Tell me about Neem Oil

[journey11]

I've read the label and lots of online articles, yet I still have some questions that maybe you all can answer for me from personal experience. I've never been good at keeping up with preventative spraying in the garden and usually get away with it most of the time. But this year I'm determined to be on my A-game and things are looking good and I want to keep them that way. I've never used Neem oil before. I bought some this week after hearing so many good things about it and we're supposed to finally get a break in the rain so I can spray stuff and have it linger on the plant long enough to do some good.

Before I go all crazy spraying everything, I particularly want to know what plants may be sensitive to it and might be burned/damaged/killed. I did read (see, I read directions, ha) that you don't spray it while the sun is intense. Is morning better or evening? Do I need to time it to avoid the honeybees being out?

Some of my tomatoes have curled leaves. I'm certain it's not from underwatering. Most likely it's from pruning the suckers out...some were rather overgrown time I got to them. And it has been rather hot, 80s/90s lately. Will the neem oil potentially damage those plants in that state? I'd like to use it to prevent the inevitable aphids they get each year.

And what pests have you had the most success against? One article I read said it will work against Japanese Beetles. Seriously!? How did I miss out on this info before? I am overrun with JBs this year. I also have a lot of trouble with stink bugs on my tomatoes and squash bugs as the summer wears on. Will it help with them too?

I'm also hoping it will really help me prevent fungal diseases like blackspot on my roses and powdery mildew on my squash and cukes. It's been a very rainy, humid summer so far. I usually use Daconil. Will the neem be as effective?

Anything else useful or precautionary you can fill me in on would be appreciated!

 

[digitS']

Spraying late in the day is a good idea.

The plants have more hours to begin to metabolize or slough off what has been sprayed on them before the sunlight is intense.

I seemed to find that it was *me* who has sensitive skin when it comes to neem. Try to keep it off yourself, Journey.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

I've never used it, but you raised a lot of good questions Journey.
I'll be interested in seeing how other people use it.

Not in the veg garden, but in landscapes I have been using a horticultural oil "Organocide" for powdery mildew and also against mites. It worked well for me last year and is organic.

 

[baymule]

Lots of good questions, waiting for our resident Neem Oil Grand Pooh-Bah Pontificator to weigh in with his/hers opinion.

 

[journey11]

Lots of good questions, waiting for our resident Neem Oil Grand Pooh-Bah Pontificator to weigh in with his/hers opinion.

I haven't heard much mention of it on here, other than Vfem used to use it. I just wondered what the downsides must be, since it otherwise sounds like a miracle in a bottle.

I am really afraid of frying my plants!

 

[digitS']

Lots of good questions, waiting for our resident Neem Oil Grand Pooh-Bah Pontificator to weigh in with his/hers opinion.

We should have @hoodat share his experiences with neem.

I can go a bit further than I have. I use conventional, non-organic sprays in the ornamentals. I had everything under control one summer. Decided I would keep the pests off-balance by switching to neem, exclusively.

Nearly everything showed up! Mildew, mites, aphids! And, I got a rash on my arms. I was the one caught off-balance.

Steve

 

[journey11]

Eek. Maybe you are allergic to it.

 

[digitS']

It was late in the season and many of the plants were brushed against as I would walk on the paths.

I imagine that I expected too much from neem. Expected that it would persist and deter pests rather than treat whatever the problem was.

It probably kills aphids and mites just as insecticidal soap will and does on my plants. I'm still not sure how it might work as a fungicide.

Steve

 

[Hal]

I use it for two spotted and spider mite mostly on rare Viola species and my cacti that suffer from mites seasonally. I've used it for other things a swell, I find it good because they have to ingest it and it is systemic to so it really messes up anything chewing or sap sucking.
The only time I suffered any issue was out of my batch of Swainsona formosa seedlings one plant got burnt badly by it, the rest had no issue.
I used to sell it and I had a list of plants at risk but I cannot find it to save my life.

 

[catjac1975]

I used it indoors in my greenhouse when I had a white fly infestation. It was effective but the whitely were out of control. I found it knocked insects back but did not wipe them out. When I visited Logee's some years back that was all they used in their vast greenhouses. I have not used it outdoors. I use pyrethrum outdoors and rotenone. I have not been able to find rotenone of late-I don't know why. My best insecticide is keeping my chickens in the garden all winter. I theorize they eat the insect larvae. You should not fear every insect in the garden. Just because they are there does not mean they will do much damage to your crops. The worst for most people are squash bugs and vine borers. Those you need to control.