4 Reasons To NEVER Use NEEM OIL In Your Garden Again!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you enjoyed this video, please “Like” and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS here: 0:00 My Experience Using Neem Oil 1:30 Reason #1 4:21 Reason #2 6:14 Reason #3 8:43 Reason #4 11:38 Effective Insect Control Methods 13:56 Adventures With Dale

[@rebelstudio2720]

I only use natural dish soap in water. Works awesome.

[@rebelstudio2720]

Water with dish soap alone kills ants. The soap suffocates them and is hell of a lot safer and cheaper. Kills wasps too. Windex kills bugs fast too.

[@imogenbegns]

Neem oil is dangerous and horrible for fertility.

[@Ms.Byrd68]

I appreciate your honesty. Thank you!

[@Keyspoet27]

I use neem oil, but only as a fungicide, and for that, it works very welll. Otherwise, I tend to use dish soap sprays.

[@jacobtucker8769]

My experience with neem oil has been positive. I used it the past 4 years in northwestern SC, and had noticeably less pests on tomatoes, peppers, and leafy vegetables. I used around a double dose once a week.

[@bausgrows]

Same, I have had nothing but good experiences with Neem oil.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Were you mixing it with soap? If so, you'd probably see similar effectiveness by simply mixing vegetable oil + soap.

[@72marshflower15]

@@TheMillennialGardener ~ we have neem tree in Havvai’i… works great..

[@jacobtucker8769]

@@TheMillennialGardener no soap. Just water and neem oil.

[@williamh.7939]

@@TheMillennialGardener I have tried (1) using just soap and (2) using neem oil + soap. With rain and watering, the effects of (1) disappeared after a week so I would have to respray. With (2), the effects remained for 1-2 months, so it saved me from having to spray my veggies every week. I live in southern Vancouver Island (zone 9a).

[@roywarriner8441]

Neem seed meal mixed in the soil prevents fungus gnats, neem tea used as a soil drench works too. Won't hurt worms or beneficial microbes. Worms love neem seed meal.

[@tomscott3]

Meal is great for stopping nematodes too, which are ubiquitous here in Florida. Very Best Regards, Tom Scott Author ● Speaker ● World's Leading Expert on the Corrupt U.S. Legal System _Our American Injustice System_ _Stack the Legal Odds in Your Favor_

[@reaper_exd7498]

Agreed. I never use it as a leaf spray but it’s great ignore you dilute it for soil soaking.

[@kellyfempire]

I'm actually trying both this year using down to earth's neem seed meal. Testing stuff on my indoor plants as well as my outdoor.

[@powaqqatsi8]

Thanks for the tip!

[@cmoniz905]

Can you use the neem oil as a soil drench?

[@kathywaterstradt6317]

I've used neem oil for many years with good results for chewing insects. 2 tablespoons per gallon of water does not leave the plants sticky. Its not a deterrant. It does stink tho. But so does fish emulsion. It worked for japanese beetles on raspberries and worms and fungus on my cherries. I have never seen it burn my plants but I live in the north. I will continue to use it.

[@nickcarroll8565]

My local university has a good guide on what chemicals work on what pests. Neem oil was hit and miss.

[@UrbanBackyardHomesteading]

I agree 100%, it has always worked for me and if you have a thick residue then you are not applying it properly....

[@PedroOrtiz-b1h]

My fish hydrolysate doesnt Even smell like fish .... Weird

[@79klkw]

​@@nickcarroll8565thank you for sharing this!

[@ThePoehladian]

Use it weekly.

[@lorib5323]

I too live in a hot climate. Ive used Captain Jacks Neem Oil spray for 3 years now and it was completely worthless and I hated the smell and destroyed the leaves. Like so many of us, I am trying to interplant with tons of herbs and flowers to try and naturally deter the plant eating bugs, but if necessary I will give the Spinosad and Pyrethrin a shot. thanks for doing the research for me!

[@slimsag1337]

Beware pyrethrin is very toxic to cats and fish.

[@AnenLaylle7023]

I'm a Southern market gardener. Spinosad works.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Spinosad and pyrethrin work very well. Try and only spray them at dusk. Exercise care when using pyrethrin, since it'll kill bees and other beneficials. Spray the plants at dusk after the bees leaves, and try to avoid spraying flowers.

[@samanthawhang7498]

@@TheMillennialGardenerI am going to try spinosad. It’s hard to find safe and natural pest control. We can’t get pyrethrin shipped to California, it’s illegal. We can’t even get slingshots shipped here. Everything is illegal here. Except stuff like Round Up, which is sprayed in and around our schools every week. The grass mowers that go around from house to house also as a default spray it everywhere on every house they service, unless you tell them (very sternly) not to. It’s so backwards here.

[@Fabdanc]

And check for bumblebees! Sometimes they sleep on plants overnight.

[@cynthiacollins2668]

Thanks for the evening application tip for pyrethrum. I killed my cinnamon plant with neem. I didn't know what the problem was. The county Extension Service guy said it had scale & to treat it with neem oil. He didn't mention to keep it out of the sun afterwards. I FRIED my cinnamon plant! 😭

[@ljgerken]

I lived in Florida for many years and have recently moved to Indiana. I am so glad that you have made these same observations about Neem oil, as I have experienced. I lost all my bees once I used Spinosad too. I will only use soapy water and maybe minced garlic in the water. That's it. I just plant more "stinky" herbs and flowers around my vegetables and that themselves deter pests - because the odors of the other plants mask the scent of my tomatoes, etc. Great video!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Spinosad is listed as very low risk for bees. It may be a coincidence. For Spinosad to be effective, it has to be ingested. When using Spinosad, spray your plants at dusk, avoid spraying inside the flowers. You should only be spraying the foliage. Applying like that, it should not harm bees.

[@marielefebvre5891]

I use a few drops peppermint oil and a few drops of dish soap & spray it around the garden. The pests don’t like the smell or it covers the smell of the plants they do like nd they stay away.

[@ljgerken]

@@marielefebvre5891 yes, I prefer peppermint soap as well.

