, the number of pests gradually decreased. After a few days the pests were gone.
Anna Semyonovna: my indoor plants suffered from mealybugs, which I brought home along with the orchid. I was in such a hurry to get her into the best place that I forgot about quarantine. As a result, the pests colonized three neighboring flowers. Treatment with Fitoverm did not give any special results, Fufanon also did not help much. I realized that I couldn’t get rid of scale insects quickly, so I began treating all the flowers with green soap every week. The scale insects have disappeared.
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Official website and manufacturer's recommendations: https://www.technoexport.ru/household/catalog/herb-protection/insect-pests/zelenoe-mylo-sprey-prosto
Prevention
Fighting aphids is a long and tedious task. To prevent insects from infecting berry gardens, follow these simple rules:
- Perform annual pruning of bushes, removing all damaged branches and shoots.
- Regularly pull out weeds around the bush.
- Dig up the soil under and around bushes.
- Eliminate garden ants.
- Plant aphid repellent plants.
- Let ladybugs and lacewings live in your garden.
- In spring, scald the bushes with boiling water.
- Whitewash trunks and branches.
You have learned ways to combat the currant pest - aphids. Which one to choose is up to you. Practice and experience will help you make the right choice. Fighting aphids is a methodical, responsible and constant activity. Simple preventive measures will help alleviate it.
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How to get rid of weevils on strawberries
To save the strawberry harvest, gardeners use various methods:
- preventive,
- mechanical,
- chemical,
- biological,
- folk remedies.
And it doesn’t matter which method you choose. It is much more important to carry out the treatment at the right time. And it is very important not to miss this time. The guideline for processing is the peduncles that appear above the base of the rosette when the buds are still collected in a group and not isolated. When the flower stalks rise and become spreading, it is too late to process.
