Isopropyl alcohol

Bob Beer (bbeer@u.washington.edu)
Fri, 13 Aug 1993 10:40:32 -0700 (PDT)

> the details of application. For example, I swear by the topical use of
> isopropyl alcohol on _Sarracenia_ for aphids and mealy bugs. I even
> dribble a bit into the growth crown to combat tenacious infestations. But
> when Michael used just a bit of isopropyl, I recall he damaged his
> plants very badly.

I use isopropyl alcohol regularly to kill mealybugs on asclepiads, and
cactus and have never had ill effects. The person who told me about it
however warned me never to apply alcohol to a plant in the sun, but rather
to remove it to a shady place before applying, and to make
sure that all was evaporated before the plant was placed back into the
sun, otherwise the plant would suffer severe burns.