[@johndoh5182]

@@marielefebvre5891 Thanks for the tip. I think I'll go with a 3 method technique. Planting plants that do pretty well at deterring bugs, using that spray and I've also known about soapy water, and then planting plants that attract certain pests, and planting them well away from the garden.

[@danarzechula3769]

Peppermint oil sprays do repel some pests

[@jeffgordon7023]

I had spider mites in my worm bins, and I sprayed it with neem oil and got rid of them, so that's enough for me to keep on using it.

[@GoingGreenMom]

Spider mites will infest a worm bin? 😮 I've been fighting spidermites this winter inside, but I struggle to find warm enough days to haul the plants outside, soak them, bring them back in and of course the neem stinks. And the worm bin I just set up is maybe 3 feet from where I spray the stuff. 🤦‍♀️

[@larryandrews2111]

@@GoingGreenMom All the sources will tell you that mites are primary decomposers, and not a threat to your worms. In fact it's just the opposite, they help break down stuff so the worms can eat it. Nonetheless, it still freaks me out whenever I see them in one of my bins! I find that they usually indicate a very high moisture level with an overabundance of food that is at the top. They're pretty ez to ''trap'' off the top w a piece of moist bread. Just wait a day or so for them to Jump On! Then it's off to a ride to the compost bin!

[@apiii73]

I used neem on an indoor weed garden for years. It absolutely controlled and got rid of spider mites and never saw mildew again.

[@ryelor123]

Did you, or did you try it, realize it didn't work, and then buy a non-organic pesticide which worked but you don't want to admit to using? Also, healthier plants can resist mites and aphids better. Reducing nitrogen can get rid of aphids. Just changing your routine might've fixed the problem while neem was just a placebo. I tried neem oil to get rid of the bugs that cause cantaloupes to die due to some bacteria. Sprayed many times and it didn't kill off the bugs. The cantaloupes died along with any faith I had in neem oil. The stuff is a placebo at best and, at worst, is a false red herring that people throw out to new gardeners so they'll fail and make other gardeners look better in comparison.

[@apiii73]

@@ryelor123 nope. I used it anytime I saw leaves with bite marks or if I missed that,anytime I saw spider mite webs. It killed them instantly. I would have to repeat spray every 4 or 5 days until they wouldn't come back. It usually took three or so sprayings to completely get rid of them. It always worked 100 % if I used it right. And once I started with neem I never saw powdery mildew again!

[@grantsmith505]

​@@apiii73 I spray mine every 3 days for two weeks to get rid of mites.. It definitely works indoors

[@grantsmith505]

​@@ryelor123 You seem to be speaking hypothetically.. In theory a stronger plant can resist mites, but in reality you erradicate the population asap Neem definitely works indoors, if you haven't used it in that circumstance, then stop making stuff up about something you don't fully understand

[@dmo848]

U gotta buy the right product that's for sure. I learned

[@ejsman36]

I lived and worked on an organic produce farm in Northeast NY on the St.Lawrence river and we never once used neem oil the while time i was there. The only thing we ever used was a product called Pyganic. Very effective and doesn't leave an greasy residue like neem oil does. It cost quite a bit more than neem but was very concentrated and lasted a very long time as we only had to use it when a pest population was evident.

[@Chibuzor-Joy]

To be honest, one of the difficult part of growing crops organically is controlling insects without harmful chemicals that'll leave harmful residues over time abd the fact that it is pricy as well, but i love organic Agriculture so much.

[@wellersonoliveira5334]

True, and the sad thing is, as clymate is changing, very soon it will be kind of impossible to grow in a organic way 💔

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Neem leaves a terrible residue. I find the organic pesticides mentioned in the video do not.

[@sesolar5854]

​@@wellersonoliveira5334Gardening is about adapting and learning new ways to overcome adversity. It will never be impossible to grow organically and it's never been easy.

[@sesolar5854]

​@@TheMillennialGardenerI'm sure you are aware that many pyrethrins on the market are synthetic and not usable with true organic methods. Great video once again and I love your dedication to thoroughly researching your topic. You're in a nasty climate for user friendly gardening. Your cool season can be counted in hours

[@aireyc]

@@wellersonoliveira5334what are you talking about? Stop falling for the propaganda in the TV. If anything gardening will get easier in the coming years.

[@galinarou]

I love the smell of pure neem oil that I use on my skin :) However perhaps look into the type and brand of neem oil as I have noticed a big difference between brands, just like with olive oil, it can smell divine or blah/rancid.

[@velvedermskin2371]

Which brand neem do you use?

[@PreferredMethods]

Everyone in the comments seems to love neem, but it never worked for me. Thanks for the heads-up.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The only benefit folks seem to have is on aphids, which are treated with a simple dish soap + vegetable oil spray. You can just use $10/gal vegetable oil for that. No need to pay $140/gal for neem.

[@Fatpumpumlovah2]

YEAH, CUZ YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO USE THE OIL!!! YOU PLANT THEM AROUND YOUR GARDEN!!!! thats like buying a mosquito repelling plant, squeezign it and spraying your body with it LOL... ITS STUPID!!! ITS A GIMIC THAT ONLY AMERICANS FELL FOR!!! In the caribbean we have at least 1 very large neem tree in our yard and those that have have no pest issues.

[@crackerjack010101]

Same. I felt like it was an attractant even.

[@choccolocco]

@@crackerjack010101 Yep, didn’t work, and it was almost as if it super charged reproduction. And it stunk as well.

[@mrspogadaeus]

I tried it also and though it worked a bit on smaller things like aphids nothing else was really touched. You don't even have to put very much dish soap in water for it to work (and it's best if you don't put very much so the sprayer doesn't gum up) and I think I prefer soap to anything else as it doesn't seem to harm earthworms or other beneficial insect as long as I spray it only on the bad critters.

