Thrips alert

[solid7]

I can't really help you with your soaps.  Here, I use a product called "7th Generation".  Others use blue Dawn dish soap.  They've both been proven to work.  The ones you gave are just marketing posters.  No usefulness, unfortunately.
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I have used Castille in the past, but the Castille soap that I use is liquid.  I don't know about hard soaps.  Others may chime in.
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I don't typically try to keep the soap out of the medium, but if in doubt...
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Nothing has changed about the advice that you were previously given, with regards to emulsifying the Neem.  The soap is to kill in numbers, the Neem afterwards is the insect birth control.  You still mix the Neem the same way.

 

[bongcloud]

Yes, I just thought the ingredients tab on those might be useful, but it appears it's mostly down to experience.
 
How exactly do I make the solution, in regard to proportions? Also, what does it mean to emulsify? Does it just mean, in the context of making this solution, turning soap and neem into a homogeneous mixture before adding it to water? Is there anything special to the process, or is it just mixing the two together well? Would blending the three in a blender not work?

 

[lek]

please note that dish soap is not even a soap.  it's a detergent (very toxic to your plant)
 

 

[solid7]

Yes, I just thought the ingredients tab on those might be useful, but it appears it's mostly down to experience.
 
How exactly do I make the solution, in regard to proportions? Also, what does it mean to emulsify? Does it just mean, in the context of making this solution, turning soap and neem into a homogeneous mixture before adding it to water? Is there anything special to the process, or is it just mixing the two together well? Would blending the three in a blender not work?

 
Emulsifying is when you keep the particles of a liquid (like oil) from sticking together, by suspending the particles inside of another liquid.  This is exactly why soap works to clean your skin.  For the sake of conversation, and to make it clear, yes, it's making them homogenous, but also keeping the Neem from from falling out of suspsension, before it can be used.
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There's absolutely nothing special about the process. Just as noted, it's easier to combine small quantities of soap and neem with good results, than it is to mix the two into a larger volume of water, and expect them to mix properly.
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It's just like if you were making bread.  You'd mix dry ingredients first, then add liquid.  Same logic.  Easier to mix like entities, when done in a logical progression.
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Reading soap ingredients for me doesn't work, because honestly, I've used what I know works.  It's one of the few things that I've never really bothered to ask too many questions about.

 

[solid7]

please note that dish soap is not even a soap.  it's a detergent (very toxic to your plant)
 

 
By the same token, this is a remedial course of action, being taken to deal with a very difficult pest.  It is akin to taking a medication with known side-effects.  Not optimal, but a risk-weighed course of action.  Quite simply, what we've got so far in this thread:
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1) Neem - possibly not 100% effective, but available
2) soap/detergent - 100% available, dual effect with Neem
3) Spinosad - apparently unavailable to the OP or very expensive
4) lek's  virtually unknown (to the hobby grower) biological agents
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Lek, you either need to send him some of your laboratory grade biological warfare agents, or suggest an achievable (for the OP) course of action - rather than just point out all of the things that he can't/shouldn't do. Like I tell my kids - I already know what the problem is - what is your proposed solution?
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OP - for the record - I don't really endorse using soaps of any kind on a plant, as a first resort.  But we're trying to kill your thrips, and I don't really know what you have available to you.  If I had a better answer, I'd give it to you.  I'd suggest the same of anyone else. 

 

[bongcloud]

Still unable to find anything else proposed in this thread. I've tested a soapy solution (castile soap and water) on a few adult thrips. They seemed to defecate and then slowly die, so that's promising. I'll be getting neem oil tomorrow.
 
What's the recipe for the neem solution? I'll try to adapt it to hard castile soap.
Also, how often should I spray my plants and for how long? Cheers.

 

[Honey Badger]

Still unable to find anything else proposed in this thread. I've tested a soapy solution (castile soap and water) on a few adult thrips. They seemed to defecate and then slowly die, so that's promising. I'll be getting neem oil tomorrow.
 
What's the recipe for the neem solution? I'll try to adapt it to hard castile soap.
Also, how often should I spray my plants and for how long? Cheers.

 
I use about teaspoon of Neem to 2L of water. I then add few drops of soap and mix till oil drops stop floating in the water and are evenly dispersed. I then spray on my plants. I shake the bottle hard every minute or so untill I'm done. Plants need to get pretty drenched in it, top and bottom, you should cover all surfaces. 
 
I repeat spraying every few days, 5-7 typically or if I see aphids or other bugs. 
 
One piece of advice is, do test first on just few leaves and leave it for couple of days. If those leaves shrivel up or anything happens to them, your solution is too strong and you'd need to dilute it. Once I nearly burned my pepper plant with too strong Neem solution.
 
Good luck.

 

[solid7]

 
I use about teaspoon of Neem to 2L of water. I then add few drops of soap and mix till oil drops stop floating in the water and are evenly dispersed. I then spray on my plants. I shake the bottle hard every minute or so untill I'm done. Plants need to get pretty drenched in it, top and bottom, you should cover all surfaces. 
 

 
 
Easiest way is to mix Neem and soap in a separate container, and stir until they are thoroughly mixed.  Then, add this to water.  I always recommend not to mix it like that, because many growers don't get it mixed properly, and then complain that the Neem doesn't work.
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I generally add just about even portions of soap and Neem, but there are proportions listed on the bottle.  Never hurts to follow those.

 

[Honey Badger]

 
 
Easiest way is to mix Neem and soap in a separate container, and stir until they are thoroughly mixed.  Then, add this to water.  I always recommend not to mix it like that, because many growers don't get it mixed properly, and then complain that the Neem doesn't work.
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I generally add just about even portions of soap and Neem, but there are proportions listed on the bottle.  Never hurts to follow those.

 
When I was mixing mine, I didn't know about mixing Neem with soap first, so I did it as I explained. Next time, I will try your method. About 5ml of Neem and 5ml of soap to 2L of water seems about right.
 
My Neem oil is cold pressed, minimal packaging, no instructions whatsoever. 

 

[Elpicante]

I can't really help you with your soaps.  Here, I use a product called "7th Generation".  Others use blue Dawn dish soap.  They've both been proven to work.  The ones you gave are just marketing posters.  No usefulness, unfortunately.
.
I have used Castille in the past, but the Castille soap that I use is liquid.  I don't know about hard soaps.  Others may chime in.
.
I don't typically try to keep the soap out of the medium, but if in doubt...
.
Nothing has changed about the advice that you were previously given, with regards to emulsifying the Neem.  The soap is to kill in numbers, the Neem afterwards is the insect birth control.  You still mix the Neem the same way.

I was told to specifically stay away from Dawn. It's too strong. I can't vouch for it since I've never used it. My mom xperience with Palmolive, Vel and even $.99 Store. 1:1.5 ratio in a quart spray bottle. 1 tbs of soap and 1.5 tbs of organic Neem oil the rest water.