Neem Oil and Organic Gardening
Neem oil is an excellent alternative to pesticides in organic gardens. It is made from neem trees which are in the mahogany family. It is native to India where it is widely used for a number of purposes, most of which are agricultural. It is a natural way to rid the garden of harmful insects, but it will not hurt beneficial insects. Neem oil is harmless to humans and animals. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Origins
-
Neem oil has been used for centuries in India and the trees are revered there. It was widely used as medicine to cure a long list of medical problems. Its use in agriculture has been more recent since scientists discovered it has remarkable properties as an insecticide, a soil fertilizer, and to protect stored food from insect damage.
How Neem Oil Works
-
Since neem oil gradually eradicates the population of harmful insects without using chemicals, it is an effective solution for organic gardeners and farmers who need to control outbreaks of harmful insects.
As a foliar insecticide, neem oil does not harm the plants or soil. It is available as a plant spray and is absorbed quickly. Rather than killing biting and chewing bugs, it affects them entirely differently by altering their brain chemistry. The many chemical compounds in neem oil stun the insects and they forget to eat and mate, shortening their lives considerably. If a female insect ingests neem oil just before she lays eggs, the eggs may not survive or they may not make it through the larval stage.
-
Beneficial Effects
-
Neem oil does not affect beneficial insects like bees, lady bugs, lacewings or praying mantises. None of these bugs eat plant leaves so of course they do not ingest the neem oil. Neem oil can even be sprayed on the soil, and in India, farmers amend the soil with neem cake, a mulch made from composted neem trees, to enhance the soil and increase the number of earthworms in the soil.
Soil Applications
-
Neem oil can be sprayed onto the soil and the roots of the plants absorb the oil once it is watered into the garden. This acts as a systemic fertilizer that continues to work during the plant's growth cycle. The oil will also increase earthworms in the soil, which nourish the soil and keep it aerated.
Fungal Diseases
-
Neem oil is used both as a prevention and cure for fungal diseases. Scientists have proven that neem oil is effective at stopping powdery mildew. A carcinogenic substance in grain, aflatoxin, cannot form when plants are sprayed with neem oil.
-
References
- Photo Credit tomato image by YN from Fotolia.com
