Gardeners, plant enthusiasts, or even novices to plants will find neem oil to be a useful product to have on hand. Generally, it is used to treat a wide range of pests, so if you need to remove pesky bugs from your plants, keep reading!
IAs you can see, neem oil can be applied to plants in many ways! I’ll provide five simple ways to use it for plants in this post! In addition to its many benefits, neem oil also features the following features:
Because it’s eco-friendly and natural, you won’t have to use harsh chemicals in the vicinity of your house or inside your house, especially if you’re using it for indoor plants.
It doesn’t take much to make a difference. In most cases, you will need to dilute around 2-3mLs of the solution per litre (or about half a teaspoon to 4 cups), so the same bottle can be used over and over again.
There is no risk of damage or overdosing to most plants when using this product, and it is generally safe to use around pets and children.
So many pests and problems can be treated with one product! Whenever I discover a new pest, the first thing I do is check if it can be treated with neem.
Using neem oil in a systemic manner will not harm beneficial bugs, only those that eat your plants. (Further information is below.)
The following pests can be treated with neem oil concentrated. Use the following methods after checking the instructions on the neem oil container.
Use Neem Oil to get Rid of Spider Mites
There are a lot of pests around indoor plants, especially spider mites. The tiny size of spider mites makes them so hard to control! They can easily spread and can be overlooked during treatment, so it might take a serious outbreak for them to be noticed and neem oil is the solution.
When it comes to spider mites, neem oil has been quite effective! In order to physically remove as many mites from my plants as possible, I hose them down. Then liberally spray the plant with neem oil diluted with water. To ensure all hatchlings are treated, repeat the treatment every 4-5 days.
You can find a detailed step-by-step method for removing spider mites in this post about Spider Mites on Fiddle Leaf Figs.
Use Neem Oil as a Systemic Treatment for Chewing & Sucking Insects
Similarly, neem oil can be used to treat chewing and sucking insects, such as mites, aphids, caterpillars, citrus leafminers, and more.
Treatments that are applied when watering are systemic treatments. Afterward, the plant absorbs the neem oil solution through its roots and leaves. Whenever a chewing or sucking insect ingests the insecticide, they will die.
You don’t have to worry about neem affecting your plants! The plant will also be protected, and unlike sprays, the solution will not be washed away if it rains.
Use Neem Oil to Treat Mealybugs
When mealy bugs show up out of the blue, it can be hard to anticipate. The size of these pests makes them easier to identify than spider mites.
It can also be used to prevent mealybugs from settling on your plants if you happen to notice one or two. To kill mealybugs, you can simply dab neem on a cotton tip. The substance will kill Mealybugs.
You can spray Neem oil solutions on your plants to combat mealybug infestations or apply them systemically (as above). To spray your plant with neem oil solution, make a solution.
Things to Consider When Using Neem Oil
Neem oil is a vegetable oil that can be used for your plants in a couple of ways.
Aside from making leaves a little more sensitive to sunlight, oil can cause sunburn in rare instances. Using this product in extremely hot temperatures or during direct sunlight is not recommended. Watch out for sun-sensitive plants while using the product.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some pests can reproduce quickly, so repeat treatments are essential to completely eradicating the problem. I recommend treating your plants for spider mites at least three times every 4-5 days in order to keep them pest-free.
Despite not bothering me, neem oil can have a strong smell that some people find offensive. You might want to spray indoor plants outside if you intend to do so. Once the solution dries, the smell should disappear.
Other than the kinds of pests discussed here, neem oil can treat a wide range of other conditions. Neem oil can be used to treat a wide range of infestations, so check the package to be sure it will work on your problem!
Considering neem oil’s versatility, it’s a great treatment to have in your arsenal in case an issue pops up.