DIY neem oil is a commonly asked activity because the oil comes in very handy while gardening and also in other parts of daily life. You can DIY neem oil foliar spray at home which will definitely be free of any preservatives or harmful chemicals that you might find in a neem oil that comes already packaged.
In this article, we will take you through simple steps that you can use to make the neem oil yourself at home so let us get started.
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How To DIY Neem Oil for Your Home Garden?
You can DIY neem oil for your home garden by collecting the needed supplies, mix the ingredients according to the recipes, store the neem oil properly, so it lasts a good amount of time, and finally by using it when and where needed and be cautious on different plants.
Neem oil can be bought from the store which may contain certain chemicals that act as preservatives while the rest of them may increase the insecticidal and pesticidal properties of the oil.
This type of neem oil can thus be a little on the pricier side because of all the added processing and chemicals. You must also be mindful that you can make neem oil at home for a much cheaper price, with ingredients found in the pantry, and in no time and they would be as effective and long lasting.
1. Collect the Supplies
The first step in making your own neem oil is collecting all the necessary supplies so that you would not waste time finding them. The following supplies will come in need: raw neem oil, a gallon of water, some liquid soap, a bottle with a nozzle, a mixing spatula, and protective gear.
Additionally, a few drops of rosemary oil or peppermint oil may also come in very handy. These are the ingredients needed for the simplest yet effective recipe of a neem oil spray.
You can make as many alterations as you want but keep in mind that you do not go overboard and the real purpose of the neem oil is left behind. The raw neem oil can be found at a grocery store, at a plant shop, or in a plant nursery so make sure you have the right quality of this material.
It is very unlikely that you will physically yield the raw oil because for that you will need an oil mill and a neem tree with mature neem leaves. Make sure that your raw neem oil has that bitter smell and taste, which will be a testament of its originality and powers.
You can use a normal dishwashing liquid or castile soap; either of them will work just fine. A medium-sized bucket that can hold a gallon of water will work very well for this activity and for it to become properly diluted. In this case, you should also note that the soap is what will make thee emulsification processes way easier as you mix it well.
A plastic bottle with an adjustable nozzle will work very efficiently when you will be spraying at smaller places and also when you will need to store the neem oil spray safely. Finally, the peppermint oil and the rosemary oil are only there to add a different but pleasant fragrance to the bitter oil.
2. Mix the Ingredients
The second step in the process is to mix all the ingredients that we have mentioned in the first step. Start by wearing your appropriate protective gear, which may include overall, gloves, eyewear, and a face mask, so that you would not harm yourself in any way.
This is important because stray droplets of liquid can get into your eyes or skin, causing rashes or, in some cases, burns when the sun is shining bright. The raw neem oil on its own can also be very stingy to the skin so do not use it without the appropriate protective gear.
Now that the safety is on, grab the bucket and pour in a gallon of water into it. Make sure that water is clean and that no sand or other debris is roaming around or settling at the bottom because it can ruin the make of your neem oil and also affect its performance. In addition, it shouldn’t have any chemicals too, so ensure that you aren’t using any contaminated water.
In the clean water, add two to three tablespoons of raw neem oil and a kitchen-safe washing liquid each. With a mixing spatula, mix the solution until you see that the oil is mostly mixed and its bubbles are no longer visible, and ensure that you mix a couple of drops of soap as well.
3. Dilute
After the solution is made you can now use it as it is but we would like you to add another step to the process. As the neem oil smell is very pungent and unpleasant, which is why you can aim to be adding a few drops of your favorite fragrant oil like peppermint oil, or rosemary oil.
You can also use harmless artificial fragrances like that of vanilla or strawberry to elevate the aroma of your spray. The oil solution is now ready so pour it in a bottle with a nozzle.
The smell of the homemade neem oil is generally very strong but you can try and mellow down the bitter smell and aroma of the neem oil. You can use other pleasant-smelling oils like rosemary oil to sweeten up the neem oil smell.
This all depends on how strong the existing smell is. If it is too strong, it will be tough for you to change it even after adding a vast amount of pleasant-smelling oils to it.
