Neem Oil Pesticide Formulation, Application for Garden Plants
Today, we learn neem oil pesticide formulation and application of it. The neem plant is a quick growing and long-living tree, native to Burma in India. From there the neem tree has spread and is now developed all over the world. Neem oil, the most popular neem plant product, is prepared by pressing the neem seed kernels. The kernels can have as much as 50% oil. Neem seed oil is an ingredient in many skin care products. In India, most of the neem oil is used in neem soap, but there are also used in neem shampoos, lotions, creams, etc. The neem leaves of the neem plant are the most versatile and most easily available resources.
They do include the same active ingredients as the seeds, just in a much lower concentration. The bark of the neem tree is not used as the seeds or leaves. There is not as much of it, it does not regenerate as quickly, and it is somewhat more difficult to use. Because of its dry and hard nature, the ingredients are more complex to extract. If you are into organic gardening, you must know the importance of neem oil and neem oil pesticide formulation.
Neem oil:
What is neem oil? A natural byproduct of the neem tree is neem oil. The oil is harvested from the neem trees seeds and leaves. While it has been used as a natural pesticide for hundreds of years, you’ll find it in many products you use in your home, including:
- Cosmetics
- Toothpaste
- Dog shampoo
- Soaps
Neem Oil is among the mainly powerful natural pesticides and insecticides; it covers more than 200 species of chewing and sucking insects. It’s totally non-toxic and does not have any adverse effect on plants if used accordingly.
Take one-liter warm water and combine a half teaspoon of insecticidal soap. Stirring vigorously combine one teaspoon of neem oil in it. Fill it in a sprayer. Keep shaking the sprayer or else neem oil will start to float on the surface. You can use the spray within 8 hours, but the fresh spray is recommended.
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Guide on using neem as a pesticide
Neem Tree Pesticide
Pesticides have a bad reputation for harming soil, the honeybees, and our health. It’s no wonder that more gardeners are choosing to grow using organic and natural methods, especially when it comes to pest and disease control. If you are one of those gardeners looking to create positive changes to your health and the environment, then neem oil is a great addition to your gardening regimen.
Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, an evergreen that is native to India. Neem oil has been used many ways in the garden, around the home, as medicine, and in beauty products. It is organic, biodegradable, and has been creating to have “no unreasonable adverse effects” by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Seeds from the Asian neem tree (Azadirachta indica) contain brownish yellow color, bitter neem oil, which contain a pesticide and insect repellent called azadirachtin. Neem oil is a broad spectrum pesticide, which means that it kills a large range of fungi and insects. Although neem oil is less toxic than other pesticides, you must wear protective clothing when you use it. Dilute two tablespoons of 70 percent neem oil in one gallon of water to prepare a neem oil spray, recommends Southern Agricultural Insecticides.
Neem oil insecticide:
Neem oil insecticide works as a systemic in several plants when applied as a soil drench. This means it is absorbed by the plant and spread throughout the tissue. Once the product is in the plant’s vascular system, insect intake it through feeding. In some cases, the oil coats the breathing holes of insects and kills them. It is a helpful repellent for mites and used to manage over 200 other species of chewing or sucking insects according to product information, including:
- Aphids
- Mealybugs
- Scale
- Whiteflies
Neem helps control tiny insect pests like tiny aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and other sucking insects that collect on leaves and stems. Neem oil will suffocate insect pests on contact if you carefully cover the plant with the insecticide. Azadirachtin prevents insects from feeding & prevents larvae from maturing. It works best against immature insects, so you must apply it in the early stages of infestation. Repeat the application at least once a week, as suggested by the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program. Neem oil acts as an insect repellent.
How neem oil pesticide works
Neem oil is used as an insecticide. Pure neem oil can kill soft-bodied insects and mites on contact, which is one cause why you want to spray it in the early morning or evening when the pollinators aren’t out as much, to avoid spraying them. But that’s not the main process of action of how it controls pests.
First, neem oil repels insects and other animals directly when they encounter it on the neem leaves. And when you spray it on the garden soil, the plant will take it up systemically, which will deter insects from feeding even more. But for those insects who do still feed, the oil contains several components that are not going to bode well for them, the most active and well-researched being a metabolite known as azadirachtin.
