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Organic Cultivation
Neem: The Blessed Tree of India Although proper garden hygiene can reduce the frequency of insect infestations, occasionally even the best kept gardens can suffer an attack. Grubbycup Neem oil is often used to treat a variety of insect problems. Pests that can be treated with neem include: aphids, beetles, cockroaches, flies, fruit flies, fungal infections, grasshoppers, leaf miners, mosquitoes, moths (and unfortunately butterflies), nematodes, snails and thrips. It is an EPA approved pesticide that is not only fairly non-toxic to people and animals but also to beneficial insects, including bees. The active ingredients are not stable and quickly degrade. Predators eating treated insects and humans consuming produce from treated plants do not appear to be noticeably affected. Neem oil is extracted from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which can be grown either outside as a large tree, or inside as a houseplant. Originally from India and Burma, where an estimated
extremely short shelf life, usually staying viable only a few weeks. Fortunately I was able to get a couple of neem tree sprouts from Vicki Parsons, founder of Neem Tree Farms in Florida. (Since 1992, Vicki has been instrumental in raising neem awareness in the United States.) Because of the quick expiration of neem seeds, and the tender nature of the sprouted plants, availability is restricted during the colder months. Once a neem ‘mother’ tree is established, seeds can be collected or cuttings can be taken to propagate. It is a good thing that the leaves also contain the active ingredients, since a new neem tree will take about three to five years before it is mature enough produce seeds, and ten years to be fully productive. Although cross-pollination is more common in neem groves, it is also able to self-pollinate, so a single
well known for its ability to fix carbon dioxide, so while it is good for cleaning indoor air, it may slightly lower available CO2 levels. When outdoors neem can quickly grow to twenty meters; in a container indoors it can be kept to a manageable height with care and trimming. It responds well to several bonsai-style training techniques, staying a manageable size. When the tree grows too large, it can be trimmed back (including a third or so of the roots) and returned to the original pot as needed to maintain a manageable size without becoming root-bound. Neem trees can recover from quite severe pruning, even to the extent of regrowing from stumps. One reason for the attractiveness in using neem as a pesticide is that its active ingredients are composed of only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The
Neem oil is extracted from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which can be grown either outside as a large tree, or inside as a houseplant. eighteen-million-plus neem trees still grow, this relative of mahogany has white, honey-scented flowers that are known to be a good source of pollen for bees, and bears clusters of yellow, oliveshaped fruit. The leaves have a mildly astringent flavor, and leave an earthy, woody and slightly musty aftertaste, reminiscent of sandalwood.
tree can produce fruit. Neem prefers a dryer growing media than most plants, and over-watering is much more likely to cause problems than under-watering. While generally pest resistant itself, it is vulnerable to certain types of scale, powdery mildew, some blights and root rot – although root rot is almost always a result of over-watering.
Honey made from neem pollen does not contain the insecticide properties. Timber cut from neem trees is naturally termite-resistant. It is a broad-leafed evergreen tree that, as a tender perennial, cannot withstand freezing temperatures. Neem trees grow well in hot, dry conditions in poor soil, but cannot withstand over-watering or frost.
Neem is photoperiod sensitive, so indoor plants should be kept under lighting with short dark periods for continued growth, so they are better off in your vegetative room than your flowering room for vigorous growth. Neem is
residue does not contain the toxic chemicals that are common in many chemical pesticides. However, this does not mean that it should be used to excess, as hydrogen peroxide shares this non-chemical residue trait, and H202 can be quite damaging in high concentrations. While consumed by millions in modest quantities for health benefits and even used in cosmetics, mild over-consumption of neem has been used as form of birth control for both men and women (males take it orally; females insert the oil vaginally prior to coitus as a spermicide), and as such, I would recommend
Artifacts written in Sanskrit show that the use of neem dates back at least thousands of years. It is one of the few plants able to withstand locust swarms, and may even have a calming effect to help them revert to their non-swarming form. Neem can be used against hundreds of insect pests, as well as mites, nematodes, and some pathogenic fungi. The popular pesticide Azamax® is made from neem extracts. Corporate bio-pirates have even made unsuccessful attempts to patent this traditional Indian common knowledge as if it were a new discovery. Neem trees can be started from seeds Neem’s evergreen leaves create shade havens in its native climate or cuttings; however, the seeds have an
limiting exposure to couples trying to conceive a child. Further research is needed to scientifically examine the medical effects of neem, but since it is a non-patentable treatment, funding for trials is much harder to come by than it would be for a new chemical-based pharmaceutical. This is similar to some of the troubles that face the beneficial effects of other natural products such as Cannabis, where it is easier to get research funding for the synthetic equivalent to THC (used in the commercially-produced Marinol) than natural THC, which is present in Cannabis. This, in spite of the fact that Marinol has a higher fatality rate than the naturally occurring THC found in buds (when smoked normally, it does not appear to be possible to consume enough to raise THC levels to a toxic level, if that is what caused the deaths associated with Marinol). Sativex and Cesamet are two other pharmaceuticals that are based on Cannabis, so apparently it has been decided that something is ‘medicinal’ as long as the pharmaceutical companies get their cut, and illegal in most areas where they do not. Neem has had a similar problem in that, in the right environment, it is also easy to grow and use without having to pay for the privilege. Since this is contrary to the financial interests of those who believe they should be paid as often as possible by as many people as possible, this puts neem in a similar category as ‘cures’ – that is, less financially advantageous than long term recurring treatments, so not encouraged. Extreme over-consumption of neem by people is rare in adults, but can cause liverand other health problems. Exposure to
Neem oil is an amber liquid, often used as ‘soft’ pesticide
