I recently heard on a video that one could use soapy water on vegetable plants instead of various insecticides. I have something eating the leaves on my okra plants but I don't find any bugs on the underside of the leaves but I do see tiny green flies. Please tell me if soapy water is effective and what is the correct mixture of soap to a gallon of water.

SgtBerry said: I recently heard on a video that one could use soapy water on vegetable plants instead of various insecticides. I have something eating the leaves on my okra plants but I don't find any bugs on the underside of the leaves but I do see tiny green flies. Please tell me if soapy water is effective and what is the correct mixture of soap to a gallon of water.

Tiny green flies? If that is leaf miner flies then soapy water won't stop them. Ask me how I know. For flies you may wish to put out sticky traps meant for gnats.
However, for homemade insecticidal soap you could try the 2% recipe: 2 teaspoons of soap of to a pint of water. But please take care as to what kind of soap you use. Dawn offers a clear, scent-free soap that wouldn't have the harsh chemicals and dyes that could harm your plants.

Dawn Free and Clear is still a detergent. Its a degreaser (remember cleaning baby ducks with Dawn commercials?). It will take off the waxy protective coating on the surface of leaves of plants just like it takes grease off baby ducks. If you want to DIY a soap mixture for your plants, use SOAP like Castille brand liquid soap. There are others but that's the one I can think of right now.

I use Insecticidal Soap. Its commercially made of potassium salts of fatty acids, so organic but deadly to any soft bodied insect it comes into contact with.

Don't use anything until you've identified the culprit!! Send us a photo of the damage and the "flies" that could very likely not be eating your okra and could in fact be beneficial syrphid flies. If it's a traveler like grasshoppers, nothing you spray will work.

Don't use dish detergent. Period. It can kill certain pests and also can dissolve the protective waxes on plant leaves. Insecticidal soap contains fatty acids which kill certain soft-bodied insects only on direct contact, and even with that you must be careful about spraying in sunlight or in the presence of other insects like bees. If you must DYI, use diluted Castile soap; better yet, purchase Safer brand and use according to instructions. Here's the info you need, worth your while to read before concocting home remedies:
https://homegarden.cahnr.uconn...