When a plant-feeding insect feeds on a neem leaf that has been sprayed with pure neem oil, the azadirachtin interferes with the insect’s hormonal organism, which inhibits their eating, mating, and egg laying patterns. It inhibits growth which prevents the larvae from molting and eggs from hatching. Because azadirachtin acts on the hormonal system, insects don’t increase resistance in future generations, thereby making it a sustainable solution.
Neem oil used as a fungicide. Organic compounds in the neem oil spark an immune response to prevent fungal diseases such as mildew, black spot, rust, scab, leaf spot, and blights. And quality, cold-pressed neem oil will occasionally control some of these diseases when they’re already present. It’s been used as a seed treatment to successfully prevent phytopathogenic fungal diseases, but I’ve not used it for that myself.
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Neem leaf as natural pesticides:
Neem has long been used for its medicinal properties and culinary properties. It is known to be used as a deterrent to pests. This medicinal herb has a bitter taste and strong odor that can keep the bugs away from your plants, but non-toxic to animals, birds, plants, and humans. It’s best to spray neem oil on young plants where it is said to be efficient for about 22 days. Add some neem oil with a dash of liquid soap and some warm water and stir gradually. Add it to a spray bottle and use instantly.
Fungicide
Neem oil protects several plants against fungal diseases when applied in the earliest stages of infection. For example, it controls powdery mildew, which causes a white color coating on vegetable, fruit and ornamental plant leaves. Thoroughly spray the plant and repeat the application every 7 to 14 days. Neem oil controls other fungus diseases such as rust, which causes yellow color, orange or brownish-black areas on a wide variety of plants.
Neem oil is a great fungicide:
You can use neem oil to prevent or even kill fungus on plants. Use neem oil for powdery mildew and other general fungal diseases. Neem oil fungicide is helpful against fungi, mildews and rusts when applied in a one percent solution. It is deemed helpful for other kinds of issues such as;
- Black spot
- Scab
- Rust
- Leaf spot
- Anthracnose
- Tip Blight
- Sooty Mold
- Root rot
To prevent fungi, spray susceptible plants every 7 to 14 days until the fungus is no longer a threat. To kill fungi, spray plants once a week until the fungi clear up, and then sprays every 2 weeks to keep it from coming back.
Protect your veggies from pests and fungus:
Neem oil has a dual function in the vegetable garden as both a pesticide and a fungicide. Neem oil works on arthropod pests that often eat vegetables, containing tomato hornworms, corn earworm, aphids, and whiteflies.
In addition, neem oil controls fungi that grow on vegetable plants, they are included;
- Mildews
- Rusts
- Leaf Spots
- Wilts
- Stem rots
If you want to use neem oil on vegetable plants, spray them in the evening time and again in the morning. Spraying at these times helps make sure you are not causing any harm to beneficial insects, such as bees, that help pollinate vegetable plants.
How to apply neem oil foliar spray?
Some plants can be killed by neem oil, particularly if it is applied heavily. Before spraying at an entire plant, check a small area of the plant and wait 24 hours to check to see if the leaf has any damage. If there is no damage, then the plant must not be harmed by the neem oil. Apply neem oil only in indirect light or in the evening to avoid foliage burning and to allow the action to seep into the plant. Also, do not use neem oil in extreme temperatures, either too hot or cold. Avoid function to plants that are stressed due to drought or overwatering. By using neem oil insecticide about once a week will help kill pests and keep fungal issues at bay. Apply as you would other oil-based sprays, making sure the leaves are totally coated, especially where the pest or fungal problem is the worst.
How to mix Neem oil for plants?
The oil cannot be sprayed alone; it needs a solvent to dissolve in it before function. You can think of water availability, but it cannot be used here. This is because neem oil does not dissolve in water. Instead of using water, we will use a solution of black soap as an element of Neem oil spray recipe. Black soap element is naturally organic and a proven repellant; hence, neem oil pesticide formulation consists of the neem oil and black soap.
Initially, dissolve the black soap in water; about 5kg can be dissolved in 25liters. This solution and Neem oil are the two recipes to create organic pesticide here; Follow the steps about to reveal identifying how to dilute Neem oil.
- Compute 1 ml of the Neem oil in the knapsack sprayer
- Compute 1 liter of the black soap in the knapsack sprayer as well.
- Shake vigorously until getting a milky solution. You can then add water content to knapsack sprayer until it is filled.
Your organic insecticide spray is now ready for many applications. This is how to mix Neem oil for plants.
That’s all folks about “Neem Oil Pesticide Formulation and it’s application in home gardening”.
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