Re: CULT:Murphy's Oil Soap
Hi Bill,
Murphy's is said to be a pure vegetable oil soap, according to the label.
With proper timing and coverage I think borer control can be quite thorough using
the Murphy's. Spray early and heavily to smother any eggs, and with some
frequency to hit any larvae before they can enter the fans. A few may get through
which can easily be dealt with by hand. I use a 3 gallon backpack sprayer to
apply the soap. It can be a little heavy when fully loaded, but it makes fairly
short work of the spraying process. As I mentioned I have had very good results
with just 2 sprayings, but I prefer 4 or 5 well planned applications to achieve
best results. Seems to me I read somewhere that Cygon should be applied at least
3 times, so the Murphy's doesn't really require that much extra work, and the
benefit to the environment is well worth any extra effort. Hadn't thought about
the potential harm the Murphy's might cause to the beneficial nematodes when I
first suggest the possibility of a combination treatment, have to look into it.
Michael Gullo
West Walworth, New York, USA
zone 6
Bill Shear wrote:
> >What interests me in the Murphey's idea is the oil part of it, not the soap
> >part of it. I have expressed interest here previously in the idea that light
> >horticultural oils sprayed in late winter might have some utility in
> >smothering overwintering eggs.
> >
> >Of course if there are multiple generations in a season, a winter spray of
> >light oil could only accomplish so much, but if there was a delayed hatch, it
> >might do a good deal more.
>
> Not sure if MOS really contains oil. I'll check on our container at home.
> I don't think you'd want to use a soap for cleaning (its main purpose) that
> would leave behind a film of oil.
>
> But Anner is undoubtedly correct that horticultural oils would suffocate
> borer eggs. The problem would be getting the oil on the eggs in an
> effective manner. The eggs are few in number and are laid on debris on the
> ground.
>
> By the way, I suspect that MOS or any other insecticidal soap would kill
> nematode bennies, so might not make a good combination. Anyone have any
> information on this? I will pose the question to a nematologist friend.
>
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