Using Neem

[Paradoxic]

Neem is 100% organic(made from the Neem Tree) and one of the best ways to control pests, especially for Salvia Divinorum. I myself use it in my humidity chamber to spray all my plants every month or so as a preventive. Neem is effective against over 400 insects and will not cause any harm or inhibit your plants growth in any way.

If your plant is already infected neem can and probably will work as long as the problem isn't too serious. However, it doesn't kill pests immediately instead it causes them to stop reproducing. Neem is best to use as a preventive to ensure you will never have a pest problem.

Here is an easy recipe I use to make my neem solution. To use it you should spray your entire plant(s), undersides and tops of leaves as well as the top of the soil:

For every 1 gallon of water use:

• 7 tsp neem oil
• 3 ½ tsp detergent(Arm and Hammer is good)

If you cannot get neem oil another way to make a neem pesticide is using a neem cake. I may add a part on how to make a solution with neem cake and add it later.

[joefromsac]

I read on a Neem Oil bottle it can be used as a soil soak to kill the Fungus Gnat larvae. I never did it in fear it would harm beneficials or SD herself. Has anyone heard of this for SD

[joefromsac]

To answer my own question. Yes, Neem can and is used as a soil drench to kill and prevent fungus gnats. It also works as a systemic insecticide. I just did a soil drench for both my SD and CZ plants which were becoming a home for those little guys. I did 2 tbs per gallon and poured 1/2 on each. I'll let you guys know how it works out. I won't see results for a week or two since it doesn't kill adults.

Systemic: An insecticide or fungicide whose mode of action is via uptake into a plant, entering the pest when the plant is consumed.

[joefromsac]

Quick update. It's been a week since I did the Neem soil flush and about 90% of the gnats are gone! Amazing, I've been using neem ( as a foiliar and soil spray) for months with no results. After just one week with the flush and their almost gone completely. I did my 2nd dose today, exactly like the first.

[JDogHerman]

Where can I get neem Oil from?

[JDogHerman]

I bought some pre-mixxed Neem oil from a local nursery.

Any one ever use this? Good/Bad?



Here is a sight talking about it:

http://www.garden-guys.com/kneem.html

[joefromsac]

What is the K in K+Neem?
The only problem I see with the premixed stuff is if you plan on doing soil flushes it'll get expensive real fast. I use 1/2 gallon every flush on every pot. So it'll be a one time use. I'd keep that stuff as a spray and go buy the concentrate for the flush.

I got mine at Lowes (similar to Home Depot) for 10 or 15 bucks for the concentrated stuff. Smells like oranges 

[MstryShovel]

Id assume the K+ is pottasium, not sure how it would kill bugs but then again i dont know much about that in the first place, i would assume it either makes your plants taste bad or has some kinda effect on the bug itself when sprayed, mabey drying them out or something. anyways i have a horrible fungus knat infestation because i have about 30 plants growing in the same space, and they always find a new place to grow up.

[joefromsac]

Id assume the K+ is pottasium, not sure how it would kill bugs but then again i dont know much about that in the first place, i would assume it either makes your plants taste bad or has some kinda effect on the bug itself when sprayed, mabey drying them out or something. anyways i have a horrible fungus knat infestation because i have about 30 plants growing in the same space, and they always find a new place to grow up.

Close, the K+ is "potassium salts of fatty acids" so.... soap.
I've heard mixed reviews about the soap mixed with Neem, some love it and I've heard others say it burned their plants. Something I just read said be very careful when using on plants with hairy leaves because the hairs will hold onto the soap and can burn the plant.

[tigerbunni]

So if you happen to notice gnats, how often would you have to keep up with the "Neem maintenance" after the first dose or two? weekly?  every 2 weeks?  Monthly?

[joefromsac]

A whole lot of trial and error with the gnats finally led me to something the worked to completely kill them off. BTi (mosquito Dunk). There are several threads on it currently in the cultivation forum and here in a separate thread.

The Neem never worked 100% and it's very expensive.

You don't need to replace the soil if it's these little guys you're worried about. The coffee grounds will actually make it worse (that's also where your mold is coming from), they love those Nitrogen rich munchies. Just do a good BTi treatment and you'll be good.

[Sea Mac]

:(I should try to find something for mine. I never really watered the soil much so to avoid root rot but today i notice fuzzy white mold all around the stem on the soil after giving it a little water last night. It looks bad and there are all sorts of small silver winged insects and what look like very very tiny white wiggly worms. They are getting me mad. I seemed to have had them under controll for a while by using coffee grounds etc. but it just does not seem to get much better. I wish now i woulda just started the rooted cutting in a smaller clay container rather than the large plastic one it is in. Could i get the plant out of this soil into cleaner soil by scooping it out and washing the rootball clean and then maybe put it into some clean fresh soil in a smaller clay pot? Would that work? Maybe it would stunt it bad but if there are roots there should that work? Any ideas? Thank You

The quickest way I know of to KILL a salvia plant is to 'bareroot' her by washing ALL the dirt off of the roots!

There are invisible root hairs growing around most of the soil particles and you can't put them back in new dirt the way they were woven through the old dirt ...

In essence this blocks Salvia's uptake of any nutrients: the plant usually wilts right away. I don't know of anyone who rinsed the roots off and had it survive ...

I never have problems with plastic pots because I'm in a dryer area.

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

That makes a lot of sense about the roots. I rinsed off the roots of my smallest plant when I transplanted her a few weeks ago. It is just now starting to recover and get new growth again. I thought I did kill it, and then the spider mites came and made it worse!

JARG

[Sea Mac]

Correction: I know of one person who's plant survived bare rooting ...

Generally it's bad form .... it may work for roses but not Salvia.