Why Neem Oil Should Become The Newest Addition To Your Cannabis Garden
There are many cannabis growers out there who have been looking for organic ingredients and natural remedies for their garden troubles, primarily because cannabis is so susceptible to pests, molds and other infestations. Very often, in response to this, the modern market offers us toxic solutions that will harm the potency and effects of the final product. There exists already, however, a natural remedy to many cannabis growers’ biggest woes, and that is neem oil. Let’s take a further look into how neem oil is one of the world’s oldest and purest cannabis companions.
The Origins Of Neem Oil
Neem oil is derived from the Azadirachta Indica tree, or the neem tree, native to India. It’s made by pressing the seeds and fruit of the neem tree into an oil extract. Neem oil has been used in Ayurvedic practices for thousands of years and is still used today, as its properties are immense and its use quite traditional. It is a naturally-occurring and non-toxic substance that has no negative effects on animals, humans or plants. Most importantly for cannabis growers, neem oil contains a naturally-produced insecticide that aids in the plant’s survival.
How Does Neem Oil Work?
Neem oil is unique in its properties, as it contains an active insecticidal component called azadirachtin. The oil works by invading pests directly and interfering with their ability to reproduce, feed and grow. Oil that has come into contact with the leaves of plants or soil will prevent new eggs from taking hold. The entire environment becomes toxic to invasive pests and prevents new colonies from surviving.
Why You Should Use Neem Oil On Cannabis Plants
Neem oil is a completely non-toxic, all-natural and organic substance with no known negative side-effects. It is the best organic insecticide for cannabis and will also help prevent many fungal illnesses in your plants. If you’re looking to transition to organic substances in order to treat pest problems, neem oil is the way to go.
A Natural Insecticide
Neem oil is an excellent addition to your garden for its ability to naturally repel pests. You can use neem oil on cannabis as future protection against spider mites, whiteflies, aphids, caterpillars and moth larvae; it can also be helpful if you already have an infestation. Neem oil is one of the best organic pesticides for cannabis, as it conveniently works to extinguish all of the worst pests for cannabis plants at once.
Neem Oil Protects Against Fungal Growth
In addition to helping to protect against invasive pests, using neem oil on cannabis plants is an excellent way to prevent fungal invasions in your garden. This is because, in addition to being a natural insecticide, neem oil is also fungicidal against many types of common mold, mildew and fungus. Cannabis plants can be susceptible to a variety of diseases caused by molds and fungi, so incorporating something like neem oil for cannabis plants is an excellent safety measure to prevent such invasions.
What About The Good Bugs?
Luckily, neem oil is peculiar in that it seems to only harm the most invasive type of insects such as spider mites, whiteflies and so on. If you’re worried about neem oil harming your garden friends, don’t worry: neem oil on cannabis plants will not prevent your ladybugs, bees, butterflies and earthworms from coming for a visit. It is completely organic and has special properties that do not harm or repel these good bugs.
It Even Works In The Soil
Another interesting aspect of neem oil is its fungicidal composition. Neem oil prevents fungus from growing on the surface of plants, but when incorporated into the soil itself, it can also work to prevent root rot – one of the worst illnesses a cannabis plant can have. Doing anything possible to prevent root rot is encouraged, and using neem oil for cannabis plant soil is one of the best preventative measures against this.
What Types Of Neem Oil Are There?
When looking to incorporate neem oil into your gardening routine, there are two types of neem oil you will come across: cold-pressed and extract. Each type has a different function; read on to see which one is better for cannabis plants.
What Is Cold-Pressed Oil?
Cold-pressed neem oil is typically sold for the purpose of making soaps, cosmetics and other personal beauty products. Buying cold-pressed neem oil for cannabis plants might not be the best option, as it’s rare that cold-pressed neem oil will present enough of the active insecticide, azadirachtin, to fight pests.
Neem Oil Extract
If you want neem oil for your garden, neem oil extracts are what you should be looking at. Extracts are made specifically to be used as organic insecticides, and will therefore be much higher in azadirachtin than cold-pressed neem oil. Extracts with higher percentages of azadirachtin are much better at fighting off recurring invasions of pests or preventing pests from invading your garden.
How To Use Neem Oil On Weed Plants
Neem oil for cannabis plants is best used as a topical foliar spray. To turn neem oil into a foliar spray, you will need to dilute it with water. However, to dilute oil with water, you’ll also need an emulsifier, like soap. Simply add 1 teaspoon of neem oil per 1 liter of warm water, and to this mixture, add about 4-5 drops of soap (dishwasher soap works best, but you can also use any organic soap). Apply this neem oil mixture to the tops and bottoms of cannabis leaves and on branches once every 7-10 days. You can also incorporate neem oil directly into the soil to prevent root rot.
Perfecting Your Use Of Neem Oil
Now that you know how to use neem oil on weed plants, here are a few tips on how to perfect your technique and get the most out of using neem oil in your garden.
Finding The Perfect Applicator
Make sure to use a good sprayer on your cannabis plants in order to get an even covering. Using a garden pressure sprayer works much easier than any hand-held spray bottle. If you don’t have access to a pressure sprayer, just make sure to use your spray bottle on the finest setting.
Should I Also Spray My Buds?
Although neem oil is non-toxic, it’s best to avoid spraying neem oil on the buds of your cannabis plants. Neem oil will not disrupt or disturb the growth of buds, but it can certainly impact the final taste of them, and could possibly also interfere with its inner terpene structure.
Let The Neem Oil Dry On Its Own
When spraying your plants with neem oil, be sure to turn off all the fans. You want the neem oil to soak into the plants and soil, and keeping any fans on will dry out the oil mixture much faster, preventing the neem oil from doing its job.
Avoid Application During Daytime Hours
In addition to keeping the fans off directly after application, it’s also important to spray neem oil on cannabis in the evening or early in the morning. Neem oil begins to degrade after being exposed to the sun, so you want your application to be during cooler, duskier hours.
Introduce Your Plants To Neem Oil
It is clear why neem oil has been such an important part of ancient cannabis culture for so long. Neem oil appears to be the perfect companion to cannabis plants, as it actively works to repel any insect that might take advantage of it, while at the same time preventing many fungal infections from taking hold. If you want to ensure perfect health in your cannabis garden, switching to neem oil is an excellent solution.
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