As an organic home gardener, I am constantly striving to find ways to protect my vegetables and flowers from unwanted guests. Squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and ants have all found their way into my garden one season or another. I employ companion planting as my first line of defense but this year I tried something new. Are you ready for it? Irish Spring soap. I know I know…it sounds silly. But, the benefits of Irish Spring soap in my garden were indisputable. Although completely, anecdotal, I saw much less beetles, bugs, and ants this year. Read on to learn how you too can use this soap to protect your plants!
Helpful Items When Using Irish Spring in the Garden
Understanding the Problem
I once saw a meme that said, if something is not eating your plants, then it’s not part of the ecosystem.
While I can appreciate the sentimentally behind this meme, my frustration always wins over when it comes to seeing squash bugs wreaking havoc on my zucchini. Don’t even get me started on the cucumber beetles.
As organic gardeners, it’s a problem that we face constantly and probably will face until the end of time. Bugs are part of the ecosystem whether we like it or not. But what are we to do?
Cry?
Spray harmful chemicals that will kill those unwanted pests and the beneficial ones too?
Something just doesn’t sit right with me knowing I’m contributing to contaminating the soil and the food that I plan on feeding friends and family with.
In my continuous search, I’ve come across using Irish Spring as a potential solution to ward off these unwanted pests.
How does Irish Spring Soap Repel Pests?
Those of us that grew up in the 80s remember the iconic Irish Spring commercials…”it’s springtime in a bar”.
If you’ve ever used Irish Spring soap, you can recognize its fragrance immediately. In fact, it’s what sets it apart from other name-brand soaps. Irish Spring soap’s strong aroma, derived from its combination of natural oils and fragrances, serves as an effective deterrent against many pests. From animals with sensitive noses like deer and rabbits, to insects.
It repels them all. Animals find its strong fragrance unpleasant and are less likely to approach areas treated with Irish Spring soap. Insects also find this repellent scent offensive and are dissuaded from feeding on plants nearby.
Irish Spring soap’s strong aroma deters pests from nibbling leaves or roots directly, making it an effective pest management tool in the garden. This dual action makes Irish Spring soap an effective tool to use against unwanted garden visitors.
Irish Spring soap may not have undergone extensive scientific investigation for use in gardening, yet many gardeners have reported positive anecdotal evidence that using it does in fact repel various pests such as deer, rabbits and squirrels. Not to mention its ability to be effective against insects like aphids and beetles.
Irish Spring soap offers several advantages over chemical pesticides: it is non-toxic to humans and pets, making it safe for use around children, animals, and vegetable gardens. Furthermore, it does not leave behind any harmful residues that leach into the soil or waterways.
How to Use Irish Spring Soap to Deter Pests?
Using Irish Spring soap in the garden is relatively easy. There is a little bit of prep involved but once you have the bars prepared, spreading the bars is effortless. There are two separate methods I like to employ.
Method 1: Soap Solution
The first method involves using the soap as a foliar spray.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
- While waiting for the water to boil, grate the bar of soap using a cheese grater.
- Place grated soap into boiling water, stirring occasionally until soap has completely dissolved.
- Wait for the water to cool down and, using a funnel, transfer the solution into a spray bottle.
- Spray solution on vegetables and plants as needed.
- Respray after heavy rainfall.
This method has been effective in controlling aphids on my roses, squash bugs on my zucchini, and cucumber beetles near my cucumbers!
The benefits for Irish Spring soap lies in its ability to be smelled my pests and animals. It’s of vital importance to replenish the spray after a rainfall or a week of spray time.
Method 2: Used as a barrier spread around plants
Method two is a little less involved than method one.
1. Using a cheese grater, grate down the bars of soap.
2. Once grated, spread soap pieces in a circular pattern around potentially affected vegetables.
3. Replenish after soap has dissipated. It’s important pests and animals can smell the soap. Replenish accordingly.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Irish Spring Soap
The benefits of using Irish Spring soap in my garden may be anecdotal, but it was enough this gardening season to make me a believer. I saw much less bugs creeping around my home grown produce. It’s important to note that not all gardens are created equally.
What may work for one garden may not work for another. It’s important to experiment with what works for you in your garden. Employ various methods of pest control such as companion planting, Diatomaceous Earth, or neem oil spray in conjunction to Irish Spring soap.
Let us know in the comments below if you will be trying Irish Spring soap this gardening season.
