Using dish soap spider mites edible plants control is not a safe choice for food you plan to eat. Dish soap has added chemicals that can hurt your plants and may leave stuff behind on your food. Buy real plant soap instead if you grow things you want to eat later.
I made this mistake on my tomato plants two years back. The dish soap killed some mites but left oily spots on my fruits that would not wash off. My peppers got brown leaf edges within days of the spray. Plant soap from the store worked much better with zero damage to my crops.
Dish soap has things in it that food safe products do not. Most brands add scents, colors, and germ killers that plants cannot handle. These extras strip away the waxy coat that keeps leaves healthy. Plant cells die and turn brown where the soap sat too long on the surface.
Real plant soaps use potassium salts of fatty acids and nothing else. These kill soft bugs like mites but break down fast on leaf surfaces. You can spray them on your crops right up to harvest day with no wait time needed. They wash off clean with plain water before you eat.
For soap spray vegetables spider mites control use products made for plants not dishes. Look for words like plant soap or garden safe on the label. Mix at the rate shown and spray when temps stay below 85°F (29°C). Hot sun plus soap can burn leaves even with the right product.
I now keep two bottles in my shed for my food garden. One is neem oil for bad cases and the other is plant safe soap for quick fixes. Both work great as safe spider mite treatment food plants and neither leaves anything bad behind on my harvest.
If dish soap is all you have on hand use it at a very weak mix. Add just one teaspoon to a full quart of water. Pick a plain type with no scent or color added. Spray a small test spot first and wait a full day before you do the whole plant.
Rinse your plants hard with clean water one hour after any dish soap spray. This washes off the extras before they soak in too deep. Do not eat anything from the plant for at least a week after using dish soap just to be safe. And switch to real plant soap as soon as you can buy some.
Think about what you save by using dish soap versus what you risk. A bottle of plant safe soap costs about five dollars and lasts all season. Your health and your plants are worth that small cost. Use the right tool for the job and keep dish soap in your sink where it belongs.
Read the full article: Ultimate Spider Mite Control Guide
