Neem oil is killing my plants

[space101]

I applied a pretty heavy neem oil foliage to my plants about a week ago and didn't wash the foliage off. The plants are gradually getting worse and I think dying. How can I get them back into healthly state. Is flush long the only answer can I rinse or wash the neem that's still on the leaves off. I'm just at my wits end and can't afford to lose this harvest. I can post pics when I get home buts it's depressing to look and think about it. I just want to see them turn around and I know all will be good

 

[el_tenador]

I would flush as well as rinsing the leaves, but I'm a newb. I use azamax, which is neem based and systemic. You should give a rundown of your specs so the more knowledgeable folk here can better help you out. Best of luck.

 

[cannarado]

Did you spray with the lights off?

 

[paulycali]

What was your initial reason for spraying with neem oil?

Spraying with lights on like cannarado said?

Pics would help for sure :)

 

[MakinGoo]

Yea if the neem was still wet when u turn the light on it will sure fuck up ur plants..

 

[socalval]

i think its called suffication when you dont rinse . id rain some disteled water on them or dunk em but my guess is its too late by now .

 

[paulycali]

As long as you spray when the lights are off your all good. The plants should be dry by the time the lights come back on

No need to rinse when applied properly

 

[Carl Sagan]

leaves dry incredibly fast... how much neem:water did you use in your solution?

Also, was this in veg or flower?

 

[oregongreener]

If you're spraying Neem on plants under HID lights, then you are going to burn the hell out of them. Under flourescents you should be ok as long as the light isn't too close to the plants. Neem oil and whatever emulsifier you used (Dawn, Dr. Brommers, etc) plus the water acts as a lens that lasts for a while. Many foliar sprays indicate whether they are safe for use under HID lighting; Neem doesn't really say one way or the other (based on packaging I've seen recently) but in my experience, it's not OK to use with HID's running.

I have been using Neem for over 10 years on everything from garden vegetables to roses (works great to keep aphids at bay if used early in the season and weekly throughout) to cannabis and not once has it ever harmed my plants.

What concentrations are you using? Anything in excess is going to have undesirable results...

greener

 

[Thoth]

What sort of solution is the neem in? Soap based?

 

[Whippleschnitz]

As other have already said, Neem should only be applied with th lights off and enough time for them to dry before the lights come on. Basically, try to apply at "night" in your garden. This is the biggest problem I have seen with Neem and it's really only an issue because there is nothing on most product labels warning of it.

With your current plants it may indeed be too late. If not, just baby them until they start to grow back. Don't try to add a bunch of nutes or anything and stay light in the watering. Once you see new green growth you can start to feed them again.

 

[Aerojoe]

If you're spraying Neem on plants under HID lights, then you are going to burn the hell out of them. Under flourescents you should be ok as long as the light isn't too close to the plants. Neem oil and whatever emulsifier you used (Dawn, Dr. Brommers, etc) plus the water acts as a lens that lasts for a while. Many foliar sprays indicate whether they are safe for use under HID lighting; Neem doesn't really say one way or the other (based on packaging I've seen recently) but in my experience, it's not OK to use with HID's running.

I have been using Neem for over 10 years on everything from garden vegetables to roses (works great to keep aphids at bay if used early in the season and weekly throughout) to cannabis and not once has it ever harmed my plants.

What concentrations are you using? Anything in excess is going to have undesirable results...

greener

I completely disagree based off of my own experiences, spraying w/ hid lights on burning your plants is a myth. Especially if you use a surfactant/emulsifier of some type, that lens effect you speak of is not supposed to happen w/ a surfactant. Water beads normally and that could burn your plants like it would burn your cars paint, but w/ the surfactant it is supposed to be flat on your leaves so that the neem oil would coat your plants rather than bead up on them. I've almost always sprayed during lights on except when I first started growing due to these myths being perpetuated, I've also never rinsed neem off the next day regardless of concentration, it's pointless to put a protective layer on your plants keeping pests from biting only to wash it off the very next day? I've always felt spraying neem increased the health on my plants and not just visually. I've even sprayed w/o surfactants and still no burn from HID. I think it has to be something else messing w/ your plants, some pics would help us diagnose the probs.

