August 21, 2017

Quite frequently I get into gardening conversations at the market on Saturday mornings. This past Saturday was no different.

The person was being over run with bugs on her veggies. I never did get an ID of the critter. I usually suggest the use of cold pressed Neem oil. Cold pressed neem oil works on huge number of bugs. Cold pressed is only a broad spectrum insecticide when it is being applied. It is the oil properties that suffocates insects. Once it is applied it is only detrimental to insects that are feeding on the plant. 

Something that is really amazing about cold pressed neem oil, it is not the product that kills the insects, it is hormones within the oil that does the bugs in. These hormones cause the insects to stop feeding and molting with death following. It is because of these hormones that insects cannot build up immunity to cold pressed neem oil. This is very unique for pesticides. it is an organic approved insecticide and can be used up to an including the day of harvest. There is a smell to neem oil that is offensive to some folks but it is a short lived thing. Cold pressed neem oil breaks down with 8 hours of sun light.

Back to our conversation. This person did not want to get into a spray regime. At which time I mentioned that since I have started using cold pressed neem oil that I have noticed an increase of beneficial insects in the garden. The person was taken aback with this statement. but it is a phenomenon that I have observed. Something that I have not given much thought to but only an observation. The comment got me to thinking.

Using the above information has given me some ideas as to why this could be so. We will focus on: 1, it is only an broad spectrum insecticide when it is being applied :  2, it needs to be ingested for the hormones to work: 3, it breaks down in 8 hours of sunlight.

Most beneficial insects are active of a morning and less so of the evening. There always is some activity but less. By spraying of an evening you get the benefit of darkness for the pests to feed and then 8 hour of day before it breaks down. There are a lot of pests that feed through the night.

I have also noticed with a number of pests that 3 sprays 7 days apart controls most pests. The only exception I have found is with cucumber beetles (These need their own special missive).

Why is there an increase of beneficial insects with the use of cold pressed neem oil? b

By being very selective of when you spray (when beneficial  insects are least active), the pests are specifically targeted and allows the beneficial insects to go forth and multiply. Once there is a more even balance of good guys / bad guys, the increase of good guys diminish the need for further applications. Of course there always needs to be a watchful eye for potential problems.

Some interesting factoids of  cold pressed neem oil follows. If the bottle DOES NOT SPECIALLY SAY cold pressed neem oil it is clarified hydrophobic neem oil and ALL of the above mentioned  hormones have been removed. Using this product does not render very good results. Cold pressed neem oil is hydrophobic. This means it does not easily mix with water. This is easily remedied. for a one gallon solution first fill the spray bottle half full of water. You will need a pint sized seal able jar.  Measure 1 and 1/3 Tbs of cold pressed and put it in the pint jar. next add 1/2 tsp of liquid soap (I use ivory). Place this in the pint also. then fill the jar half full of water, seal and shake vigorously. Add this to the spray bottle, shake and fill the sprayer the rest of the way full. You are set to go..And one last note NEVER mix more cold pressed that what you will use during that spray, as noted above it will break down in 8 hours. I get Neem Pro from Amazon.

good luck and happy gardening.