There are several good tips against flies in plants out there, but here are our best tips against pests in our beloved houseplants. It's a little different, and we haven't heard anyone talk about soapberry against flies - but it's just too brilliant not to share!
The saponins (soap substances) in soapberry skins are the soapberry's natural protection against fungal infections and vermin. Therefore, decoction from soapberry is an excellent and gentle remedy if flies have been in your houseplants or spice plants at home.
It is easy and quick to make a decoction of soapberry. In this post, we explain how and share our easy tips to avoid pests in the plants at home in the future.
SOAP BERRIES AGAINST FLIES AND DEFECTS IN THE PLANTS
1. Take the equivalent of the shells from 10 whole berries per liters of water (estimate the amount of water according to how many plants you have to treat). Cook the shells over a medium-high heat for about 20 minutes - make sure it doesn't foam over.
2. Use the back of a fork to gently press the soapberries once they have cooked. Extra saponins, which protect the plants, then come out of the shells.
3. When the liquid has cooled, it must be drained through a cloth - an old clean tea towel, a cloth or a bag from soap berries can be used. Now you have the basic soap from soap berries ready.
4. Pour the basic soap into a bottle for storage. The used berry skins can then be composted or mixed with soil and used for transplanting plants.
5. First water your plants with normal water. Let it run through the plant and wait half an hour. Now water your plants as usual with the soapberry mixture.
6. The soapberry mixture kills both flies and eggs in the soil. The treatment can be repeated after a few days if the flies do not go away completely in the first attempt.
Tip: The treatment can also be used preventively - water or spray your plants with the soapberry mixture once a month to avoid flies and vermin. If you want to avoid flies in the plants in the future, you can also mix used soapberry shells into the soil when you replant.
