After ''green revolution'' in 20th century, people is prolong to find organic, non-toxic, and safer pesticides for the garden. According to the EPA, neem oil is 100% organic and non-toxic to human and pets. Over the past few years, neem oil as a 100% natural effective pesticide for succulents, has increased in usage and popularity.
What is neem oil?
Neem oil is pressed out of the seeds of the tree Azadirachta indica, origins from India. Besides as insecticide spray, neem oil has been used in the cosmetics, toothpastes, shampoo, and more. In India, neem oil is also applied to medicine.
Why neem oil?
1. Get rid of insects from Succulents
Neem oil contains a component called Azadirachtin that repels insects such as mealy bugs, aphids, whiteflies, mites, the Japanese beetles and get rid of them away from succulent plants. In addition to insects, neem oil also work against common fungal diseases includes powdery mildew, black spot, rust fungi, and more. You may wonder: How to Identify and Solve the Spots on Succulents.
2. Treating Succulent Leaf Spot Disease
There are lots of neem oil insecticide fomulars on different sites. Before applying neem oil to your succulents, be sure to test it on a small part of the plants first and watch what happens in the next 24 hours. To avoid get the plants damaged, a test run won't go wrong with any insecticide!
How to DIY effective and safer neem oil insecticide spray?
- 1. Finding highly concentrated even 100% pure/organic neem oil.
- 2. Prepare 1L of warm water, 1 teaspoon (5ml) of neem oil, 1-2ml emulsifier such as mild dish detergent or mild liquid soap.
- 3. Add the emulsifier and the warm water into your sprayer and mix thoroughly.
- 4. Add 1 teaspoon of neem oil into the sprayer and mix thoroughly.
- 5. Spray the tops and undersides of succulent leaves and watch what happens in the next 24 hours. Reapply spray after a week if it works and use it to more plants.
- 6. Apply the oil mixture every seven days will effectively solve most pests diseases.
Tips for using neem oil:
- 1. Not use neem oil in direct sunlight or any extreme weather, or the plants could burn or die.
- 2. DIY small dose of neem spray each time and remake a new one next time as the mixture will become gloppy over time.
- 3. Not use neem oil if the plants are in bad conditions like rots.
- 4. Keep the neem spray out of children's reach.
- 5. Purchasing ready-to-use neem oil spray if you like.