[@lynnelliot7256]

I have used Neem and copper on everything for a few years. I have noticed the whitefly still on the plants after spraying a few times now. Thanks for bringing it up, I had been reconsidering the Neem, I shall try the dishsoap with copper and see how that goes. They say copper is good for curly leaf, which we get here In NZ on stone fruit. I spray a strong mix of copper on trunks and branches after leaf fall a few times, it does knock the curly leaf over🌻☺️☺️

[@freefornow2652]

White flies come then little black flies. What works is blast the plants with the hose jet. I was told tjis by a master garden in San Diego . He said that in nature rain wind and hyrricanes knock bugs off plant and they get eaten by ground bugs. But in place like San Diego the weather is very calm so you have create " nature" by blasting off your plants with the hose especially tropicals. I live in North Carolina now and do ir sometimes for spider mites on my citrus trees. Also the Millenial mentioned Petunia and I'll be ......they worked great to keep bugs off. And also Cayenne Pepper plants . Happy gardening.😊

[@lisapop5219]

I appreciate it. I'm in Georgia & bugs are terrible.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I feel your pain.

[@michaelsherron5750]

Yeah, in South Ga. Especially!

[@zoeyshoots]

Some insects have “book” lungs. Or breath through their feet. We’ve been using oils on landscape plants for years.. never used soap and oil together, didn’t make since. Both smother the insects ability to breath. Soap can deter bugs that fly in for a quick snack, but won’t kill them. Soap can be a wetting agent for soils as well. Oils on food crops never made sense to me. Thanks for the insight.. love your channel. Tell Dale to keep up the good work…🇺🇸👍

[@here_now_I]

I use neem oil on roses to prevent all sorts of diseases, and it does work.

[@ryelor123]

If you're honest, then try an experiment using cheap vegetable oil instead. Bet you'll get the same results. If you're not being honest, then please tell us what synthetic pesticide you secretly buy and use when no one else is looking.

[@henryknox4511]

@@ryelor123 Oh look! It's an anti neem oil troll, accusing others of being dishonest.

[@Master_Yoda1990]

I used Neem oil for a couple years and never saw any differences. I've lost plants to insects after spraying.

[@soulfireonfire6423]

@@ryelor123 OMG!! Get a grip!!

[@oshadeni6250]

Can i know the measurements of neem oil that you use for rose plants?

[@E_Clampus_Vitus]

Neem oil works on aphids and mites. I’ve been using it for years. It changes the environment the pests live in and they move on. This is why he didn’t find the dead insect bodies. I do like the idea of vegetable oil mixed with soap. If you add flour to this mix and spray it under the leaves, it can smother the pests.

[@MsSwitchblade13]

I'm glad you finally said it. I've used it a few times before and I've never seen it work.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It’s good at stinking up the yard. Highly effective 10/10 😆

[@KidMangaX]

I'm also located on the East Coast, and I've had great success treating a variety plants with neem, including everything from sweet potato plants to tropical bonsai. The key thing to note is that most people do not use nearly enough of it for the active chemical in neem to be effective. You should really be spraying the plant _at night_ until the leaves of the plant are dripping wet with oil. If you do not do this, you can build up resistant populations. This is true for bacteria and viruses, and it is also true for insects. It is especially true when dealing with organic compounds, which tend to be weaker than commercial products. You need to treat the neem like a nuclear bomb, with the intention of eradicating every single insect, every time that you spray it. For people involved with container gardening or bonsai, this makes Neem an ideal product. On the other hand, if you have a home garden-- as is the case with most insecticides-- it is likely to come with undesirable effects on your local ecosystem. PS: While the matter of smell is subjective, I have found that organic, cold-pressed, 100% pure neem oil actually smells _good,_ whereas the commercially available neem products such as Captain Jack's smell awful. I attribute this to the presence of an inorganic surfactant in these products. What you should be doing is mixing 100% pure neem with your own blend of an organic surfactant (I use yucca extract) and warm water. This will save you an insane amount of money, as well as get the results you are looking for, without the smell.

[@bungalobill7941]

Use a soap like Dawn Ultra Platinum 4X for an insect contact killer without any added oil. Insects breathe through holes in their body. They have a waxy oily substance on their bodies that prevents water from getting in. The soap removes this and they drown from the water mixed in. Use about a half cup per two gallons. Something else to try is a vacuum cleaner. Just vacuum up the bugs off the plant. Works really well for squash bugs. I have also used dusting with wood ash on the plants. Works pretty well. Most bugs seem to hate the wood ash. Just dust though and don't cover the plant because it could suffocate. And sprinkle around the base of the plant.

[@IslandTiffiney]

Thank you so much for breaking this down for us. Two years ago, I tried the neem oil route. While I found it effective in killing a lot of the bad bugs, I couldn't tolerate the smell. I was disappointed that it didn't dissipate by the next morning, I stopped using it after the first application I then started controlling and reducing insects by hand. I cut back on the amount of produce I grow because there just aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with a large garden. I've been on the fence using pyrethrin because of the potential harm to pollinators. I researched your statements on the half life breakdown after watching this video, and have come to the conclusion that you're absolutely right. Now I'm focusing on an even larger garden than ever, as I don't have a problem with doing pest control in the evening around sunset. Thank you so much for giving me the nudge that I needed.

[@EChord1]

Thank you for dispelling the Neem oil hype. I've never had it work on a single pest and I also absolutely detest the smell as well. Complete waste of money, imo.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I've found it to be worse than a waste of money and actually destructive. There are so many people saying they killed their plants spraying neem in these comments, and I believe it 100%. It's really dangerous.

[@danarzechula3769]

Never worked well for me either I use a lot of insect covers. Also have heard about liver damage from exposure to Neem oil

[@ryelor123]

See, the issue is that you're honest. Everyone who brags about Neem oil being perfect are just liars. They know it doesn't work and they know that non-organic synthetic pesticides do work. So they lie to people like you and I claiming neem oil is the panacea so that we'll waste time, money, and effort while still failing compared to those who recommended the stuff. In reality, they just went to Walmart and bought some cheap synthetic pesticide and used it instead. Most organic gardening is done for social clout now in days. Showing off you have a perfect organic garden is something that few can achieve. However, its easy to have a perfect 'organic garden' if you have no scruples.

[@soulfireonfire6423]

@@ryelor123 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Seriously??? Stop it!!! Just because something didn’t work for you , doesn’t mean it didn’t work for others!!! No one has joined a neem militia group that their main goal is to sabotage other gardeners by lying about how well neem oil works but really doesn’t!

