Ayurvedic medicine has many uses for the leaves, bark and oil of the neem tree.
Products from the Indian neem tree have many valuable uses. The bark, leaves and essential oil of the tree have been used for hundreds of years to heal and treat a variety of ailments and concerns.
Herbalist, gardeners and pet owners may use neem oil as a pesticide, an insect repellent, an anti-viral and an anti-fungal. The essential oil provides a safe and effective way to deal with many different kinds of pests without leaving toxic chemicals that may harm consumers or beneficial insects.
Instructions
Using Neem in the Garden
1. Read the instructions on the container for proper dilution information. Various neem products come in different strengths, according to the Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management, so read the directions carefully before mixing.
2. Pour the appropriate amount of neem oil into a hand sprayer and dilute with water as per the manufacturer's instructions. Add several drops of mild soap to the mix.
3. Shake the container and observe how the liquid settles. If the oil separates from the water, add more drops of soap and repeat. Continue shaking, observing and adding soap until soap bubbles form.
4. Spray the tops and bottoms of leaves, stems and the soil around plants. Spray until the mixture drips off the plant. Shake periodically to ensure the neem oil, water and soap are mixed.
5. Spray outdoor plants early in the morning or late in the evening to allow the mix to dry on the plant before beneficial insects are stirring.
6. Spray the plants weekly for three to four weeks. The neem oil will soak into the plants and deter insects that feed on the plant.
Neem Oil Use With Animals
7. Mix the neem oil as described in Section 1, Steps 1 to 3, to create a spray that may be used on carpet, bedding and living space.
8. Spray bedding and the area around the animal's living space. Make sure a light coating of spray covers visible surfaces without soaking them.
9. Repeat the process two to three times a week for three to four weeks to ensure that the eggs and larvae of any fleas, ticks and other parasites finish hatching and die.
10. Add three to four drops of neem oil to animal shampoo and bathe the animal. Allow the shampoo to stay on the animal for up to five minutes before rinsing. Bathe the animal two to three times a week for three to four weeks to ensure no pests remain.
11. Bathe the animal weekly with the shampoo to ensure that no new parasites infest the animal.
Tags: three four, four weeks, three four weeks, Bathe animal, beneficial insects