Preventing Pests Promotes Pristine Plants

[ozzieAI]

OzzieAI

Where did you get this information from? I am very curious on this subject. Is this a practice you do on your plants? Got any pics?

Hi Neo thanks for dropping in...

you could use neem for every watering if you wanted, but if watering once a week make sure you apply enough of the mix so you get a little run off. adding neem to your nutrient mix has the added bonus of helping the plants take up the nutrients.

i used to water neem every time at 3ml/litre and went to weekly at 5ml/litre as i found it just as effective. since i have sourced neem cake i use neem fortnightly indoors but still weekly outdoors as the systemic properties of the cake aren't as strong as the oil.

as for helping plants take up nutrients it is my understanding that neem oil (emulsified) acts as a wetting agent/adjuvant. here is the blurb from the site that i get my neem oil from:

Neem Oil has been used as a fertiliser and wetter sticker for centuries. Our Neem Plant Spray is pure Neem Oil mixed with an organic emusifier enabling it to be mixed with water or fertilisers. It is an excellent adjuvant for fertiliser or as a stand alone product. Ideal as a floliar to make plants shine, as a soil drench for soil conditioning or as a fertiliser enhancer wetter sticker. The Japanese include our neem in their fertilisers via dripper at a rate of 2 mL per litre as ther have done for many many years. BFA Registered.

http://www.batphone.com.au/products/wetting-agents-adjuvants/neem-plant-spray-5-litre.html

there also may be differences between brands of neem oil due to the type of additives added to the oil. this member has had a very negative experience growing that may have/likely to have been the neem oil he added: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=266008

i am looking further into this as my experiences using neem oil as a soil drench have all been positive...

what pics would you like?
plants???

all of these plants have had neem oil added as a soil drench...that top one has had over a dozen applications at 5ml/litre and a couple at 12ml/litre...

HTH

 

[ozzieAI]

However, I am wondering as to the use of mixture since my ladies are in the ground, not in pots.
Any suggestions?

sorry mate i missed this...i suspect it will work much the same and i would have no problem applying if i grew in the ground...

 

[ozzieAI]

here is a pic showing seedlings at day 33 that have been watered with emulsified neem oil @ 5ml/litre on day 14 and 31. as you can see there is no oil slick covering the roots, neem oil is biodegradable and leaves no residue at all.

hopes this helps clears up whether neem oil can be used without damaging the roots...

i am still enjoying bug free growing these days...plant eating bugs just don't go near my babies either indoor or out...

 

[chazz michaels]

It seems too good to be true?

If the neem oil is strong enough in the plant matter to kill insects then it couldn't be good to smoke would it?

 

[ozzieAI]

It seems too good to be true?

yes...i can understand you thinking that....have you tried it?

try looking at some of the links within the thread....this is not new stuff...

If the neem oil is strong enough in the plant matter to kill insects then it couldn't be good to smoke would it?

it works at very low dosages and there is no taste of neem what so ever....as a systemic it works more as a repellent...i still get a few bugs every now and then, especially if i leave too much time without a neem drench

biggest issue with neem oil is all that HYDROPHOBIC crap on the market...it makes pure neem oil look BAD....

cheers for the input...

 

[Snype]

Having been a lurker here and other forums for many years...all the way back to the OG days…it's about time I make a contribution.

With the mass of information available to growers these days I find it hard to make many worth while contributions and really enjoy the diversity of views, techniques and general growing styles. However there is ONE area I don't see any information on and is something that has really improved my outcomes. I have grown for many years to supply myself and close friends (at times) with a clean organic herb.

For a bit of back ground info I have a small flouro grow where I veg indoors and once the plants hit the lights they go outside to flower…very basic. I have been using this style now for several years and have had to deal with a few constant companions in this endeavour. These companions include fungus gnats, spider mites and symphilids for the indoor environment and caterpillars, grasshoppers and mold outdoors. I have used several techniques to minimise the impacts but trying to maintain an organic regime meant that all out chemical war was not an option for me.

I have used neem oil effectively for years as a foliar spray and it does work well keeping the pests down to manageable levels. Every time I miss a spray then the pests return quite quickly. I got sick at the end of last year for a few weeks and my clone stock got hit badly with all three pests: fungus gnats, spider mites and syphilis. It was a sad sight, webs between the branches and brown rotting root balls. I was at my wits end to save at least one plant and hit the net to see what help I could find. Rather than go through the ins and outs of the journey of discovery I will get straight to the point.

