I've had a discussion about the problem I've had with whiteflies in the gardens. Someone suggested making my insect killing solution with regular dishsoap but dishsoaps these days are made with chemicals which can also damage the plants. So if I couldn't find any of the non-chemical soap which is made from vegetable oils (and other oils too) and lye, which when combined lose their original properties and create soap.
Anyhow, I have everything to make it myself, just as I do my bath bar soap, but it's a process that takes a while and I don't really have the time. So I got to thinking that the place where I buy my raw milk might have something like that, and sure enough they did, "Dr. Bronner's" line of soaps is made the old fashioned way without chemicals.
As shown in the last pic, testing it with my pH meter, the pH is high to have an adverse affect on the bugs - bugs don't deal well with high alkalinity.
So, I took some of the soap, added a little alcohol, some water, and sprayed the plants. It works excellent and had a population of thousands of whiteflies reduced to just a few here and there within just a few days.
CAUTION: Must be used only in the evening soon before sunset. Sprayed on, both top and bottom of leaves, allowed to set for 5-10 minuts, then hosed off completely. If not hosed off the alcohol could hurt the leaves. If done correctly, the whiteflies are quickly eliminated and the plants are once again very healthy.
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