Leaving Dish Soap on Pepper Plants

Question

I live in Richmond, VA. Something is munching on my sweet bell pepper plant leaves. I mixed a heavy solution of biodegradable dish detergent and water into a super-froth and wiped it on the plants. Do I need to rinse it off or can I let it stay? I know I need to reapply after rain, but does it have to come off at all? This is my first garden and my little plants are in large pots, not in the ground. So far, so good but I need to know about the soap. I prefer not to use pesticides if at all possible.

Answer 1

You can just leave it be until another application is needed, though if it's really heavy, you may want to dilute it some. Alternatively, you could use neem oil. This article will help with that: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm