Are insecticidal plant soaps toxic?
Q. My plants have aphids and the local nursery says to use and insecticidal soap to get rid of them. Are these soaps bad for the environment in the same way that insecticides for lawns and farming are? -Lucinda, Palo Alto, California A. Aphids are total bummer for gardeners and plant lovers, but the good news is that insecticidal soaps don’t contain the same chemicals as those environmental nightmare pesticides you’ve probably heard about. Most are made with potassium salts, which are much safer than organophosphates and other neurotoxic pesticides linked to environmental and health problems. They’re actually much more similar to regular old household soap than anything else, and some formulations are even listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute, which means that they’re allowed for use on certified organic farms. They’re not completely without downsides, though. They can irritate your skin and eyes, and if you overuse them, they might end up killing your plants, so make sure
