More and more people are reluctant to use chemical compounds to control plant pests and diseases. These products are not only harmful to insects and fungi, but also to the fauna and even the flora present in the environment. In the case of vegetables, it can even be harmful to ourselves. However, it is important to know and know how to apply the ecological options available to us. That’s why we’re going to talk on Neem oil and potassium soap.
If you don’t know what these natural products are, I recommend that you keep reading. We will explain what they are for, the doses we must apply and how they are used.
Contents
What is Neem Oil?
Before talking about the use of Neem oil and potassium soap, we must first clarify what the two products are, starting with the first. Also known as Neem extract, This oil is a natural insecticide widely used in gardening and organic farming. It is extracted from the fruits of the tree called Neem (hence the name of the product). It helps against various pests and fungi, but it is also a good preventive product.
The application of Neem oil is done by irrigation or spraying. It is important to note that this product should not be applied with sulphur. The mixture of the two products produces a phytotoxic reaction, that is to say: It poisons the plants. If you want to use both sulfur and Neem oil, it is essential to leave at least three weeks between each application to avoid damaging the vegetables. The same happens with copper, but in this case we can leave a two week delay between applications.
But against which parasites does Neem oil work? Well let’s see, some of them are leaf miner, whitefly, aphid, thrips, mealybug, fleas, mites, bed bugs, small caterpillars, small locusts or grasshoppers, weevils and termites. Ultimately: It is used to combat virtually all soft insects, including its larvae, but it is also very effective against certain fungi such as rust, mildew and powdery mildew. In case we have problems with some more powerful fungi, such as black spot, alternaria or botrytis, a good option is to add sodium bicarbonate. This will make the mixture more effective.
How much Neem oil per liter of water?
When applying Neem oil, we have to introduce the mixture into a sprayer or sprayer and Apply it all over the plant, above and below the leaves. Before its application, one must first acquire an emulsifier. Potassium soap is usually used, which we will talk about later. Now let’s see the quantities and measures:
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Prevent Your Plants From Pests With Neem Oil
- By watering: 3-4 milliliters per liter of water
- Sprayed against uncommon plague: 6 milliliters of potassium soap + 3 milliliters of Neem oil per liter of water
- Spray against generalized plague: 6 milliliters of potassium soap + 5 milliliters of Neem oil per liter of water
- Mighty Mushrooms: Add 2 grams of potassium bicarbonate for every liter of water.
It must be said that each milliliter of Neem oil corresponds to approximately 20 drops about.
What is potassium soap?
We already know a little about Neem Oil, but what is Potassium Soap? Just like the extract we talked about earlier, this product is also organic and natural. Potassium soap is very effective in eliminating certain parasites and preventing them. It is generally a highly recommended treatment for controlling scale insects, aphids and whiteflies. However, it is also very useful against other pests and even certain types of fungi.
Of course, it’s not a miracle product. When it comes to fighting a parasite or fungus, you have to be patient. For potassium soap to be effective, several applications must be made. It is very unlikely that a single use will get rid of all the insects that have invaded the plant in question.
How much potassium soap per liter of water?
The amount of potassium soap that we need to dissolve in a liter of water will depend mainly on the concentration of the soap. Let’s see the recommended quantities below:
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What is potassium soap used for?
- Potassium soap 50%: 2.5 to 5 milliliters per liter of water.
- Potassium soap 20%: 10 to 20 milliliters per liter of water.
How are Neem Oil and Potassium Soap used?
Now that we know what these two organic products are, let’s discuss the use of Neem oil and potassium soap. The first of them, as already mentioned above, is applied by irrigation or spraying. It is best to perform this task in the morning or at sunset. In this way we will prevent the plants from burning. How often we should apply this product will depend on the type of treatment, let’s see this:
- Prevention: Application of Neem oil every 15 to 20 days.
- Dealing with pests: Application every 4 to 5 days until the complete elimination of the pest. In case the plague is very severe, only Neem oil can be applied by irrigation, without bicarbonate.
- Fight pests with foliar treatment: Every 4 to 5 days.
As for potassium soap, its application is usually foliar and with light pressure, but be careful not to crush the leaves. To make it even more effective, it is best to make sure to clean both sides of the leaves well. This product is perfectly capable of completely eliminating certain pests, such as thrips, aphids, scale insects or red spider mites. To achieve this, we must apply it every 3-5 days.
Neither of these two products kills parasites instantly, as well as synthetic insecticides and pesticides. They deprive insects of food, growth and reproduction. For this reason, both treatments are somewhat slow, taking between five and seven days to take effect.
Whenever possible, it is best to use natural insecticides. We can try Neem Oil and Potassium Soap, and if we still can’t eliminate the payment, we can look for alternatives.