For most of us, it’s not a question of if, but when bugs will be on our plants. That’s where IPM(Integrated Pest Management) sprays come in handy. Instead of waiting for bugs to be an issue, you can spray once a week, or every other week, to ward off pests and kill small infestations before you can even see them. I’ll start with a list of ingredients that can be used in many combinations to create your own spray.
Ingredients
Isopropyl alcohol – used to dry out bugs and mold. It is used 1:100 or ~0.5-1 oz./gallon (if 91%).
Hydrogen peroxide – used to dry out bugs and mold. Can be used in many ratios for many scenarios (always dependent on percentage of peroxide, most common are 3% and 34%).
Citric acid – Changes pH and acts as a preservative. It is typically used at .05% in several products.
Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate – preservatives that may kill or stop the spread of mold. Sodium Benzoate is used less than 0.13% and Potassium Sorbate is used at less than 0.3%.
Castile soap – Dr. Bronners soap and knock offs. Used at 7.5-30 ml./gallon.
Saponins – plant derived surfactants (lower the surface tension allowing things to mix easier) . They can be found in Yucca and soaproot and may have other plant benefits.
Sodium Bicarbonate – may act like potassium silicate and raise pH to kill mold. It may also reduce foam. It is typically used at ~2% by volume.
Sulfur – kills mold and may kill bugs. ~5 g./gallon.
Essential oils – use’s volatile organic compounds to disrupt reproduction, feeding or repel insects. It may also smother the spread of surface molds or mildews. The most commonly used are rosemary, eucalyptus, ginger, lemongrass, thyme, clove, cinnamon, peppermint, caraway seed and citronella. Aromatic oils are mixed at 7.5-15 ml./gallon.
Insecticidal soap – (potassium salts of fatty acids) dries out bugs and mold and may suffocate pests. The dosage ranges from 20-75 ml. It also works as an emulsifier.
Vegetable oils – like canola, corn, or cottonseed oil. Suffocates pests. Typically used at 10-30 ml./gallon.
Neem/Karanja – oil is used like vegetable oils but has added benefits of repelling pests.
Lemon juice – acts as a natural herbicide with its essential oils and acidic ph level.
Lecithins – like soy or sunflower lecithins. Come from plants and attract oil and water.
Yeast – may disrupt digestive activity of chewing insects and may out-compete mold.
My preferred recipes
Weak vegetative stage spray
– 1 Gallon clean water
– 1 Ounce of Dr. Bronners Style Soap
– 1 teaspoon neem and or karanja oil
– 0.5 Ounce of Essential Oils ( I use 0.25 oz of 2 different oils, and rotate through them each batch)
Optional add ons
– 1 Ounce Insecticidal soap
– Saponins
The key is to get the oil properly emulsified so that it sprays evenly or else this spray won’t be nearly as effective. Use warm water but not hot (75-85 degrees). I like to add a small amount of water and all the other ingredients into a mini blender that I used just for ipms.
Strong vegetative spray
– 1 Gallon clean water
– 1 Ounce of Dr. Bronners Style Soap
– 1 tablespoon neem and or karanja oil
– 1 Ounce of Essential Oils ( I use .25 oz of 2 different oils, and rotate through them each batch)
Recommended add ons
– 1 Ounce Insecticidal soap
– 1 Ounce Isopropyl alcohol
– teaspoon of vegetable oil
– Saponins
The key is to get the oil properly emulsified so that it sprays evenly or else this spray won’t be nearly as effective. Use warm water but not hot (75-85 degrees). I like to add a small amount of water and all the other ingredients into a mini blender that I used just for ipms.
Once I hit flowering stage I cut out most ingredients, there’s more you can use but I’ve been able to harvest many plants with just these 2 recipes.
I use this one for the first 4-6 weeks of flowering
1 Gallon clean water
– 1 Ounce of Dr. Bronners Style Soap
– 8 oz peroxide 3%
– 0.5 Ounce of Essential Oils ( I use .25 oz of 2 different oils, and rotate through them each batch)
For the last couple weeks of flowering, I use peroxide only, just changing up the percentage used.
If there’s no issues and I’m just doing weekly maintenance id use 4-8 oz of 3% per gallon.
If I saw some powdery mildew, bugs, or distress in general, I’ll slowly increase the amount used. You can spray up to 3% peroxide on a plant but it stresses it out, so best to dilute it unless you have to.