[@MichaelDomer]

@@ryelor123 *_"Everyone who brags about Neem oil being perfect are just liars. "_* Nobody says that it's perfect mr drama queen.

[@amandasanders2931]

Thanks for being bold enough to share on ‘hot topics’. Most of us who grow large gardens every year aim for organic while being practical to time, critters and money :) Whatever we do it’s much better than commercially grown stuff that’s for sure.

[@rpinter677]

I've found using Neem oil very effective for preventing mildew on grapes and their leaves. I spray every 2 weeks in the evening and have never had sunburned leaves. I avoid spraying for 3-4 weeks before harvest and have not had any problem with residual taste.

[@tiff6264]

I appreciate you being honest about changing your mind and as to why. 💕

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I try to be objective. It’s all about what works best safely to me.

[@johnworsley9371]

​@@TheMillennialGardenerlove your channel! One question, What do you use to control plum curculio?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@johnworsley9371 my peaches or plums have not fruited yet, so I do not have this pest. We'll see what happens in a couple years.

[@4everyoung713]

My trees are having issues and few videos recommended usage of neem oil. I started to look into it and cost which leads me to search for alternate. You made a convincing presentation and you mentioned use of household vegetable oil which I came up in my mind (you confirmed it). Thank you.

[@charleeghee7195]

Great info. Thank you very much. I too will never buy neem oil again.

[@sarahk5276]

I currently have neem oil and have used it in the past. I appreciate your information. I am more than willing to learn new things even if it goes against what I’ve heard before. Great video. Thank you!

[@StrictlyMedicinalLLC]

Neem has its place and has worked well for me in maintaining a world class heated greenhouse. I find that it works best used at very low concentrations and used consistently where needed. One recipe for a very effective combo is 1.5 oz neem oil mixed with 1.5 oz Dr. Bronner's liqjuid soap in 5 gallons of very hot water. Let it cool before putting in spray bottle. Given the rapid birthing cycle of of aphids and whitefly repeat applications are necessary. Anyone complaining of off smell or oily residue on leaves is using too high of a concentration or not emulsifying with soap and throughly diluting in water. Just like anything gardening, its the nuances that count.

[@abda9212]

Did you test using the dish soap alone to see if indeed the need oil is doing anything as he suggested?

[@StrictlyMedicinalLLC]

@@abda9212 yes

[@moderndiogenes]

Which bronners soap. Peppermint or teatree

[@StrictlyMedicinalLLC]

@@moderndiogenes thank you for mentioning this, because somehow calling Dr. Bronner's soap "dish soap" seemed misleading. I use the standard "Unscented Castille 18-in-one soap," although if you can't find that, I think one of the scented types (he uses only pure essential oils at pretty low concentrations) would do fine. If he had one with chamomile essential oil, that would be cool, because you could use it on downy mildew. But he doesn't, I don't think...

[@moderndiogenes]

@StrictlyMedicinalLLC missing out adding that teatree and peppermint action. Both are pervasive to the pests and have no detriment at reasonable dilutions.

[@teenagardner3623]

Kudos again from Coastal SC. I appreciate your videos because you put out a lot of information everyone can think and verify themselves. I always thought weird that anyone promoting Neem oil has a recipe. Well, dish soap and baking soda have their own properties and benefits. My other concern is the birds that eat the dead bugs 🤔

[@GreenThumbGardener65]

I’ve always used dish soap and water on everything. Thanks for the info on this. Everyone talks about it like it’s a God send!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It seems to work great. Just try not to get soap in your soil.

[@jimmytoucan5699]

​@@TheMillennialGardeneruse soap nuts the plants will love the saponins

[@cynthiawiggins-wyrick3386]

I only use the Dawn dishwasher liquid and water for aphids. But then I I introduced Lady Bigs and don't need the soapy spray and I love the Lady Bugs

[@MiaR7]

You are absolutely right! There is one use for neem oil, I treated a tree that had a peache borer inside and I treated it a few times by watering it with a solution of neem oil in water, and it worked to get rid of the borer!

[@kb1236]

In GA I use Neem Oil as a soil drench for fungas gnats, it works great. I also use it in the winter as a dormant spray for fruit trees. I don't spray it on my plants in the heat of summer.

[@MsPeacelove01]

I never found it effective for fungus gnats. Reduces them flying around for a few hours but they’re back the next day.

[@brandyburgess8267]

How do you drench the soil. Your mixture you used? I have heard to get neem oil for fungus gnats.

[@nunyabusiness863]

We use neem for the aphids under our leaves. Works for us with no side effects. Now creating your own is a good idea that i have not tried. It's common sense not to thickly apply or apply to topside of the leaves because oil in the sun with bake your plants. I will definitely look into spinocad. Thanks s lot for this video

[@stephenlonon4605]

I just want to congratulate you on the insane amount of engagement that you’re doing to get from this video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Hopefully, it gets people thinking. 🤔

[@ryelor123]

@@TheMillennialGardener Its really brave of you to call out Neem oil. Most people who claim it works wonders are probably just people who found out it doesn't work, went and bought synthetic pesticides, and keep claiming their success is due to neem oil so that anyone else who tries to replicate their success will fail. Kind of a sneaky way 'organic gardeners' sabotage others who try to make a good-faith effort to get into the hobby. There are so many other organic pesticides that are better and cheaper therefore it stands to reason that the 'organic gardeners' who have 'great success' using only neem oil are really just cheaters giving bad advice in order to always appear to be doing better than everyone else.

[@kerrivandyke9835]

I so agree with you on this post!!! I’m so mad that I took the advice of so many people to use it. I too live in southern North Carolina and thought that this would be a good idea to use Neem to get rid of my swarms of Japanese beetles. Not only did it not work for the insects. It burned all of my plants and my trees ,where I applied it, horribly. It cooked everything where I applied it. I am waiting for everything to go dormant., and cut everything back that was damaged.

[@gwenwagner8428]

Preach it brother preach it! I also used a diy neem oil solution for 2 years recommended by an organic gardeners I followed onKZbin and even bought his new book and followed it to a T. Well I live in middle Tennessee where it is like you hot humid and full of bugs What a waste of time. Since I have followed your advice and instructional channel it’s been a game changer. Thank You

[@Mrs.TJTaylor]

Neem oil keeps the deer off my hosta and hydrangea and keeps Japanese Beetles off my bananas and canna. I’d never put it on my food crops though. You make good points, such as burning fragile leaves in the sun.