Alternatively, you can use artificial fragrances to change the smell of your homemade neem oil. Make sure that these synthetic fragrances do not ruin the chemistry of your neem oil and make it less potent in its actual use, which is an antibacterial. The artificial fragrances that you use should be safe to use in food and drinking items, and you can find them in grocery stores.
4. Store Properly
The third step in the process is the storage of your neem oil solution because if not stored correctly, the oil will go bad very soon and ruin your hard work, time, and money. The neem oil should be kept away from the sun in a cool and dry place for a prolonged shelf-life.
If the oil is not stirred correctly, the color of the oil spray changes, and a cloudy appearance is seen. This type of oil has lost all sense of its abilities and can be hazardous if used, which is why the homemade one is safer to use.
Furthermore, any kind of alien substance in the solution may cause it to ruin itself. This is why it is essential that you do not leave it in the open air for a long time. It can cause problems for the spray and make its work redundant.
Note that it can be stored in any weather but make sure that the place is cool and dry and not humid and hot because that can ruin the pH of the spray.
When you make this oil, remember that the homemade neem oil may be better than the store-bought one because the stored one is made by using various chemicals for preservation and increased antibacterial properties. This is why th homemade neem oil is easy to make on your own and has a good shelf life.
The homemade neem oil can be made with very basic ingredients found in the kitchen so next time you need a neem oil spray for your plants, try making it yourself. The homemade one is also a lot cheaper than the store-bought one, so you save some money there as well.
Make sure to store the homemade neem oil in a much better way than the store-bought one because it does not have any preservatives to save it from decaying. Other than all of these points, the neem oil, either stored brought, or made on your own is a great staple to keep at home.
5. Use When Needed
The last step in the process is making use of the neem oil spray that you just made yourself at home in no time. Neem oil is used on various outdoor and indoor plants and trees to keep them safe from harmful insects and bugs.
Neem oil is a natural oil that has the power of a pesticide and insecticide, all packed into one powerful oil and extracted from the neem seeds and tree. The use of neem oil goes back to medieval times when people used to crush the leaves of neem to extract the oil and then use it in their daily lives.
The natural antimicrobial chemical compound found in neem oil is called azadirachtin and is very potent against vast and diverse varieties of insects and bugs that may harm your plants or pets. Neem oil is thus a very effective and readily available remedy and the best thing about it is that it is non-toxic to humans which makes it safe to use.
6. Be Cautious of the Usage
At the samee time, you must also be cautious that you should not use neem oil on plants with wispy and delicate leaves like that of basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, dill, caraway, and thyme. This is why you should be cautious about using the oil on a sunny day with dry weather rather than a wet one because that can make the use of neem oil redundant.
These leafy plants will be destroyed if neem oil is used on them and will lose all of their unique flavor. Furthermore, neem oil should never be used on any plants where the sun is shining very bright at high temperatures. After all, the neme oil is an oil, and it can burn quickly so be mindful when you are spraying them.
So high temperatures and neem oil on a plant’s surface will result in harmful and burnt outcomes which will not be suitable for your plants. Make sure that you use neem oil only where it is suitable and only when the weather and the sun conditions will not cause any more harm to the already infected plants.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about the most simple way of making neem oil at home by yourself, but in case you missed anything, here is a short conclusion of the important points in the article:
- Collect the needed supplies, mix the ingredients, store the neem oil properly, so it lasts a reasonable amount of time, and finally by, using it when and where needed.
- The natural antimicrobial chemical compound found in neem oil is called azadirachtin and is very potent against vast and diverse varieties of insects and bugs that may harm your plants or pets.
- As the neem oil smell is very pungent and unpleasant, we recommend adding a few drops of your favorite fragrant oil like peppermint or rosemary oil, or you can also use harmless artificial fragrances.
- The DIY neem oil spray should be stored away from the sun, in a cool and dry place for a prolonged shelf-life.
- Neem oil has been around for a very long time because of its distinct chemical and physical properties that make it a great pesticide, insecticide, and a simple oil with a bitter taste.
Here we come to the end of the article: how to DIY neem oil at home in simplee steps. We hope that this was an informative and useful article for you to read. Happy gardening!
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