[The Neem Tree] How to Prevent Bugs

Neem repellants are nothing new. They're 100% organic and annihilate pests & diseases.

But what are they? Where do the come from? Why are they so good? Here's what you need to know.

Some pretty incredible trees grow on this planet. One of them's the Neem tree.

For thousands of years, people throughout South Asia have depended on them.

Walk around the centre of any village in India, Sri Lanka or Burma and you’ll find one.

Neem leaves, flowers, seeds and bark are used to drive out infections.

Leaves are used to brew remedial drinks and scattered on beds to treat fevers, diarrhoea, chickenpox, eczema, psoriasis and ulcers.

Dried neem flowers are consumed to fight infections.

Neem bark and/or seeds are concocted into pastes and applied directly to skin for their anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

The benefits don't stop there.

Small twigs with the bark peeled back make excellent organic, antiseptic toothbrushes when chewed.

On top of this, at the end of summer and winter, neem tree leaves are stashed away with seasonal clothes to stop moths taking up residence.

How versatile!

Neem trees are great insecticides!

Bad bugs (spider mites, aphids, white flies, thrips, mealybugs) can't function properly when they land on them. Eventually, they just die, being unable to reproduce, grow or feed.

Over time, bugs learn to stay well away from the neem tree - it's a great repellant.

The clue's in the name - neem repellents are best used as a preventative measure.

To stop bugs showing up, spray over, under and around plants. As long as plants are completely covered, bugs and pests have no choice but to consume your spray when trying to feed.

Don't forget to spray the edges of your tent. You can do this before even starting your crop.

In soil, you can add neem repellant to your rootzone - just add it to your feeding regime. Once absorbed by roots, any juices plants secrete will contain the repellant.

We recommend:

• Apply neem spray every 3 days for 2 - 3 weeks
• Mix into main feed for 2 - 3 weeks
• Add a neem block to your intake ducting

To really make your grow room hostile to pests, raise your humidity while using a neem repellent.

Warning: If applying to flowering plants, don't spray after weeks 5 or 6 - you can continue to add it as a root feed until harvest.

If you haven’t been applying as a preventative and an infestation breaks out, use a neem product alongside something faster acting, like Pyrethrum 5 EC.

Pyrethrum will take care of the infestation while the neem repellent prevents future problems.