[@ml3110]

Amen to everything you just said! 🙌💯 🙌 I tried it too. It was stinky and disgusting, didn't keep any bugs away, I think they liked it because moisture would stick to the leaves, and it totally burnt my whole garden. I will never do that again! 🙄

[@davanansalick6126]

Yup…made that mistake last year 😢 Using mix of herbs and flowers this year to see how it goes Planted a ton of garlic and Georgia sweet onions around my plants and been having pretty good results so far…still early in SE Georgia spring so TBD

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I had the same experience. Terrible smell, very harmful for the plants, ruined the taste of the food without soap and water scrubbing (which would usually damage my tomatoes after harvest), and zero noticeable benefit.

[@mayasalter1624]

Thank you again for another informative video. I am a beginner gardener. Sigh, again, I wish I had watched this video a few days ago. I used a homemade neem oil spray last year and didn’t have any issues. This year I grew cucumbers (spacemaster 80) and eggplant (a few different varieties) from seed. When I sprayed neem oil on the leaves of my cucumber and eggplants it burned the leaves. The leaves looked like thin tan tissue paper the next day. I am not sure if my cucumber and eggplant plants are going to survive. I removed the burned leaves and I am just hoping for the best. Thankfully my tomato, pepper, basil, blackberry and blueberry plants survived. The jury is still out for my dwarf Meyer lemon trees. Fingers crossed! 🤞🏾

[@JB28057]

I’ve used the captain Jack neem oil spray and it quickly eliminated my aphid problem on my eggplant leaves last year. I don’t live in an area with severe bug problems though.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I think you'd see a similar success with a canola oil + dish soap spray. You can make one yourself for almost free.

[@americanajooma4457]

I gave up on neem oil on my veggies but it works great on my shrubs and trees. I now use a neem tea in the soil for gnats and that had great results for me. I used the tea with soap for fungus - seems to have worked for powdery mildew on my zinnia patch. I am going to give it another try this year to confirm but def works for gnats. Great info! Keep up the good work!

[@HowlettHill]

As an experienced gardener I agree with you 100%. Well said.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks!

[@wendyreynolds2261]

I'm in North Florida and used Neem on and off over the years and the same experience as yours. Spinosad and pyrethrin, as well as others intended for low toxicity gardening, are more effective. Even soapy water works great on some pests.

[@woodspirit98]

I worked in the nursery and landscape business for over twenty years managing garden centers. What youre saying is correct. On a side note though, the pyrethrin sprays arent natural. They are synthesized in the lab. As insects become immune over time you use tetramethrins or resmethrins instead. Again though they are laboratory made synthetics based on the organic compound from daisies. They arent organic but relatively safe. all theee are made in the lab.

[@miraivas6203]

Thanks for your comment. I hope that the author of this video and the viewers will read what you wrote.

[@imafan26]

You need to be careful pyrethrins mixed with petroleum oil is used in home insect control products The oil extends the period of time the pyrethrin is active and it is not organic and acturally is not labeled for garden use. The pyrethrins labeled for garden use only lasts about 24 hours. It should be extracted from flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetics usually mixed with oil and are not labeled for gardens and are not considered organic. There are a lot of toxic chemicals that are technically organic but the organic community will not own up to. like rotenone and nicotine. Which are very toxic to people. So, organic is not necessarily safer to use than synthetics.

[@MsPeacelove01]

Any idea what to use on fungus gnats?

[@imafan26]

@@MsPeacelove01 Fungus gnats are there usually because the soil is staying too wet. The best thing to doe is repot. use a pot that is the right size. A pot that is too big will hold water longer. If you can try to wash off as much of the media as you can. Fungus gnat nymphs and eggs will be in the soil. Make sure your pot is clean and has lots of drain holes. Do not use saucers, make sure the plant gets good air circulation and the soil has enough perlite so it will dry out quickly. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. If it is not drying out within a couple of days, then add a fan or take the pot outside until it dries and adjust the way you water. Bt for mosquitoes can help with fungus gnat control in the soil. You will have to use it regularly.

[@imafan26]

Pyrethroids are synthetic and mixed with oil to extend their activity. This is usually found in things like Raid. Pyrethrins are natural and technically organic extracted from flowers. They are only active for a day or two and needs to be reapplied frequently. Pyrethrins can be used on edibles, pyrethroids cannot. Pyrethrins are a nerve toxin and is non specific, like spinosad, they kill everything, good and bad bugs, so it it should only be used when bees are not foraging (no flowers on the plant), and if other things don't work. Spinosad and pyrethrins will kill predatory mites and thrips.

[@toomiepal]

Good information comparing it with the soap liquid and pyrethrin. And don't forget how many neems you have to catch just to get an ounce of that oil!

[@cwess927]

I wish I known about this before I bought the oil. I’ve never used it and I guess I’m just not going to now. I appreciate all your knowledge. Thank you so much.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You can always try since you have some. Maybe you’ll find success. I’ve never found it effective and it was problematic in my hot summers, but some people say they’ve had luck. You can always try.

[@Rocco25.6]

USEING neem oil that I have and concentrating on the lower part of the plants and around the surface to illuminate some of the juvenile bugs as that’s what I’ve been told it didn’t kill the adults so I will finish what I have but we’ll try something else as an alternative thank you for the video and thanks for the help I guess gardening is just a day by day project for all of the great garden project Enthusiast out there

[@kleger9779]

Thank you for this exposé. The 3 catastrophic side effects you mentioned thoroughly convinced me on top of the fact that even though I was advised to use Neem Oil for So. FL pests ... it never worked!!!

