Neem Oil vs Safer Insect Soap & Alcohol

[Ray]

I think he left off a "2", making it hydrogen peroxide, but good luck finding it. Typical store brands are 3%.

Besides, hydrogen peroxide is very unstable, so within minutes of being mixed with metal ions or organics, or being exposed to light, it will decompose.

Don't be concerned about any "cooling" effect with alcohols. It can even be sprayed on buds with no damage. The only potential issue is with the drying effect, and that would only come about with many repeated sprayings in a short time period.

[Oscarman]

Originally Posted by Ray

Besides, hydrogen peroxide is very unstable, so within minutes of being mixed with metal ions or organics, or being exposed to light, it will decompose.

Ray I have to disagree with you on this point. I have a 500 ml bottle of the solution I suggested that has been mixed for 4 weeks now and exposed to fluorescent light 12 hrs per day. Tonight while using it, some solution made contact with my fingers and the oxidizing properties of the HP is definitely as active as it was when first mixed.

[OrchidTess]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but since it's within topic I thought I'd post. I'm having an awful scale problem in my greenhouse. I have used Ultra Fine Hort.Oil, Bayer Rose Spray, Alcohol and Hort. Oil Spray mixture, Malathion, Enstar and the d*mn things keep coming back. It's really taking a toll on my plants and I have lost a few old favorites. I am about ready to give up on greenhouse growing. I have sprayed every Saturday for months now and I took a good look at my Phaius yesterday and there they are. Any other suggestions will be most welcomed.

[Ray]

Tess, all I can guess is that you are not treating properly. Every surface of all of the plants must be thoroughly wetted at each treatment, and the same chemicals should be used for a complete cycle of treatments. Missing some surfaces or switching chemicals after a single dose won't do.

For example, if I have a bad infestation, I use a combination of Orthene or Merit (Bayer Tree & Shrub) and Enstar II, at the label recommended curative rate for each. I thoroughly douse every surface of every plant, also soaking the potting medium. I repeat that twice more at weekly intervals, and that does the trick.

[quiltergal]

Since scale is a "juice sucker" would a systemic be more useful? I know there are time released ones available as a granular. Could you combine a systemic with something like Neem, or would you go right for the big guns.

I just spent an hour today alcohol swabbing the little bast@#ds off my new Beallara. It's in quarantine, and has been since it arrived on Friday. No way it's going to play with the other chids until I'm sure it's scale free.

[b_vanfossen]

I hate to say it but alcohol and a tooth brush is a proven method for scale. Today i noticed scale and have alot of plants. I bought triazide (spelled something like that) by spectracide and sprayed it today. It says it kills over 180 bugs with 2 months of protection, and it is guranteed. I'll post results in a few days.

btw- i bought it at Lowes Hardware store (like home depot)

Brian