Ethics Trading

Soap nut juice kills slugs!

It does, it’s true. We’re discovering more and more uses for soap nuts and the liquid all the time.

How does it work?

The detergent properties in the soap nut solution interfere with the slug’s slime and kill the slug as effectively as salt would.

First you’ll need to make some soap nut solution. Put a handful of shells in a big pan with around a litre of water and warm gently - do Not boil! The froth is messy… You can let it simmer gently for about half an hour and then leave it to stand and steep until cool. 

When you have your juice ready, find yourself a spray bottle and fill it a third full with the juice and top up with water. Try to be gentle or it froths up and makes a mess! Only use the liquid, strain out the used shells or they’ll clog your sprayer.

Then spray the plants you want to protect. There will be a bit of foam on the leaves but don’t worry, it keeps greenfly away as well, and blackfly and whitefly. You will need to rinse out the spray part of your sprayer from time to time as the tiny bits of soap nut shell can get trapped in the tubes and filters.

However, Do Not use this on any carnivorous plants or any plant that prefers a water based insecticide. This IS a detergent and could have adverse effects on some plant species. I’d also recommend that you try not to get too much direct on the soil as it can harm earthworms if present in high enough concentrations or if sprayed directly on them.

(first published on Qassia, adapted for this blog)