[@OutWestSomewhere]

I live in NM (grow zone 7B), hot arid high desert climate. From my own experience using neem oil in my garden, my plants burned even though I sprayed the neem solution in the evenings and used seldomly. Everything you said about it is true! Never again will I use it in my garden. Thank you for posting this information, helpful video! 😊 P.S. I've got an awful ant problem in my garden. I hope you post a solutions video as to how to rid ants. I had used peppermint oil which seemed to work fairly well, but you have to use it frequently. At one point it seemed to slow them down in the garden BUT then I believe I drove them into the house, straight to the kitchen pantry! 😱

[@Handsomegenious]

Try laundry borax mixed with powdered sugar or corn meal. Both will kill ants within 2 weeks. Reapply at first sight...works great for me

[@judeemaye1803]

Diatomaceous earth removed the ants from my garden. It is a natural product.

[@deepanjanbanerjee3491]

Great video. Completely agree with you. Neem is overrated as an insecticide and I stopped using it completely after a year of compounding problems.

[@MrGrowit1]

100% agree!! I’ve been a gardener for many years, and fortunately never bought into the hype or used an ounce of anything Neem oil related. Too, there are some pyrethrum based insecticides with 99% plus canola oil as the carrier. Give me a break. No one in their right mind should be baking their plants in these types of heavy oils, let alone the financial waste all on unsubstantiated claims. Great job on the video!!

[@kenshinhimura9387]

That stuff works 100% You are coating the bugs in oil and soap. This causes them to suffocate and die. Bugs breathe through tiny holes in their exoskeleton. By coating them in soapy oil water, it clogs those tiny holes and they die in 20 seconds or less. It's safe for your plants as long as you don't put too much oil or soap in the mixture. You can spray every 3 days for as long as you want.

[@MrGrowit1]

@@kenshinhimura9387 soapy water does the same thing without neem oil or any other oil. That is also one of his points in the vid.

[@kenshinhimura9387]

@@MrGrowit1 yes and my point is that soapy water alone is nowhere near as effective as soapy water with the oil mixed in. You mix some neem oil with a bit of dawn dish soap and some warm water, spray it on the bugs and watch them fall of in piles.

[@MrGrowit1]

@@kenshinhimura9387 if that works for you, that is great, for sure. Where I live, the summer heat is long and it is not unusual to have multiple days of triple digit temps. Any oil coating on leaves of plant is detrimental in leaf burn. Even if you spray in the evening, that oil coating on leaves lingers and creates a scorching effect the next day in the heat of day. There are varying unique challenges in various parts of the country. Every Gardner has to find the right balance between risk and reward fighting a number of issues to reach a bountiful harvest. Makes it fun!

[@Evil_Chronic]

​@MrGrowit1 it doesn't effect my Marijuana plants. I spray at night, and I'm in southern california, so I get 95+ all summer. I've been using it for years. Helps with fungus and things like spider mites and thrips.

[@eddy8828]

He is absolutely right. I have used Neem oil and it stinks literally and figuratively. Dale and his Master are the best to watch. Love this channel.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! Neem oil smells horrendous. Just the worst 🤢

[@therantman879]

I completely agree with you. I live in central Florida and I learned very quickly how useless the neem oil is. The only thing I used it for was powdery mildew and it would help for the day but it's a loosing battle and after about a week of the constant spraying and up keep the plant dies anyway.

[@FloridaGirl-]

I’m in SW FL. And I agree.👍

[@emilypsteele]

Lower Alabama here. Any tips for fungus control? I’ve been using Neem but it’s not great and now I don’t think I want to use it anymore after watching this video

[@therantman879]

@emilypsteele he has a great video on this topic he linked in another comment I posted. He gives a couple options and also a hydrogen peroxide/ water mix to help battle this. It's safe to use every day and won't hurt your plants. Apply at dusk for best results and as to not get sunburn. I believe the ratio was 12 tablespoon peroxide to 1 gallon of water

[@therantman879]

@@emilypsteele kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGSqqIasmJasi5Isi=FDLcuTmwebP1qnDY

[@therantman879]

Didn't realize I could share the link in the comments. There it is though

[@DebraofSENC]

While I have not used it in my garden, I used it on my camelia bushes for fungus/black spot. It absolutely saved them. They are in the shade anyways so they are not harmed by the Sun.

[@Mialuvsveggies]

EXCELLENT Information! Thank you so much!

[@jamesedwards2687]

Thanks for your fortitude in presenting this. I was going to react negatively, but after listening to your presentation, I totally agree with you. Thanks.

[@LaRa-youknowit]

I’m so glad to see this. I too think Neem oil doesn’t work. Yet everyone tells you to use it. I stopped using it last year. It was a waste.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Unfortunately, all I saw were harmful effects. No positives in my experience.

[@ghostofnathanielwind4141]

I've used neem oil on many plants with very positive results. I live in a cooler climate and will continue to do so.

[@thejohnsonsnaturalliving1549]

Thanks for the information! I love Neem seed meal more than the oil! It’s easy to use and it strengthens plants roots! I have been using it for years works great! Compost tea, cayenne, garlic helps keep bugs away! I love organic gardening!

[@johndoh5182]

Thanks for the vid. I don't always agree with everything you say but I also know different environments means different problems, along with other issues. You have a lot of good content for gardeners almost anywhere, and I think you have a genuine concern to help people as channels like this should have a person that wants to help. That tends to come through whether a person agrees with every point made or not, it tends to show in the number of subs and I'd like to see you get to 1 million subs. You certainly deserve it. PEACE!

[@carolwisniewski6740]

Last year I thought I was going to keep ahead of bugs and disease. I started spraying my garden with Neem oil a couple weeks after planting. I was pulling my totally diseased tomato plants out in August. I had the worst year ever and totally agree with everything you said. It smells, makes garden snacking impossible and why bother if you can't have a snack while you're gardening?

[@IvanToman]

As far as I remember neem oil is not meant to be sprayed on the plants but it should act as a systemic insecticide! That means that it should be applied into the soil, from where plants would uptake it and that will deter bugs off the plant.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have never heard that. I would think that could be very harmful to soil. Oil + soil is a bad combination.

[@some5672]

there's #4 of how it works haha

[@IvanToman]

@@TheMillennialGardener I think that youtube is marking my comments as a spam if I put research links in it. So... go to google scholar and search for "neem oil systemic soil drench" or something similar and see what comes up.

[@denyshadials5702]

That’s how neem seed meal/cake works. Not necessarily the pure oil.

