My kale went from sad to super green in just two weeks

I had a patch of curly kale that looked pale and full of holes, probably from cabbage worms. I read about using a simple soap spray, so I mixed a tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's castile soap in a gallon of water and sprayed it every other day. The new leaves that grew in after that are dark green and perfect! Has anyone else had luck with this method for other bugs?

3 comments

3 Comments

henderson.oscar24d ago

That's awesome to hear your kale bounced back so well. I've had the same problem with little green worms eating my plants. The soap spray trick works for aphids on my pepper plants too, but you have to be really consistent with it. What kind of soap did you use, just the plain unscented kind?

paul28624d ago

I used to think soap was useless until my kale survived, @henderson.oscar.

jessica_robinson2319d ago

That soap trick is WAY more effective than people give it credit for. @paul286, you're right about being consistent with it, that's the key. I heard from a gardener at the hardware store that Dr. Bronner's specifically works because it's a true castile soap, not a detergent like some dish soaps. The detergents can strip the waxy coating off leaves and actually hurt the plant. The plain unscented kind is the best bet, the scented ones sometimes have added oils that can cause leaf burn. My neighbor tried the same method on his tomatoes for whiteflies and said it worked like a charm, so I'd say it's a solid go-to for soft bodied bugs.