Aspirin, baking soda treatments, the good & the bad

Some of my heirloom Tommy Toe tomato volunteer plants developed Septoria Leaf Spot.  I treated those with a hydrogen peroxide in water solution which seems to have helped.  Then some more of those same plants that were potted but pretty close to the original ones, started getting a few of the same symptoms.  I had found a few aphids on the first ones, so I decided to try baking soda on these.  I combined 1 tsp baking soda, a squirt of dawn detergent, 1 tsp of cooking oil in a quart bottle of water.  I sprayed this plant with that solution.  The next morning all of the leaves were looking black on the edges and curling.  
The first picture is a comparison of before and after treatment.  Bummer.  What did I do wrong?



The second pic shows some tiny plants that never really got started, and were almost dead. I am not sure what was wrong with those.  They were in compost only and I do see some wood bits.  I treated those with aspirin, powered and put in a spray bottle with water.  The difference in those are amazing.  I have new green growth.

Maybe it was the 'squirt' of Dawn. When I make the bkg pwdr spray I use about 3 or so drops of Ivory per qt just to make the stuff stick to the plant. I only use a 'squirt' or tsp if I'm going after insects, then I only spray the insect and not the plant.

CC

CC, thank you. What is your formula?
Madge

I've read that most commercial "soaps," including the ones you use for washing dishes, are not really "soap" but "detergent." Soap being fine for plants and detergents being harmful. How to tell if a product on the shelf is soap or detergent, I haven't read. Only "don't use detergents."

So I'm at a bit of a loss there. Only recently have I seen anyone specify in a thread, such as mentioning Ivory. Ivory ... liquid hand soap, I guess? Body wash? Not sure.

Unit649, I have similar leaf burn on some of my plants from the baking soda, dish soap (dawn), water & oil concoction, though not all. The cucurbits didn't seem to mind the spray at all while the peppers did. I only sprayed the stem of the toms, so I can't say whether the leaves would have looked like yours or not.

I'm guessing it's the dawn, also. Maybe some grated ivory bar soap, mixed with some water to soften & liquify? I think I'll try that & post on the results. I have some Ivory bar soap somewhere.

marc, you are right. I looked at my dawn and it is ultra dawn, and does say detergent.

mollyhespra, I have some Ivory soap, so I will try that also. My mixture did not affect all of the plants that I sprayed either. Even though they were all tommy toe tomatoes, just the first ones that were potted, which were also the first ones that I sprayed. So maybe they got a more concentrated dose. I don't know.

But I won't be using the rest of that mix.

Madge

I believe that the reason for adding it to the solution is to reduce the surface tension. Insecticidal soap spray is meant to be used on bugs, not a plant treatment. With the few drops of dish soap/detergent that is used in making the solution and if it is limited to spraying bugs, there should be no overall trouble with the plants. Do not use it to treat soil surface.

I haven't used any soaps in the garden, but I believe 'castile soap' is frequently mentioned as the go-to soap for use in the garden. It's vegetable based.

http://jack-rosarian.blogspot.com/2013/03/got-castile-soap.html

Google 'castile soap in gardening' for more info.

boffer wrote:I haven't used any soaps in the garden, but I believe 'castile soap' is frequently mentioned as the go-to soap for use in the garden.  It's vegetable based.  

http://jack-rosarian.blogspot.com/2013/03/got-castile-soap.html

Google 'castile soap in gardening' for more info.

Avoid the peppermint variety unless you want veggies minty....... or so I've read...... 

My damaged Tomato plant is hanging on, which I am surprised at since it looked so bad.  So I made up the aspirin treatment and applied it to the damaged plant tonight.  Crossing my fingers that it helps this plant recover.  It has some tomatoes on it that I would love to harvest.
Madge

I would keep up the fight Madge!

Madge, another thing you could try is filling up that half full container with some good compost, homemade if you have it. The tomato will put out more roots and get more all around nutrition and become more robust.

I have seen baby shampoo recommended for this use. It is very mild.

And one of my neighbors in the garden does use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap. It's a pure castile soap that comes unscented as well in peppermint and lavender versions. Some Targets carry it but it's pretty pricey. Check the trial size section to see if they have small bottles.