[@nickcarroll8565]

@@TheMillennialGardenerI’d be afraid it would affect flavor

[@wajt8966]

I used Neem oil on my Cycad and it has indeed proved to be ineffective as the mealy bugs have returned. I’ll look into your recommendations, particularly Spinosad, and will let you know how I get on. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[@FruitPhilosopher]

This is my exact experience, thanks for having the courage to tell the truth

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@exexangler]

Good video. My experience with neem oil has been positive. I had a bad case of aphids last year and I sprayed neem oil a few times and the aphids disappeared. (No idea what happened to them because I didn’t see any dead ones). I also sprayed in the evening to minimize any burn. Finally, are the recipes you’ve seen specified as tablespoons vs teaspoons per gallon?

[@exexangler]

I’m spraying neem oil now because I have spider mites. I’ll report back with the results good or bad.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Tablespoons per gallon are the recipes I have seen. I would guess you simply made a suffocating spray. Vegetable oil+soap sprays are effective against aphids. It smothers them. I would guess you would have the same effect with a cooking oil at a tiny fraction of the cost, but you’d have to try them side by side and gauge the effectiveness.

[@Ghengiskhansmum]

Mine to except I water the plants rather than spray continuously. One spray on cloudy day a to clear blackfly and or other aphids, the just water occasionally. No pests at all after that.

[@katcruz876]

I tried oil water and dish soap and it burnt my cucumbers to heck! :( not sure what I did wrong but the only thing Neem tends to burn in my garden is basil I spray it in the evening and it actually keeps a lot of creepy crawlies away mostly aphids that adore my okra and potato plants I definitely killed a good handful of basil plants with neem 😅 I have a love hate relationship with it. I will definitely be switching to your recommendation for pyrethrin 😊​@@TheMillennialGardener

[@kdag3737]

I used neem oil for beetles on my green bean leaves, before they flowered, and I only used it once, it did the job for the whole season.

[@seattlebeard]

Outstanding! I've had the same experience. Neam also clogged up my sprayer. I threw my little jug out.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It is quite chunky…

[@MaryPoppins-tu1ms]

You should soak it in a vary warm water with dish wash liquid.Tha is it.

[@FR-tb7xh]

Fabulous video!!! Thank you! I’m so glad I watched it before dosing with Neem Oil, which had always been my go-to. While my (mostly culinary) indoor and outdoor gardening is on a much more modest scale and in Zone 6a/6b, your Neem Oil experience is 100% consistent with mine. After learning the (really) hard way, I decided I need to act as soon as I see the first aphids, but do so in a way that won’t hurt my neighbor’s sensitive visiting honeybees. Too, for the first time in 5 years, my container and trellised honeysuckle, exploding in blooms, attracted a big (

[@heahterranier6926]

I have had good luck with killing aphids at sundown on a lot of my plants with Neem oil- but if it basically is just the oil smothering them, I will definitely try cheap canola oil instead!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I think your diagnosis is correct and you’d save some $ using cheap cooking oil instead.

[@ShikokuFoodForest]

Very informative video. Thank you for this information. I’m Canadian farming in southern Japan. I used neem oil in the past primarily for leaf minor. I agree with you. I now simply use vegetable oil and dish soap to protect citrus from leaf minor and worms on broccoli and cauliflower.

[@anuspliger343]

Thank you. I have been using Neem oil with no luck. It is destroying our leaves as well. Western North Carolina.

[@lu-uf8zj]

My pear trees were infested with caterpillars. I sprayed them with copious amounts of neem oil spray and witin 3 days they had ALL dropped off... not one left!

[@AussieWinter]

Thank you, a timely video for me. I have a huge (rare) issue with mealy bugs on my roots at the moment. I was told to use a neem oil soak, but my garden is huge. I did an experiment and poured soapy water around the roots of a plant that's been struggling for a long time - and it flowered within a week (it hadn't produced a flower in months). You've given me the confidence to keep trying it my way.

[@MichaelRei99]

I agree that dish detergent works great on pretty much any insect. Only caveat is if you have to spray the plants often it is a good idea to rinse off the detergent from the previous spraying.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I think you should be targeting the insects, not the plants. You definitely don’t want to soak the plants and soil in soap.

[@MichaelRei99]

@@TheMillennialGardenerThere is always overspray.

[@nicholasjohns4683]

It doesn’t work against leaf minors nothing does

[@DarleneDotson-BrandonEl]

I’ve used it on all my greens. Cabbage, turnips, collard, kale etc and it does work exceptionally well for me. I do have to reapply every 4-5 days or after a heavy rain.

[@raehenderson]

I used the Neem first time last year. I'm with you on all you said although I only used it for aphids on Sunflowers. Dripped all over me as well LOL. I now have Capt Jack's Dead BugBrew and I'm content. Hopefully no one is negative toward you cause it's a never ending learning process. God bless!!!

[@DonnaV411]

Thank you so much for this video. I have long suspected that neem oil was useless and I too find the smell of it absolutely revolting.

[@lindsaydiscovers9842]

Neem worked great in my garden in Vietnam. Not having insects eating my veg or dealing with lots of dead bugs on my balcony is great.

[@rjnewby5426]

Have been using neem oil for years and have t had any pest or sun damage issues. I live in a very hot and sunny climate. I’ll keep using it

[@WillWilsonII]

Almost bought it! Thanks for the warning.

[@vanessadee8979]

I totally agree with this. I am having trouble with aphids and i sprayed only dish soap like you suggested in this video and it killed all the aphids that attacked my rose. Thank you and bless you for all the things you share that makes my first year gardening more succesful.

[@TheSprinterVan]

A BIG thank you !!! for keeping it real

[@mgguygardening]

Great video. I appreciate you acknowledging that some may use neem oil and if it works for them then continue using it. It's a wild wild world out there and everybody's experiences are different. I haven't tried neem oil myself, but I have tried some other things. I am going to check out some of these products you recommend to see if they may be effective for me. I think that's the key in gardening or anything in life really - learn about options and then research further to see if those options will work for your situation. Keep up the great work!

