Neem oil can be a great, non-toxic, useful product to protect your plants from pests or disease. That is, when it is mixed and applied properly! The big issue is that oil and water don’t easily mix, and most people don’t realize how to do this. When neem oil is not fully emulsified, is used in excess, at the incorrect time, or in the wrong situation, it can actually do more harm than good! Show
What is Neem Oil?Neem oil is a plant-based concentrated oil, extracted primarily from the seeds of the India-native neem tree. The oil is then
diluted and mixed with water, and applied to plant foliage as an organic pest control. Cold-pressed extractions yield the highest quality virgin neem oil, and contain all the desirable active constituents. That is what we use! Check out our favorite cold-pressed
neem oil here. In addition to being a natural, mild insecticide, neem also has healing medicinal properties and is commonly used in personal care products for people.
About Neem Oil SafetyAs moderate health-nuts and toxin-phobes here, we have done quite a bit of research on pure neem oil. Studies show that the only risk of acute harm to mammals or humans is if they’re exposed to very high concentrations of undiluted neem oil. Even with prolonged ingestion of high doses, the internal damage caused typically heals once the exposure is removed! When applied correctly (follow instructions!) dilute neem oil is non-toxic and safe to use around humans, birds, pets, mammals, and most wildlife. Neem is not carcinogenic, and no chronic health effects from exposure have been found. However, neem concentrates can be slightly toxic to fish and amphibians, so extra precaution should be taken around aquatic environments. What types of pests or diseases are neem oil effective against?Neem oil is particularly effective against small soft-bodied insects. Examples include aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, scale, and white flies. When applied directly, the oil can coat their bodies and kill them – or otherwise interfere with reproduction and feeding. It is also said to repel mosquitoes, flies, cabbage white butterflies, and moths. On the other hand, neem oil is not toxic to bees when used correctly! It also doesn’t bother other beneficial insects like ladybugs, earthworms, parasitic wasps, spiders, or adult butterflies – as long as they aren’t directly sprayed with it! Therefore, take care to spray it only in the evening hours, when beneficial insects are least active. Note that neem doesn’t do much to control caterpillars, except maybe repel their adult butterfly or moth form.
Using Neem Oil in the GardenIn our experience, neem oil is does a great job at preventing pest issues, and deterring pests. However, if you have a full-blown infestation of something like aphids, or a serious case of powdery mildew, we have not found neem to be very successful at bringing something back from the brink of death. Therefore, it is often recommended to apply neem oil sprays as part of a preventative care routine – for plants that you know are prone to issues. Or, start neem oil applications at the first sign of disease. Catch it early! As a pest infestation or disease progresses, neem can still be used in conjunction with other pest control methods to bolster the effort, but may not be able to combat it on its own. Learn more ways to prevent or treat powdery mildew organically in this article, and 25 other organic methods to battle common garden pests here.
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