Copycat recipes
Dr Bronners And Essential Oils
– 1 Gallon Clean Water
– 1 Ounce of Dr. Bronners Plain Style Soap
– 0.5 – 1 Ounce of Essential Oils (Use half this amount if using a scented soap like peppermint or lavender)
Mammoth Biocontrol
– 5% Thyme Oil
– 90% Light corn oil
– 5% Liquid Lecithins (sunflower)
– Use 3 oz./gallon. Shake well and use sticker/spreader
Flying Skull Nuke Em Clone
– Distilled/RO water (50 ml)
– Insecticidal Soap (also called Potassium Soap) (40 ml)
– Yeast (fresh brewery yeast or dry yeast) (4 g)
– Lemon Juice (2 ml)
– Potassium Sorbate (2 g)
– Sodium Benzoate (2 g)
– Top up to 4 oz with distilled/RO water
– Use 4 oz./gallon and agitate before and during use
Homemade Green Cleaner
– 1 gallon of RO water
– 30 ml cold pressed neem oil
– 30 ml Sal Suds/Dr. Bronners/Insecticidal Soap
– 36 ml 70% isopropyl alcohol
– Use 15-60ml/gal and agitate before and during use
Lost Coast Plant Therapy
– Water, distilled water, deionized water 2-12%
– Sodium Citrate – ≤2.5%
– Soybean oil – 35%
– Isopropyl alcohol – 35%
– Potassium salts of Fatty Acids – 35%
– Peppermint oil – ≤2.5%
– Citric Acid – ≤2.5%
– Use 15-60ml/gal and agitate before and during use
Cornell Dormant Oil
– 2 tablespoons of ultrafine canola oil and 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a gallon of water.
– Nourishing formula- 2 tablespoons of horticultural oil, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of kelp and 1 tablespoon of mild dish soap mixed with 1 gallon of water.
– Recipe 3 contains 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 5 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, 2 tablespoons of castile soap — which is made from an olive oil base — and 1 gallon of water.
Build A Soil Foliar
Foliar Recipe #1: Neem Oil + Agsil16H 7.8% + Aloe Vera + Essential Oils (Use During Lights Out Only)
This is the go to IPM foliar spray for weekly use, but variations of this recipe can be used and will be listed below without all of the detailed explanations. If you are worried about all the recipes, then just use this one and you’ll be fine.
1 Gallon Clean Water (You can also use Botanical Tea for the water) 1 Tablespoon Neem Oil (Use Ahimsa Neem @ BuildASoil.com) 1-2 Teaspoons 7.8% Potassium Silicate Solution ½ – 1 Ounce of Essential Oils (Use different combinations and different oils each week) 1/4 Cup Pure Aloe Vera Juice (If using 200x Aloe Powder from BuildASoil.com add 1/8 Teaspoon per gallon)
Oils for IPM Use: Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lemongrass, Thyme, Clove, Cinnamon, Peppermint etc. Directions for mixing:
The key is to get the Neem Oil Properly emulsified so that it sprays evenly or else this spray won’t be nearly as effective. Use warm water but not hot (75-85 degrees). I like to add 1 cup of the gallon of water into a Protein Shaker cup with the round wire whisk ball for mixing but you can use a whisk and a regular cup, a blender or whatever you have on hand.
To this 1 cup of water I add my Aloe Vera Juice or powder and let sit until clear.
Then emulsify 1 Tablespoon of Neem oil using 1-2 teaspoons of 7.8% Potassium Silicate solution into the shaker cup with the warm water and Aloe Juice.
Add the emulsified neem/silica/aloe solution to the other 15 cups of water to make your full gallon of spray.
Add the essential oils of your choice and stir vigorously to keep the oil emulsified.
Spray the plant down using a sprayer with a wand like a Chapin model 1949. This type of sprayer will allow you to effectively coat your entire plant from bottom to top. Use the wand and work your way from the bottom to the top spraying the underside of every leaf and once done turn the wand over and spray the top of every leaf, completely saturating the canopy until the plant is weeping and ready to fall over from the weight of the foliar spray.
Make Sure to spray this just before or just after lights off as the neem oil and the essential oils will burn your plants if sprayed with lights on. Essential oils are especially reactive to light so be sure to spray at lights out… and not just a couple hours before lights on.
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