Neem oil is SYSTEMIC which means that once watered to the plants instead of spraying it on, the roots take up the Neem and distribute it through out the plant. At a rate of 5mls/litre once a week I have no problems with bugs…none. As long as you up the amount of water you feed to the plant to compensate for growth bugs will avoid your plants. Now to be clear I have used this for the last 12 months and it has worked for me using a 50/50 coco coir/organic soil mix. It has worked both indoors and outdoors and the only time I have pests is when I miss a feed for 2 weeks or so.

Not only is the Neem working a protective agent it is also an excellent root conditioner and I have never had plants look so good. A friend has started using Neem recently and commented on how he had strong bright white roots bursting out of his drainage holes within a few days of applying the Neem. I have seen insects on my plants that are sick and basically just sitting there immobile. This time of year the grasshoppers have hatched and normally will shred the plants leaves and the caterpillars are eating the buds so they rot and die. However not this year, whilst I do get some damage, the bug does have to ingest some the damage is minimal. Mostly bugs just stay away...

The upside for me here is that it is easy, very effective and reduces the amount I need to grow for myself since my plants now not only survive but prosper. This is a great relief to know this is completely organic and has no negative affect on the plant or me. I hope that this is able to help those to battle the pests that people experience and evidenced by the shear number of pest thread here and elsewhere. I have no idea what effects Neem may have in hydro systems but for any soil/coco coir grows this will be a benefit to the plants and the grower.

Very interested to hear any feedback…

Now that I can edit my original post I have defined that 5ml/litre is a better dosage rate as this is a more consistent with dealing with pests.

Nice thread! When I mix the neem, do I have to add the soap to mix it?

 

[chazz michaels]

I agree, very good thread.

I have used a product called 'eco neem' as a soil drench before, but it was very expensive.

I was wondering if the cheap Neem Oil on ebay is any good?

Would it be possible to share links to the Neem Oil that you think is good, ozzie?

Thanks for any help.

 

[ozzieAI]

I have used a product called 'eco neem' as a soil drench before, but it was very expensive.

hell yeah that stuff is a dear as poison...using eco neem...are you down under?

 

[chazz michaels]

no

 

[ozzieAI]

http://www.batphone.com.au/products/wetting-agents-adjuvants/neem-plant-spray-1-litre.html

check out his other gear...especially organic link....

 

[chazz michaels]

Thanks ozzie.

 

[chazz michaels]

So if a plant has to be watered 3 times a week, 10 litres each time, how much neem oil would you recommend?

Replace one of those waterings with a 10 litre water/ 50ml neem oil mixture?

Thanks again.

 

[Shantij]

here is a pic showing seedlings at day 33 that have been watered with emulsified neem oil @ 5ml/litre on day 14 and 31. as you can see there is no oil slick covering the roots, neem oil is biodegradable and leaves no residue at all.

View Image

hopes this helps clears up whether neem oil can be used without damaging the roots...

i am still enjoying bug free growing these days...plant eating bugs just don't go near my babies either indoor or out...

Hi ozzieAI, I have read all of your post. Thank you for all you have shared here. I have learned a lot. Here is my situation and what I was thinking of doing. Now that I have read your stuff I want to use neem oil. I just want to make sure I emulsify it properly.

My first thought were to: I'm running my first complete no till. I have found root aphids!! Can I use azamax? then reinoculate with compost teas then use the predatory nematodes? I already killed the worms because I let the soil dry out because I thought I had fungus gnats. My plants are already turning yellow and I have many flyers so it is an infestation. Also should I throw this soil away after harvest? Or can I compost it and heat it up to kill the pests?
so:
1. kill them with azamax
2. reinoculate
3. enter predatory nematodes
4. re-compost soil (heat up to kill pests)
or throw away soil after harvest
5. Clean grow space thoroughly!!!!!
Do you think this is a good plan?

Maybe is plan with neem oil instead?

I'm a little nervous about the what to do. I also read about hot water baths. That seem like a lot of work for 15 gal pots. LOLthis is how I feel.