Neem Oil is a natural solution that can be used on indoor and outdoor plants to get rid of a variety of garden pests.
It is effective against some of the most common and difficult-to-control bugs and insects that gardeners face, but Neem is thought not to harm certain beneficial insects including ladybugs and predatory mites, and does not impact honey bees and other pollinators like butterflies as long as they’re not sprayed directly.
Neem oil won’t kill all of the bugs on contact, so it might take a few days, weeks, or even months for them to disappear from the plant.
How to use Neem Oil on plants:
- Mix together water and a small amount of soap. Mix one gallon of warm water with one teaspoon of liquid soap. It will serve as an emulsifier to help mix the neem oil.
- Next, add one to two tablespoons of neem oil to it.
- Apply your neem oil mixture to a small section of your plants using a foliar spray bottle. Allow twenty-four hours. If the mixture causes no damage, thoroughly mist your indoor and outdoor plants, spraying directly onto plant leaves.
- As a preventative measure, apply neem oil every two weeks. Spray your plants with neem oil once a week if you’re trying to control an active pest infestation.
Neem oil shouldn't be used on herbs such as basil, caraway, cilantro, dill, marjoram, oregano, parsley, or thyme.
If you’ve never used Neem oil before, it’s important to note that it has a strong smell to it that many people don’t like. The smell goes away once it dries, but it can be overpowering if you’re spraying it on a lot of your houseplants at once indoors.