Neem oil is a very useful thing to have on hand if you are a gardener, like plants, or are just starting to learn about them. It's mostly used to get rid of pests, so if you're having trouble with bugs on your plants, keep reading!
In this post, I'll show you five useful ways to use neem oil on plants. It's a very useful product! Besides what it can be used for, neem oil is useful because:
It's natural and good for the environment, so if you use it for indoor plants, you won't be putting harsh chemicals around or inside your home.
A small amount can go a long way. Most uses call for diluting 2-3mLs per litre of water, which is about half a teaspoon per 4 cups. This means that you can use the same bottle over and over again.
It's pretty safe to use on most plants without hurting them or giving them too much. It's also pretty safe to use around pets and kids.
So many different pests and problems can be fixed with just one product! The first thing I do when I find a new pest is to see if it can be treated with neem.
Neem oil can be used systemically (more on what that means below), so it won't hurt bugs that are good for your plants. It will only hurt bugs that eat them.
The best way to get rid of the following pests is to use a concentrated neem oil. Before applying neem oil or using it in any of the ways below, make sure to read the directions on the bottle.
Spider mites can be gotten rid of with Neem Oil.
Spider mites are a common problem, especially for plants that live inside. The fact that spider mites are so small makes them hard to get rid of. This means that sometimes it takes a big outbreak for them to be noticed. They can also spread quickly, and it's easy to miss some of them when treating them.
Fortunately, I've found that neem oil works very well to get rid of spider mites! I always hose down my plants to get rid of as many mites as I can by hand. Then, spray the plant with a lot of a solution of neem oil that has been diluted. Repeat the treatment in another 4–5 days to make sure that any other hatchlings are also treated.
Neem oil can be used as a systemic treatment for insects that chew and sting.
In a similar way to what was said above, neem oil can help get rid of insects that chew and eat, such as mites, aphids, caterpillars, citrus leafminer, and more.
A treatment that is put on when watering is a systemic treatment. The plant then takes in the neem oil solution through its roots and uptakes it through its leaves. This means that if any bugs that eat or drink try to eat your plant's leaves, they will eat the insecticide and die.
The good thing about this is that the neem won't hurt your plant. It will also protect the whole plant, and unlike a spray, the solution won't wash off the plant if it rains, for example.
Neem oil can be used to treat mealybugs.
Mealy bugs are a type of white, fluffy bug that feeds on blood. They can appear out of nowhere. They can be easier to spot than pests like spider mites because they are smaller.
This means that if you see one or two mealybugs on your plants, you can use neem oil to get rid of them right away. Just dip a cotton swab in neem and dab any mealybugs with it. The mealybugs will die as soon as they touch this.
If there are a lot of mealybugs, you will need to make a neem oil solution to spray on the plant or use neem as a systemic solution (as described above) to get rid of them.
Fungus gnats can be killed by soaking the soil with Neem Oil.
Oh, the horrible fungus gnat! These tiny bugs that look like flies like to lay their eggs in the moist soil of indoor plants, where the larvae can sometimes eat your plant's roots.
Fungus gnats can be hard to get rid of because they start out as flying insects and then turn into larvae that live in the soil. Also, it's best to treat all plants at the same time.
I like to mix neem oil with yellow sticky traps that can catch adult gnats and use it as a soil drench. Neem oil diluted in water can be used to water your plant to get rid of the larvae without hurting your plant.
Remember that gnats are drawn to wet soil, so don't water your plants again until the top 1–2 inches of soil are dry. This will help you get rid of the problem.
Use Neem Oil to Shine the Leaves
Neem oil is the only thing I would use on plants to make their leaves shine, even though I don't usually use products on plants to make their leaves look better. A lot of leaf shine products and everyday items, like coconut oil, banana peels, and even milk, can stop leaves from making food by photosynthesis, so I don't recommend using them ever.
But because neem oil is natural and can help get rid of pests, just a little bit of it can help give your hair a natural shine.
The best way is to sprayer a mixture that has been diluted on the leaves and then wipe them down gently. This will help get rid of any dust and dirt that has built up and make your leaves look healthy and shiny.
What to Keep in Mind When Using Neem Oil
When you use neem oil on your plants, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The first is that, since it's an oil, it can make the leaves a little more sensitive to the sun and, in extreme cases, cause sunburn. I wouldn't use it when it's very hot or in the middle of the day when the sun is very hot. Keep an eye on any plants that get direct sun that are sensitive to the sun.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some pests can have a lot of babies quickly, so you may need to treat the problem more than once. For example, if your plant has spider mites, you should treat it at least three times, every 4–5 days, to keep pests away.
Some people don't like the strong smell of neem oil, which I don't mind. If you want to spray plants inside, you might want to take them outside. The smell should only last as long as it takes for the solution to dry.
Neem oil can help with a lot of other pests and treatments besides the ones listed above. If you have some kind of infestation, just look at the package to see if neem oil will help.
Because it can be used for so many things, neem oil is a great treatment to have on hand so that you can help your plants right away if they have a problem. Get a bottle of organic Neem Oil from this page, and you'll thank me later.
Are you familiar with neem oil? Tell me how you've used it and what pests it's worked on in the comments below!