How to Make Surfactants for Plants

The word "surfactant" combines the phrase "surface active agent. In layman's terms, a surfactant is an ingredient that helps a pesticide stick to plants so the pesticide can do its job. Before you purchase a surfactant from a garden center, you already may have several surfactants in your home because soaps and detergents are surfactants. Not all are ideal for use outdoors, however. If you add just the right amount of the right product to a pesticide, then voila, the pesticide contains a surfactant. Use one of a few methods to make a surfactant for plants.

Measuring spoons
Mild, liquid dish soap
1-gallon container
Stirring stick
Spray bottle
Vegetable oil
Spray bottle

Instructions

- 1
  Pour 1 teaspoon of mild, liquid dish soap in 1 gallon of pesticide. Ideally, use a dish soap that is biodegradable and ecologically-friendly. Do not use a detergent meant for use in an automatic dishwasher. Put the lid on the pesticide container, and secure the lid in place. Shake the container, mixing the dish soap with the pesticide. During the product's use, shake its container often to ensure the dish soap remains well-integrated with the pesticide.
- 2
  Put 2 1/2 to 10 teaspoons of mild, liquid dish soap in 1 gallon of warm water, and mix the two ingredients well. The amount of dish soap to use depends on the strength desired for the product, which is an insecticidal spray or horticultural oil that is effective against soft-bodied insects, such as aphids and mites, and contains its own surfactant. Put the dish soap-water blend in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle often to keep its contents well-mixed.
- 3
  Place 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of mild, liquid dish soap in 1 gallon of warm water. Mix the ingredients well. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Shake the bottle often to keep its ingredients blended. Use the solution as an insecticidal spray or horticultural oil on plants affected by soft-bodied insects, including aphids and mites.

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