Neem Oil as an Organic Garden Pesticide

Neem oil is derived from the beautiful neem tree, Azadirachta indica, native to India. All parts of the neem tree are useful. Neem is traditionally used for disease treatment and prevention, as an immune system booster, for skin problems and in cosmetics, as a fungicide, and as an insect repellent and pesticide. Its uses are legendary, dating back for centuries. Western medicine has been conducting studies since the 1990s, and several uses for neem products have been approved by the FDA. Check the PubMed section of the National Institutes of Health website, and type "neem" in the search box. It will return links to over 550 research and study articles that outline the amazing uses of this plant.

Neem oil is approved and registered with the USDA as an organic pesticide. Several companies offer prepared, standardized concentrations of neem oil for agricultural and garden use.

Use neem oil safely on all flowers and vegetables in your garden. A typical dilution for your garden sprayer is one Tablespoon neem oil per gallon of water with about 1/2 teaspoon of mild dishwashing liquid or insecticidal soap. Do not use dish liquids with grease-cutting, antibacterial, scents or other chemical additives, since these additives can damage plant tissues. Mix well, and shake or swirl the sprayer as you apply the neem to keep the mixture blended. Spray plants until leaves are fully wet. Neem spray that drips or sprays onto the ground is also beneficial.

Neem as a pesticide works as a systemic. Systemic means that the chemicals in the spray become part of the plant's cells, or part of the plant's system. It does not wash off from rainfall or irrigation. Neem solution in the soil is taken up by the plant's roots, and is carried throughout its vascular system. Neem is non-toxic to humans; remember, it is used in alternative and herbal medicine to boost immunity and for its antioxidant value. Neem is non-toxic to animals. It works on chewing and sucking insects that attack your garden plants by interfering with their natural instincts, causing them to not eat, not mate, and to die. You won't see insects instantly falling from your plants, twitching and wriggling from neurotoxins. Neem spray is not a quick-kill spray. It takes a day or two for uptake to occur and for it to become fully effective.

Neem spray does not affect beneficial insects, since they do not chew or suck plants. Birds, toads and other animals that feed on neemed insects are not affected. Neem does not affect earthworms.

I use the fungicidal properties of neem to prevent damping off on seedlings I raise indoors. Once seeds germinate, I use the standard neem dilution ratio to water the soil in starter flats and pots. One treatment is usually all that is necessary to prevent this soil borne fungal disease.

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Find herbal neem products here: http://neemtreefarms.com/
Find agricultural neem here: http://www.pioneerherbal.com/neem/neem.html