 

[cannarado]

I didnt think the burning had to do with beading and the "lense"effect the water/neem mix would leave. I thought the neem encourages the stomata to open up thus letting the light nuke them out.

 

[cheaplastic]

I completely disagree based off of my own experiences, spraying w/ hid lights on burning your plants is a myth. Especially if you use a surfactant/emulsifier of some type, that lens effect you speak of is not supposed to happen w/ a surfactant. Water beads normally and that could burn your plants like it would burn your cars paint, but w/ the surfactant it is supposed to be flat on your leaves so that the neem oil would coat your plants rather than bead up on them. I've almost always sprayed during lights on except when I first started growing due to these myths being perpetuated, I've also never rinsed neem off the next day regardless of concentration, it's pointless to put a protective layer on your plants keeping pests from biting only to wash it off the very next day? I've always felt spraying neem increased the health on my plants and not just visually. I've even sprayed w/o surfactants and still no burn from HID. I think it has to be something else messing w/ your plants, some pics would help us diagnose the probs.

im so tired of people spreading disinformation here on the farm

thanks for setting it str8!! +1!!

 

[oregongreener]

No disrespect, but what I had to say came from my own direct experience under HID lights. Results may vary I suppose. The OP didn't respond to our queries for more information, so really, any further discussion about what may or may not have happened in his case, is moot.

I encourage people to pursue their own results when using foliar sprays of any sort. Again, the results may vary...

I take no offense to your input, as open discussion here is a good thing for us all. I too have never "rinsed" neem off and I agree with you Areojoe; to do so would completely defeat the purpose of applying a foliar spray in the first place. I also agree that neem appears to have a symbiotic effect on the plants and increase their strength and ability to resist infestations.

Thanks!!!

greener

 

[henry]

i was under the impression that a surfactant worsened the problem of burning. is that not the case??

 

[Aerojoe]

i was under the impression that a surfactant worsened the problem of burning. is that not the case??

Depends on why your plants are burning from the foliar spray in the first place, a surfactant simply spreads the water to give it surface, so that it won't be beads of water that magnify water like a water spot on your car. It can cause your plants to nutrient burn situation to worsen if you mixed the EC of your foliar spray too strong, as the surfactant also increases the absorbtion efficiency of your foliar spray.

 

[Cort]

mixing your neem to strong will fry your plants, lights on or off.

First hand learning.

Wash them to save them.

 

[Aerojoe]

No disrespect, but what I had to say came from my own direct experience under HID lights. Results may vary I suppose. The OP didn't respond to our queries for more information, so really, any further discussion about what may or may not have happened in his case, is moot.

I encourage people to pursue their own results when using foliar sprays of any sort. Again, the results may vary...

I take no offense to your input, as open discussion here is a good thing for us all. I too have never "rinsed" neem off and I agree with you Areojoe; to do so would completely defeat the purpose of applying a foliar spray in the first place. I also agree that neem appears to have a symbiotic effect on the plants and increase their strength and ability to resist infestations.

Thanks!!!

greener

hey oregong, I meant no disrespect to you or anyone either, hope I didn't come off that way. I just felt strongly about my experience as I used to do it that way also, but after having sprayed right when lights came on many times and having no burn or other ill effects, I came to the conclusion that foliar spraying burning when lights are on is a myth.

I also encourage others to try and see for yourself, just use a surfactant(enough to make your water not bead) and don't mix your foliar EC too strong.

 

[Aerojoe]

mixing your neem to strong will fry your plants, lights on or off.

First hand learning.

Wash them to save them.

Thanks for the tip man, must've been a helluva lot of neem. I've never burned my plants w/ neem oil and I don't even measure out how much I mix, but you'll know when neem is mixed right cause it leafs a glossy sheen on your plants.