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Did I make a detrimental mistake?

shaggs2riches

shaggs2riches

I have been fighting aphids and little tiny black flies for most of the winter. They migrated from my overwinter plants over to my 1.5 month old young plants. I was talking with someone about them and they mentioned the black flies being a gnat. This afternoon I went reading how to rid of these because the dish soap and water wasn't getting rid of them. A couple web pages and at least one forum (not this one) was talking about using hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the flies larvae. I found a couple say to use a 1 part water to 1 part 3% peroxide. I mixed 750ml peroxide with 1200ml water into a sprayer and sprayed all of my plants big and small. Around an hour later something didn't sit right with me about what I did. I dug around a bit more and even found pages where people stated using straight peroxide on their plants with no I'll effect. But I also found a ton more talking about only using a few tablespoons to a gallon of water.

I had no idea which was correct. I decided the best was to try and wash it off the plants as best as I could. I cleaned the sprayer and soaked the plants with lots of water
The big plants went in the tub and got rinsed well with the shower. I put a fan on the plants and leaving the lights on overnight to dry the plants off. I'm worried now that my efforts were too late and that I just killed off or severely damaged my crop. Definitely going to be spending more time researching from now on though.
 
Have not tried it my self, but have read time and time again about people using hydrogen peroxide to increase oxygen to the root system. 
 
Yep I definitely mixed it way too strong according to that chart. This morning my plants looked okay. Hopefully I Rinsed enough off to keep things okay.
 
You did make a mistake..... your supposed to water the soil, not spray the leaves if i read it right. 
But the bigger problem is the aphids :flamethrower:
 
that's ridiculous, their suggest mix rate is 0.1 %
 
mixrate: 1 cup 3% to gallon of water.
3% 1 cup = .03
.03/16.97 = .0017
 
I personally use the unscented. I have heard a lot of other people use the peppermint soap.
 
 
Here is what I use
 
 
SPXib2A.jpg

 
 
I got mine at the local healthfood store. Think vegan hippie place not GNC.  They had a lot of the peppermint because thats what a lot of their customers use as they grow theier own vegetables.
 
 
Dr Bronners aphid control
 
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=dr%20bronner%27s%20aphid%20control
 
 
 
Southern Nevada Water Authority
 
https://www.snwa.com/land/maint_pests.html#aphid
 
 
Home guide
 
 
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-dr-bronners-soap-bugs-plants-70333.html
 
 
 
Personally I use 1 Tablesppoon to a spray bottle and 5 Tablespoons to a gallon.
 
 
 
When I used the Dawn/other dish detergent it didnt do anything. I could spray and the ants and aphids just went on their way continuing to do their thing. When I switched to the castile soap as soon as I sprayed the ants and aphids stopped in their tracks- it's that effective. 
 
If you are desperate: Bug Be Gone

I absolutely DO NOT use it on food plants, but I am really hippie dippy.  But I tend to move bugs inside to the grow room, they find their way upstairs, they get into wife's house plants and she nukes them.  Good idea to do it outside.
 
sirex said:
I personally use the unscented. I have heard a lot of other people use the peppermint soap.
 
 
I got mine at the local healthfood store. Think vegan hippie place not GNC.  They had a lot of the peppermint because thats what a lot of their customers use.
Click to expand...
Just ordered a gallon off of Amazon, I'll give it a shot. I did order the peppermint since peppermint in and of itself is a natural repellent to some pests.
 
Its the obky easy thing I've seen that works without nuking the plant. You can spray it off fifteen minutes later its all good.
 
I thought this video was interesting, don't know if they work but interesting none the less.  Note - the neem oil he uses is 100% cold pressed, he has another video talking about how most you buy on shelves they separate the insecticide portion out of the neem oil and sell it to you differently.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79MMRAf-UDQ
 
That is interesting. Fairly simple tricks to try out too. We use the apple cider vinegar for fruit flies so it may catch those gnats as well.
 
So I went to a local health foods store and found Dr.Bronner's 18-in-1 Peppermint Castile Soap. I also bought a small bottle of Neem Oil. I think that it is pure neem oil as its a really small bottle with a squeeze dropper style lid. Would there be a way to combat the pests with a combination of the two? I have a 2 liter hand pump sprayer that I would mix it in. I figured a very small amount of each together diluted with water sprayed on the plants and soil. I just don't know if they would work together or separate. Also I have no clue how much of each would work without harming my plants.
 
Do you need both? Will one suffice? Why do more to a living thing than is needed?

Personally, I'd stick with just one.

It seems as if you are getting antsy. Ive been that way as well. In my experience freaking out and overkilling can do damage as well ( not saying it will in this situation ).

Try the Castile soap. Wait a few days. If that doesn't give you the desired effect carry on with the Neem.
 
That probably is a wiser choice. Lol Yeah I really want them buggers gone. Especially seeing them on my Scotch bonnets that finally sprouted three weeks ago. I'll definitely try just the soap first and see how it goes.
 
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