[@wadadliblue]

Neem oil saved my gardening career. Sprayed it once the first time and all caterpillars disappeared - no carcasses nothing. I don't find it stinks. I mix it with Safer insecticidal soap and really, all i can smell is the soap. I admit I've never used it without the soap so it could be the soap. Will have to try it by itself once. I use a product called BioNeem by Caribbean Pharmaceuticals. I think they import it from the states. Neem oil should be sprayed in the early morning or evening because the sun deactivates the active ingredient and can cause burning while its still fresh on the leaves. Yes, they do have to ingest it and it is not a repellant. Its also rumoured to prevent powdery mildew but i don't have enough data on that yet and it's not advertised as such. I have had one farmer tell me it depends on what nearby farmers are doing with their fields but i am isolated. I have tried the neem leaf tea and have found it to be completely worthless and that does stink if left to brew too long (without cycling air through it). I find it's a very effective product but also one that's easy to misuse. There are also scam neem products out there.

[@loriebee85]

Got your Neem oil from CMC or from Farm and Garden supply? 😊

[@wadadliblue]

@@loriebee85 CMC hasn't had neem oil since I've been shopping there. Farm & Garden Supply is the only place I know that carries the true neem oil

[@rohlfing63]

It works great on my apple trees, I don't notice any smell. I wait until the blossoms are gone before spraying to protect the pollinators.

[@loriebee85]

@@wadadliblue i love their bio-neem I try to never be out of it !

[@biscuit7910]

Thank you for your info. I will use it. I know people cannot be respectful of your experiences but I certainly appreciate all you do. I live in Kentucky and am pretty new to gardening so I have learned a lot of what to do & what not to do. Without your vids there were a lot of things I was going to do wrong in planting my seeds inside. So thankful for your vids. ❤❤❤❤❤ them.

[@wellersonoliveira5334]

Nice work as always 💪 I didn't work for me either. In fact, the problem most people are facing without realizing is the sun and intense heat. Extressed plants do atract alot more bugs and are way more vulnerable.

[@jennysteve4959]

Thank you so much for your video! I am practically a new gardener. What is the "recipe" for the oil & dish soap and do you add the pyrethrin or spinosad as well? We also have small critters (rabbits, squirrels and groundhogs), what can I do for this? I live in northern Indiana. Thanks!

[@nkvball808]

Totally agree there seems to be no research on neem oil just the fact that you mix an oil with water is a red flag - even if it works how much is actually sticking to the leaves. I’ve killed bean plants with neem oil the leaves turn yellow the next day and fall off but noticed that horticultural oil doesn’t do that to bean plants. The only thing I’ve found is that neem oil is somewhat effective as is a fungicide for powdery mildew. It’s a waste of money.

[@lordofelectrons4513]

Comes down to proper tool for the job. Neem makes a big difference in my small apple orchard here in the Pacific North West. The other agents would probably work well also. Cost not a issue for me the $28 quart is only half gone and I bough it 5 years ago. The biggest problem is the spraying method especially fruit trees. Not doing ladders to access the tree. What works for me is a some what disused Graco airless paint sprayer with a 30" wand, not super cheap kit but I already have it. This thing dose a fantastic job quickly coating every square inch of the tree. And fugal takes less than 3 gallons to thoroughly treat a dozen 15' trees.

[@kevingebert4316]

No clue what you talking about with Neem oil smell. I've used it for years and if anything, smells like Olives with Garlic.

[@rcrinsea]

Neem oil has a strong, disagreeable odor.

[@taylorhillard4868]

It has an odor, but it's not that strong. Perhaps his stock has gone rancid.

[@johannajoyalba1053]

You’re probably being sold olive oil for the price Neem oil. LOL! Neem oil does have a strong smell, not a rancid smell.

[@bluwtr]

Thank you for an outstandingly informative video. I've ALWAYS heard that NEEM was the way to go, especially for my fruit trees. I sprayed them earlier this year, and yes, my God does it stink! Secondly, I noticed nothing--no sick bugs, let alone dead ones. Your video is perfectly timed for me as I was about to try a second application--NOT now. I actually delayed my 2nd spray because I found giant swallowtail caterpillars on my orange tree. I felt it was better to sacrifice a few leaves vs killing the upcoming butterflies. Luckily I only bought a small amount so I'm not out much $$. Thanks again!!!

[@nt-vo3mj]

I’ve been using neem oil , hydrogen peroxide , and diluted rubbing alcohol to kill pests. Will try your methods. Thanks

[@PaulAtreidesMuadDib]

Good Video. I use Neem oil not for a pesticied but to control powery mildew and only at sunset. Now you have me thinking I should use it at all.

[@lidip8700]

I agree with you!!! I bought a bunch of the NEEM oil when I suddenly got invaded by fungus gnats from fire wood we use for heat. QUESTION: Is there a way to get the NEEM Oil OFF the leaves? ->My tomatoes recovered but not 100% their leaves are still a bit droopy since I sprayed them with the NEEM oil. But the peppers are all still sticky & shiny, just GROSS from NEEM + a couple of drops of soap.

[@RandomRob3000]

Totally agree. I tried Neem and got the same results - no dead bugs and a stink that lingered. I now use Capt. Jacks, BT, and a targeted miticide for all of my pest problems and things are much more under control. Thank you for this well done video. Hopefully it will persuade others that there are much better (and cheaper) organic controls available to them.

[@emilyhorton661]

The delivery of this video was exceptional. 👍🏼 I personally have never had any luck with neem killing insects. I did however watch it kill mildew on my strawberry plants within 48 hours here in zone 8b. I’m sure there are fungicides out there that work just as good if not better but if that’s all you have on hand, it does work for that.

[@trinade3732]

Sometimes I have so many flowers on my tomatoes and peppers I don't think it's good to spray. does neem or any of those that you recommended harm the pollen? Thank you. A fan

[@sahmadi1000]

All the above have happened to me using Neem oil. Thank you for letting the rest know.

[@helengabr5743]

Thanks for your honesty 👍. Here in Egypt desert we have limited resources. I use fresh rosemary tea with a drop or two of dish soap and a teaspoon of clove oil. It seems fairly effective but needs spraying daily. I am now getting my squash, tomatoes and cucumbers off the ground and this helps.