Neem oil: natural plant protection against pests

Neem oil is considered a natural plant protection agent and an effective home remedy for pest control. In this guide you will find out what distinguishes the plant protection product and how it is used.

An overview of neem oil

Neem oil is the oil from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which is native to the Indian subcontinent. Because of its bitter taste, it is not used in cooking or in perfumes. Its insecticidal ingredients make it ideal for natural pest control. The seeds contain up to 50 percent oil that can be used after extraction. It can be recognized by the following properties:

• green-yellow to brown in color
• smells of sulfur and leeks
• antiseptic
• antibacterial
• anti-inflammatory

The plant protection product is known as neem oil, although the plant is called neem tree. The reason for this is the original name of the tree in Hindi: Neem. There are two other variations of the name in Germany. You should know these so that you don't get confused when choosing a product:

• Neem oil
  
• Neem oil

effect

Neem oil can only be used as a natural plant protection product because it has an effective ingredient. This is azadirachtin from the limonoids group. If the oil from the neem tree gets into the pest's body, this restricts the supply of the hormone ecdysone, which in turn leads to the following problems:

• inhibits food intake
• scares off
• Reproduction is restricted

The effect is even more intense on the larvae, as they absorb large quantities of the substance. Their further development is strongly influenced by this and the larvae perish over a short period of time. The following points address the effects of the oil on larvae and caterpillars:

• Egg-laying and production are restricted
• Pupation is made more difficult
• Moulting no longer possible

Pests

Neem oil is one of the most popular natural pesticides because it can be used against a wide variety of pests. Neem oil is particularly suitable as a natural plant protection agent when it comes to pests that suck or eat the parts of the plant. This is the only way to get the ingredients into the pest's body, which allows it to work. The following pests are particularly susceptible to the oil:

• Black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus)
• Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa ​​decemlineata)
• Spider mites (Tetranychidae)
• Weevil (Curculionidae)
• Plant lice (Sternorrhyncha
• plant-damaging butterflies (Lepidoptera)
• phytotoxic two-winged birds (Diptera)
• Snails (gastropoda)
• harmful nematodes (Nematoda)

Note: Some beneficial insects, such as lacewings or predatory mites, are not fans of neem oil and therefore stay away from the treated plant. Zpull that in the application into consideration.

Application: neem oil

Neem oil has the great advantage that it can be used without much effort. It is offered either as an oil that you can use to make a plant protection product yourself or as a preparation developed by various manufacturers. Regardless of which variant you choose, both are suitable as natural crop protection. Ready-mixed preparations are available in hardware stores, gardening shops or in online shops that specialize in pesticides. The advantages of preparations are:

• contain emulsifiers for easy mixing
• direct application possible
• Dosage ideal for plants

If you do not use any preparations, but want to mix an agent from the oil yourself, you should observe the following mixing ratio:

• 1 liter of water
  
• 2 teaspoons of neem oil

You don't need anything else for pest control, otherwise the agent will be too strong. But keep in mind that water and pure neem oil will not mix completely without an emulsifier. For this reason, more of the self-mixed agent must be used to adequately supply the plant when spraying. If you mix the neem oil into the watering water, the emulsifier is not important. When mixing, pay attention to the lime content of the water if the plant to be treated is sensitive to lime. You can then administer the mixture. You can do this using the following methods:

• Irrigation water
• Spray the plant

When using it, you should make sure that the weather is right. Without the right weather conditions, problems arise that either damage the plant or reduce the effectiveness of the oil. Only use neem oil if the following properties are met:

• no direct sunlight
• Foliage could be burned
• not in rainy weather
• Neem oil is washed away

Note: If the infestation by the pests is only weak, this is an option here Neem oil for prevention. To do this, simply spray the plant completely in order to restrict its feeding behavior.

Application: Neem press cake

Instead of the oil, you can use neem press cake for pest control. They have the same effect as the oil, but are more effective on pests in the soil. Neem press cakes are the peeled seeds of the neem tree, which are either pressed into pellets after the oil has been extracted or sold loosely as a coarse powder. As well as acting as a natural plant protection agent, the press cakes also have other properties:

• acts as a supportive fertilizer
  
• protects against nitrogen leaching

For this reason, the press cakes are popular with many garden owners. They are particularly suitable against stubborn pests such as black weevils. The press cake is extremely easy to use and, compared to oil, is therefore ideal for plants that are often in the rain. Use them as follows:

• Dosage per m²: 50 g
• Rake the press cake into the earth
• Do not crush the pellets
• work in directly in one piece
• catch up every 2 months over the growing season

possible side effects

When using neem oil, you need to be careful about possible side effects. Not every plant responds positively to the use of the oil, which could lead to a variety of problems. Overdosing in particular is not recommended as these often cause side effects. The following side effects are typical when the product works too intensely:

• Leaf loss
• Leaves roll up
• sensitive plants die completely

Tip: If you are not sure whether the oil is too harsh on a particular plant, treat only one leaf or young shoot with the pesticide. If side effects are recognizable as a result, should she do not use the remedyn.

frequently asked Questions