Sarah Chen

My Story

I grew up watching my grandmother tend her vegetable garden in Fresno — rows of bok choy, bitter melon, and tomatoes that she protected with a spray bottle of soapy water she mixed in the kitchen sink. I didn't know it then, but she was making insecticidal soap decades before it became trendy.

When I started my own garden in 2014, those memories came flooding back after aphids wiped out my first cherry tomato crop. I remembered Grandma's spray, did some research, and discovered there was real science behind it — potassium salts of fatty acids disrupting insect cell membranes. I was hooked.

I earned my Master Gardener certification through the UC Davis Extension program, where I deepened my understanding of Integrated Pest Management and the specific entomology behind why soap sprays work. After three years volunteering at community gardens — helping families, school programs, and first-time growers manage pests without harsh chemicals — I realized there was no single, trustworthy online resource for this topic.

That's why I created HomemadeInsecticidalSoap.com in 2025. Every recipe on this site has been mixed in my own kitchen and tested in my half-acre homestead garden. I grow tomatoes, peppers, squash, herbs, and cut flowers — all organically — so I know firsthand what works and what burns your plants.

Credentials

• Certified Master Gardener — UC Davis Extension, 2018
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Training — UC IPM Program
• OMRI-Approved Practices — Organic Materials Review Institute standards
• Community Garden Educator — 3 years teaching organic methods at Sacramento-area community gardens

Published Articles