Neem oil application help !!

[farmer joe]

I need to know when I should apply neem oil to cuttings and seedlings. How often and at what stage in the plants life.
I have very little info on neem and its effects on MJ. If any farmers can tell me what neem is good for. I was given instructions to spray my seedlings with neem and dont know why.
I will be using G.E.T. (growing edge technologies) Neem Power. If anybody knows about this stuff let me know.

 

[Time]

Unless the seedlings have an insect problem, I'd hold off on spraying them.

When you do need to spray (first sign of mites or other destructive pests, I may recommend spraying neem on your plants from the time they are about 2 weeks old up until flowering. If you live where spider mites are indigenous then be prepared to implement an ongoing pest control program.

Get yourself a quality atomizer (spray bottle) as the cheap ones tend to clog/break, dilute neem concentrate as directed, and spray on the underside of your plants until run-off.

I like to do it a couple of hours prior to lights out in order to assure the leaves will be reaching toward the light (it's a real pain in the rear to spray the underside of a leaf when the leaf is drooping lol) but, I'm sure any time is a good time.

Try not to spray after you start to flower them as the neem takes a while to go break down and go bye-bye. All insect problems should be eradicated prior to flowering that way you won't need to spray neem during bloom. I like to use neem oil and soaps in conjunction with no-pest strips as part of the ongoing pest control program I'm rockin.

 

[hbstoner]

Soon as they have some good strong roots coming out I've never had any problems. Never tried before they have roots but ive heard that it isn't a good idea that early unless you really have to. As long as you stick to the instructions on the bottle you should be all good.

 

[farmer joe]

I mix 3 ml with 1 L of water and add a drop of dish soap to break down oil retention. I sprayed the underside of leaves and soil around stock. I have heard that its good to spray even without signs of mites. The plant will absorb the neem into the foliage and make it pest resistant. Just what I heard, could be wrong. I also heard that neem will help seedlings and clones during transplanting to overcome shock.
Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Greyskull]

I like dipping over spraying... especially for little plants (just transplanted clones). SO much easier, too.

Application rate wise, dip or spray, I use the same formula per L of plain old tap water:
5ml Ivory dishsoap (surficant - helps solution stick to the leaves/plant) + 5ml warmed NEEM oil.

DIP/SPRAY ONLY LIGHTS OUT. I like to be done an hour or so before the lights come on personally....

To warm the NEEM oil I put a sauce pan full of water over the stove low/med heat for a few minutes so the water gets warmer thatn warm... then I drop the NEEM bottle in for a few minutes (turn off the stove now!) so that is loosens up and get nice and liquidy.

 

[farmer joe]

Good advice Greyskull. Are you warming the neem so that its easier for the plant to absorb?

 

[Greyskull]

the warming it up makes it more "liquidy" and easily mixable...
I use either the Dyna-gro or Einstien Neem oil, and cold/at room temperature its really not mix friendly. Sooo much better when its liquidy. The folks who gave me the tip are Dutch MAsters...

they actually suggest neem at 5ml/L + 20ml/L penetrator...

 

[WCC]

I use Einstien + penetrator myself (dish soap on steriods) and apply as a preventitive measure .. IF you start spraying them on a weekly basis from when there young onwards (In your night cycle) ... I personally have had NO bug OR disease related problems of any kind ever since I've adopted this program ( I apply it with a commerical type paint applicator set on mist) Make sure you heat your neem/einstien in warm water before mixing .. you want it to have a liquid like consistancy and NOT chunky ... ;)

 

[todgerdelburro]

top tip with the warm Neem greyskull, thanks

wetting agent/soap/penetrator is so important for spraying applications. spray a leaf with plain water, watch all the droplets run off it, add some soap then spray again & stare in amazement at a truly wet leaf covered in water with no droplets in sight.... there is no surface tension, so the water spreads evenly over the surface applying your desired product efficiently as opposed to a lottery.

 

[farmer joe]

Thats pretty cool advise Greyskull. Are these penetrators you speak of meant for plants or is it just dishsoap with a different name? Most dishsoap has artificial colors and scents, I wonder if this would affect a young plant when sprayed with it. I haven't noticed any health problems after spraying my Afghani and Northern Lights seedlings.

I also was told to use einstein oil too. My local Hydro store sold me Neem Power from G.E.T. Same shit I guess.

 

[Pistil Pete]

I recently used a combo of neem and SMC on unrooted cuttings in my bubble cloner with no ill effects at all. I sprayed once every 3 days over a 12 day period. Neem in the AM and SMC in the PM.
It's the first time i've done it, so it could have just been good luck, but the cuttings continued to do their thing and are now rooted and free of mites.

 

[Nuglover]

Just make sure you're not using antibacterial dish soap. :)

 

[weirdwanda]

My .2 cents I use Antiwilt, creates a latex barrier does not let insects feed yet plants breathe! I got that off of Daves garden forums not my idea but it works very well.

