Now you can make your own amazingly effective and most importantly natural (non-toxic) insecticide/fungicide with Neem oil at home. Neem oil can be extracted from most parts of the Neem tree, but the seeds hold the highest concentration of the insecticidal compound. The effective compound is Azadirachin, and it is found in highest amounts in the seeds. There are numerous neem oil uses, but gardeners hail it for its anti-fungal and pesticide properties.
You can get neem oil at any herbal medicine store or even in pharmacies at low cost.
It is a useful repellent for mites and used to manage over 200 other species of chewing or sucking insects according to product information, including: Aphids, Mealy bugs, Scale, Whiteflies.
Neem oil fungicide is useful against fungi, mildews and rusts when applied in a 1 percent solution. It is also deemed helpful for other kinds of issues such as: Root rot, Black spot, Sooty mold.
Neem Oil Amounts for Insect Spray (Basic Application)
For 1 liter or 1 quart of a 0.5 %-1% dilution of Neem plant spray you need:
5 ml/10ml (1/2 teaspoon) neem oil (use pure, cold pressed oil)
1-2 ml (1/3 tsp) liquid detergent
1 liter (1 quart) warm water.
Additional Instructions for Preparing Neem Spray
Use a high quality, organic, cold pressed oil.
Use warm water if possible. If making a large batch, first make a premix in a small amount of warm water, and then add that to the rest of the water into the big container.
Mix the warm water with the soap first!
Then slowly add the oil while stirring vigorously.
Fill the mix into your sprayer.
(Or fill the premix into your sprayer, which should already contain the rest of the water. Mix well.)
Keep shaking or otherwise agitating the mix while spraying.
Use the mixture within eight hours. If you have fewer plants, make smaller amount each time.
More Instructions…
Spray the neem insecticide solution on all the leaves, especially the undersides where insects like to hide. If you have plenty drench the soil around the roots as well. It does not hurt; neem oil is actually good for your soil.
Use your neem insect spray as quickly as possible, definitely within eight hours. Once mixed with water the neem oil starts breaking down. Always make a fresh batch for spraying, and only prepare the amount you need.
How often should you use neem garden spray? The suggestions below are general guidelines. Keep a close eye on things and fine tune as needed. If you are worried about sensitive plants, spray just a little bit in a small area, wait for a day or two, and see what happens. If you use insecticidal soap you should not have any problems.
Neem plant spray as a preventative measure: Spray once a fortnight using a 0.5 % solution. This should prevent any insect problems in the first place.
Neem insect spray to fight an infestation: When spraying the first time, thoroughly drench all leaves and the soil around the plant. Then spray once a week until the problem disappears. Happy Gardening!