Neem oil for leaf spot is a very potent oil when it comes to getting rid of it and has been used for a very long time by gardeners. Leaf spots can be a problem for many plants and fruit trees in their prime age, so it is only necessary that you get rid of them as soon as possible.
In this article, we will talk about how you can make neem oil for general use and how you can get rid of leaf spots using neem oil so let us get started.
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How To Get Rid of Leaf Spot Using Neem Oil?
You can get rid of leaf spots by using neem oil in four simple steps: inspect the plant, arrange the neem oil spray, spray the plant, and finally apply aftercare and precautionary measures that will help keep the leaf spot from coming back.
Leaf spot is a problem that occurs on plant leaves due to various bacterial, fungal, and algal problems. In addition to that, it can also occur due to toxicity, environmental factors, and certain insecticides or herbicides that cause necrosis which is cell death. The cell death ruins the leaves and thus affects the photosynthesis of the plant, so neem oil is the ultimate choice.
1. Pick The Proper Time
The worst time to spray neem oil for leaf spots is at night and on a rainy and wet day. Neem oil is a natural pesticide and insecticide and needs sunlight to work best on infections and plant insects and bugs.
This is the reason why it is best to always use neem oil during the day when the sun is shining bright. The other important thing is to use the neem oil at a time when there is supposed to be no rain or winds as they can make the use of neem oil redundant.
Use the forecast to accurately map out the best days for making use of neem oil on the plants. This should save you a reasonable amount of time and the fuss of spraying the neem oil at the wrong time.
Neem oil is a natural oil with the power of a pesticide and insecticide, all packed into one powerful oil and extracted from the neem seeds and tree. 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.
2. Inspect the Plant
The first step in the process is to inspect the plant thoroughly for a leaf spot. Even though the leaf spot is very easy to spot, you would still need to see how much the impact is, how much neem oil spray you will need, and finally, how long it would take for you to eradicate the leaf spot.
For the leaf spot to occur, it needs specific conditions, which are an optimum environment, a pathogen, and a healthy, susceptible host. Hence, in this case when you are inspecting, you should be cautious of where an infestation may have occurred around the plant, and try to pick the key determiner of the spot.
The pathogens that cause leaf spots in one plant can also cause them in nearby ones. So if you see a leaf spot anywhere, you need to contain the plant so the nearby plants are safe. You can use the net to wrap around the infected plants. If the infection is on a tree, you can wrap the infected bark with leaves individually so that the infection is contained.
Before going into a much deeper cleanse of the insect, if the invasion is small or has just started, you might want to hose the insects with plain water a medium pressure. The water will remove the insects and you can manually remove them from around your plants. Keep in mind that this will only work when the insects are very small in number.
It may be bad for you to use too much neem oil on the leaf spigot-affected plants because the neem oil can ruin the soil’s pH and can make it unsuitable for further growing the plants or trees in the soil. This is why you should be mindful of the way the plant is growing, and when you apply the oil, be sure that you aren’t targeting it when it is located under the direct sun, or else this may be more harmful.
The neem oil has a strong taste and smell, which is why it should not be used at a substantial amount on the plants. Using it at a recommended and appropriate amount on the plants is always best.
Furthermore, excess use of neem oil can burn the leaves on a good sunny day, and it can cause your whole plant to die in a small amount of time. So make sure that you use the neem oil wisely and only when you are in need of it for your plants.
3. Choose the Right Oil
The step that you have to follow in the process is arranging the neem oil spray that will be sprayed on the plants to remove the insects and their infection. The neem oil has a slippery nature and insecticidal properties, which is why when it is sprayed on the insects, they lose their grip on the plant and fall away and secondly, are affected by the insecticidal properties of the neem oil.
You can buy a neem oil spray from any plant shop because they are available everywhere and with various chemicals added that offer additional powers to the spray. However, you must make sure to avoid the pre-diluted one, because it may be too weakened.
In case, you want to spray the neem oil plants with edible fruits or vegetables on them, it is best to use the neem oil that has the least amount of chemicals and preservatives in it.
Which is why you should mix your own, and make use you dilute it properly first. If you are using such a spray, make sure to wash your sprayed-on fruits or vegetables very nicely before consuming them. Now, you would know that the plant is sprayed with an organic oil, but because the taste and smell of the oil is bitter, you can wipe it after.
4. Mix The Oil
Additionally, you can also choose to make your own neem oil spray at home. You can do this by getting a gallon of water with two to three tablespoons of neem oil and a kitchen-safe dishwashing liquid in a container.
Mix all of these ingredients together until a solution is formed. You can use this homemade solution like you would use the store-bought one but this solution might not have a long shelf-life as the other one because it is devoid of any and all preservatives.
In addition to this, after you have mixed it thoroughly, you shouldn’t just go ahead and spray on the leaves, because as you can see, the leaves are already damaged, so don’t make the issue bigger. Hence, you can test on a single leaf and examine it after the following day to see if any harm has come, like the leaf burning, if not, you may continue.
5. Spray the Plant
The next step in the process is to spray the plant with the solution of neem oil, either homemade or store-bought. The first thing you must remember here is that protective gear is of utmost importance.
It will save you from getting any bugs or insects on your clothes and later on to your skin. Wear eye goggles, gardening gloves, overalls, a face mask if sprays are involved, and gardening boots if you plan on going inside the garden with taller plants.
For spraying, the container should have a nozzle with adjustable hole sizes because this will make the spraying much easier and non-tiring. You will also be able to use the spray more widely and consistently throughout the plant.
Choose a dry and sunny day for spraying the plants as this will help the neem oil work better. Start by spraying the plants from the top then make your way down to the roots of the plant.
It is totally fine if the neem oil spray goes here and there because it is safe for almost all plants except for the ones with wispy leaves like oregano, basil, and thyme. After carefully and generously spraying the plants with neem oil, leave the plants be for some time.
6. Apply Aftercare
The last step in the process is to apply the aftercare which will include making a schedule of reapplication of neem oil and fixing protective and preventative guards that will help the plants from future invasions and infestations as it will be a protective barrier. After use, ensure that you store the neem oil in a cool and dry place so it doesn’t go bad.
Lastly, the neem oil will start killing the insects; when it does, remove the dead insects from the plants as they will rot there. Sometimes, the rotting insects can have a very bad smell and attract other beings.
The leaf spot will not go away with just a single coat of neem oil spray. You will need around two to three oil sprays until you see a considerable change in the appearance and occurrence of the leaf spot on the infected plants.
The best way to make sure that you are giving the best and the most appropriate amount of neem oil spray to the plants is by making a schedule of spraying and sticking to it. You can also check the forecast for rainy days and plan accordingly. Sunny and dry days work best for the neem oil to work so make sure you incorporate them accurately in the schedule for best results.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about the simplest way of using neem oil for leaf spot but in case you missed anything, here is a short conclusion of the important points in the article:
- You can get rid of leaf spots by using neem oil in four simple steps: inspect the plant, arrange the neem oil spray, spray the plant, and finally by applying aftercare and precautionary measure.
- The pathogens that cause leaf spots in one plant can also cause them in nearby ones.
- Neem oil is a very effective and easily available remedy and the best thing about it is that it is non-toxic to humans which makes it safe to use.
- Make sure to remove the killed insects from the plants as they can cause a very bad smell and attract other beings to the plants.
- After using the neem oil, make sure it is stored safely. Neem oil is a natural insecticide and pesticide that works very well against the leaf spot so people use it heavily.
Here we come to the end of the article: how to use neem oil for leaf spots. We hope that this was an informative and useful article for you to read.
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