NEEM Oil Questions

[Glass Man]

Neem oil seems to be a great product around the garden. It is an all natural and nontoxic product which controls Spider Mites and Powdery Mildew, two of our worst enemies (w/o badges that is!!). I've read that there's a penetrating additive which can be used with Neem Oil to help make it even more effective. Also I have been wondering about adding it to the hydro resevoir and/or nute water for potted plants. Does anyone have any knowledge about using it that way?

Also wondering how far into flowering can it be applied? Is it a no-no to use it till the end of flowering, if necessary?

Is it very effective for helping with PM?

What else is it good for?

Does anyone know about Pyrethrin? What all is it good for? Is it as safe (or safer) as Neem?

Thanks,
Glass Man

[jaharvester]

Neem Oil is a great all natural coumpound derived from the Neem Tree.
Neem oil works great because it not only kills soft bodied insects(SpiderMites)
ect... but messes with the reproductive systems of these insects, causing
inevetible control, eventually.

My feeling on a root zone application is not to waste your money, even if its good. Neem oil is expensive and their are cheaper, better(thinner even!) products out their to take care of damping off and other airborne pathogenic plant sicknesses.(flora sheild(g.h), Hydroguard(natural))

I always make sure i control any infestations before they ever touch a flower
forcing chamber of mine...nuff said on that.

Pyrithium is a plant derived insecticide and is found in most store bought insectisides. It is not nearly as safe and can cause SERIOUS RERSPITORY PROBLEMS!!! This is due to its method of derive from the source and also its intense concentration in store bought form.

For a last alternative try Diatamacious Earth. Its 100 percent mined silica shells(looks like powder). Dust your vegging plants liberaly with a dry application every 7 days to literally rain death on those spider mite f%$^ers!!

Hope this helps....
Good Grow!!!

[c-ray]

I used to mix neem oil with enzymes and let it sit for a few days, the enzymes seemed to make it more water soluble and easier to spray in a fine mist

[Glass Man]

I get my Neem Oil concentrate from Southern Ag. They sell it at wholesale prices in single bottles. They offer it in two sizes 8oz ($5.54) & pints ($9.25). It's a concentrate so you mix 1oz per gallon of water. They sell something called "sticker spreader" which is supposed to make it even more effective. I bought it too, but am a slacker and forgot to add it to the mix. It's even cheaper than the Neem.

S Ag is where I get my cheap commercial hydro nutes. $18 for 25 lbs, makes 30,000 gallons . And they also sell all other brands of plant chemicals too, for better prices than I found on the net.

Oh, btw the Neem bottle says not to store the diluted mix for using later. I think the emulsion, or something, goes bad.

[c-ray]

neems is easy to thin out but it still isn't the most soluble.

that's why I mixed it with enzymes, worked really well actually

[jaharvester]

Dyna Grow has a neem...not too smelly and pretty cheap...

[guest]

C-Ray, wouldn't enzymes foliar applications by themselves be a tool in the fight against pests and diseases ?
One

[c-ray]

yes I was just thinking about this today as I have a friend who is trying to get rid of thrips
check this out -> https://cannabis-world.org/cw/showthread.php?p=68719#post68719

[Monseigneur Stroganoff]

Neem Oil Amounts For Insect Spray

For 1 liter of a 0.5 % dilution of neem plant spray you need:


5 ml neem oil
1-2 ml insecticidal soap or other detergent
1 liter warm water




Neem oil has many complex active ingredients. Rather than being simple poisons, those ingredients are similar to the hormones that insects produce. Insects take up the neem oil ingredients just like natural hormones.
Neem enters the system and blocks the real hormones from working properly. Insects "forget" to eat, to mate, or they stop laying eggs. Some forget that they can fly. If eggs are produced they don't hatch, or the larvae don't moult.
Obviously insects that are too confused to eat or breed will not survive. The population eventually plummets, and they disappear. The cycle is broken.
How precisely it works is difficult for scientists to find out. There are too many different active substances in neem oil, and every insect species reacts differently to neem insecticide.
Neem oil does not hurt beneficial insects. Only chewing and sucking insects are affected. It is certainly fascinating.

[Monseigneur Stroganoff]

Method For Preparing Neem Insect Spray



Use warm water if possible. If making a large batch make a premix in a small amount of warm water, then add that into the big container.
Mix the warm water with the soap first!
Then slowly add the oil while stirring vigorously.
Fill the mix into your sprayer.
(Or fill the premix into your sprayer, which should already contain the rest of the water. Mix well.)
Keep shaking or otherwise agitating the mix while spraying.
Use the mixture within eight hours.


Additional Instructions

Spray the neem insecticide solution on all the leaves, especially the undersides where insects like to hide. If you have plenty drench the soil around the roots as well. It does not hurt, neem oil is actually good for your soil.
Use your neem insect spray as quickly as possible, definitely within eight hours. Once your batch neem garden spray is mixed the neem oil starts breaking down. Always make a fresh neem insecticide batch for spraying, and only prepare the amount you need.
How often should you use neem garden spray? The suggestions below are general guidelines. Keep a close eye on things and fine tune as needed. If you are worried about sensitive plants, spray just a little bit in a small area, wait for a day or two, and see what happens. If you use insecticidal soap you should not have any problems.
Neem plant spray as a preventative measure: Spray once a fortnight using a 0.5 % solution. This should prevent any insect problems in the first place.
Neem insect spray to fight an infestation: When spraying the first time throroughly drench al leaves and the soil around the plant. Then spray once a week until the problem disappears. If it rains you may need to respray sooner. If you are dealing with a less sensitive insect species you may need to increase the concentration of the neem spray. See how you go.