The other day we were talking about Neem Oil. Here it is from Wikipedia.
Formulations mad of Neem oil also find wide usage as a bio-pesticide for organic farming, as it repels a wide variety of pests including the mealy bug, beet armyworm,aphids, the cabbage worm, thrips, whiteflies, mites, fungus gnats, beetles, moth larvae, mushroom flies, leafminers, caterpillers, locust, nematodes and the Japanese beetle. Neem Oil is not known to be harmful to mammals, birds or other beneficial insects such as earthworms, butterflies, honeybees and ladybugs. It can be used as a household pesticide for ant, bedbug, cockroach, housefly, sand fly, snail, termite and mosquitoes both as a repellent and larvicide (Puri 1999). Neem oils also controls black spot, powdery mildew, anthrocnose and rust (fungus). For use as a bio-pesticide, pure Neem oil should be diluted at the rate of 1 tsp per quart or 4 tsp per gallon of water and used as a goliar spray or USED AS A SOIL DRENCH AT THE RATE OF 1 LITER PER SQUARE METER OF SOIL (3 OZ PER SQUARE FOOT) Adding a surfactant greatly enhances its effectiveness. Ordinary liquid dishwashing soap may be used as a surfactant, added at the rate of 1 TBSP per gallon.
Neem oil is made from the seed of the neem tree. Neem is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic and antiparasitic. Because of these properties, it is widely deployed in many different toiletries such as soap, toothpaste, hair care products, and skin care paoducts. It is used to treat a wide array of diseases, illnesses and problems and is considered a cure-all in India. The oil has moisturizing and regenerative properties, contains vitamin E and has essential fatty acids. Scientific research today validates many of the traditional uses of Neem Oil, it is used to treat bacterial, fungal and viral infections, boost the immune system and for many specific health problems. It is also used to deter mosquitoes, fleas, flies, ticks, mites and lice.
So we can drench the soil where we’re growing squash and rid us of those pesky squash bugs. I’m going to try some on the fire ant hill I saw in the Community Garden.
Good news! I did not know you could use it as a soil drench. Thanks for the info.