Neem: A Biopesticide Tale

I am a vegetable gardener in the summer months.  This year I am cultivating 3 varieties of tomatoes, string beans, chilies, peppers, and blackberries.  I have traditionally had pest problems with white fly, aphids, mites, and caterpillars.  There are probably other pests also but I have personally identified those specific ones in my garden.  In the Master Gardener program, we researched the wonders of concentrated Neem oil and I thought I’d give it a try to rid my garden of the pesky insects.  Neem is a natural vegetable oil made from compressing parts of the Azadirachta indica, a tree once primarily found on the continent of India.  It is non-toxic to humans, mammals, and worms and is a very beneficial biopesticide often used in organic farming.  The main active chemical found in Neem oil is Azadiractin, a repellant for almost all garden pests and diseases.  Neem can help control black spot, powdery mildew, and rust in addition to repelling a large variety of insects.  I have been using Neem in an air sprayer bottle by adding the concentrated Neem oil to a water solution and then applying it to the plant vegetation in the late evening after the sun has set. I have been strictly following the mixture concentration directions and I have noticed great results with almost a complete lack of pests, a 95% improvement from last season.  I spray the solution over my crops about twice a week, I have found it isn’t real long lasting and needs to be periodically re-applied for best protection results.  Neem can be used safely on fruits and vegetable and can even be applied on the day of harvest with no ill effects. (NOTE:Please be sure to read the label and follow the directions on how to apply Neem oil)

Neem tree flowers and leaves. (photo by TopTropicals.com)

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