 

[weirdwanda]

1 application usually lasts 2-4 weeks depends on your ladies growth!

 

[bigleek]

You can also use neem oil as a drench i,ve used it this way for a while

 

[andytoker]

i use 8ml of neem and 5ml of liquid soap in 1litre of warm water, keep shaking as you spray. i'm told you can do it up to 2 weeks flower. neem doesnt kill eggs so you need to do it every 4 days 3 or 4 times and this has totally wiped em out for me on a couple of occasions.

 

[homebrew420]

Greyskull has got it. Warm it up and do NOT use detergent with Neem. I read and article in the Growing Edge saying that the chems used in detergents actually negate and break down the active compound in neem. use a castile soap or, as suggested, a wetting agent.

 

[Dalonewolf]

This is info that i have gathered, This is an explanation by a hydro's sites website, but i have independent reports of good results, my guess is using Neem with a wetting agent works the best. Also i'm using a hot shot no pest strip.


After extensive testing by both BGH and a select group consisting of some of our most experienced customers, we have to say that this is an amazing product. Used in conjunction with Dutch Master Folitech, you will see an amazing difference in your plants. Insect problems? Try using Neem Oil and Penetrator together. We have always promoted Neem Oil for pest control because it is completely organic, stops insects from laying eggs, and becuase it is harmless (and in some cases beneficial) to plants, but many growers weren't able to completely eliminate their pest problems. Penetrator has completely renewed our belief in Neem Oil, as it has wiped out our pest problems within 7 days in every test we performed! And to top it all off, Penetrator enables you to spray your plants during the light cycle with absolutely no harm to tender leaves! Use Penetrator any time you spray anything on your plants, including foliar sprays and pesticides, and you'll be amazed at how much better they perform.
Welcome to the most scientifically advanced foliar fertilizer delivery agent ever offered. Dutch Master Penetrator has been specifically engineered on a molecular level to perform as a specialized foliar fertilizer delivery system that can be used with non insecticidal, herbicidal & fungicidal fertilizer applications.
Dutch Master Penetrator is unique in that it can deliver foliar fertilizer ingredients via the leaf with unparalleled efficiency whilst still maintaining leaf system integrity. This makes Penetrator a true foliar fertilizer delivery system.
Penetrator first binds with the cuticle layer that surrounds & protects every leaf, then temporarily alters it, to allow effective transfer of foliar fertilizer elements through this protective layer. This cuticle layer is very important to plants as it protects them from losing excessive moisture through the leaves as well as forming a barrier against fungal, bacterial & viral agents. If this layer is permanently damaged or altered the plant must then rebuild this layer whilst remaining susceptible to attack from these agents and also at risk from localized burning & transpirational shock through excessive moisture loss. Unfortunately the action of many wetting & delivery agents does damage to this cuticle layer which the plant must then rebuild. Penetrator’s unique formulation temporarily alters the permeability of the cuticle layer then restores it upon evaporation without damaging this vitally important layer.
Delivering your foliar fertilizer elements past this cuticle layer is only a battle half won as you then have to deliver your foliar fertilizer elements through the plasma membrane whilst simultaneously maintaining its stability to ensure maximum element transfer.
Penetrator is uniquely engineered to maintain this stability whilst allowing full transfer of foliar fertilizer elements into the plant via the leaf structure. If the stability or the electrical charge of this membrane is not correctly maintained for the full duration of the transfer then only limited amounts of the fertilizer you apply will actually penetrate past this layer. By combining the 2 actions of cuticle permeability & plasma membrane stability, Penetrator can safely & accurately deliver all of your foliar applied fertilizer to your plants. All without the risk of burning & damaging your plan

you can use other products like, Wet Betty,Agri 2 or your wetting agent,I would not use soap if you have the means. I will report results of using neem and penetrator when i'm done, which will be to late for you , good luck

 

[OGrower707]

theres a fairly new neem product on the market that I have had great results with, its called Green Light neem concentrate. This stuff has a super liquid consistency. I apply to the undersides of my leaves even without signs of mites or any other pest just so my room stays in check.

 

[andytoker]

Greyskull has got it. Warm it up and do NOT use detergent with Neem. I read and article in the Growing Edge saying that the chems used in detergents actually negate and break down the active compound in neem. use a castile soap or, as suggested, a wetting agent.

i would respectfully disagree with this because i use detergent to emulsify the neem oil and it works beautifully. im sure there are other more expensive things to use but at the end of the day something that emulsifies the oil so as it can be applied in a spray will be cool. i use a biodegradable 'eco' style dishwashing/washing up liquid

8ml of neem and 5ml of liquid soap in 1litre of warm water, keep shaking as you spray.

it most certainly gets rid of the mites and i have found 2 or 3 applications 3-5 days apart and problem solved.

i have used this preparation on just-rooted clones with no problem.:smiley_joint::smiley_joint: