I've read that Neem oil can be used as an insecticide as well as a repellant. Has anyone here had experience using Neem oil to control cucumber beetles? How well did it work, and will it work as a repellant as well as a contact insecticide, IE will it repel bugs between applications?
Neem is wildly over rated by a vigorous international myth-making machine. The Neem tree is worshipped in India as a manifestation of the Great Mother, and as such any claims of healing value, gardening value, value for everything imaginable, is pretty much the equivalent of any devout Christian claiming all you need is prayer to cure cancer and make watermelons grow to the size of the Goodyear blimp.
Here's my article on Neem worship and the impact on garden use:
-paghat the ratgirl
use:
infestation of leaf miners on my beans and broccoli.
Chris
I guess I'll find out very soon if it does any good. I have a severe flea beetle and cucumber beetle infestation that I have not yet been able to get under control. Garlic spray? Phhht. Insecticidal soap? Great contact insecticide, doesn't stop more from coming back the next day. Coffee grounds, diatamaceous, etc. No real help. At this rate, I'll soon have no cucumbers or beans left, and if there is no improvement by this time next week, I go for the sevin and nuke the little bastards (along with everything else, unfortunately)...or just give up on beans and cukes...
On the bright side, I have tomatoes and squash that are exploding out of the ground. They are very happy this year.
Look into Pyrethrum.
Sometimes you can get it mixed with rotenone. Rotenone is a possible nasty poison. The two come dissolved in xylene a human carcinogen. Worst choice I think.
First I try to provide no reason to come in AKA no food just Sugar and a bit of boric acid powder.
Sidewalk. Foot.
Quite well.
Neem oil only works on certain insects which I don't recall the list. To narrow it further, the insects it works on must ingest the neem oil within a pretty short period after it is sprayed. It effects their digestive system, but is not really all that great a product.
If you have infestations of any insects, you should check out the soil because that is the underlying problem. There are many places online where you can read about soil problems and their effect on plants, particularly those which produce food.
Hi Jangchub,
Can you please look at the thread "Zucchini Again" and give me some advice? Are those pumpkins or zukes?
Thanks for the help!
Chris
I already deleted it because it appeared it was answered, but post it again if I didn't see something which wasn't addressed.
v
No one answered who had looked at the photos (
If you can give some advice I would love it!
Here's the post:
Anyway, here's a photo of the beast. This is a 4MB file...a smaller one is below:
The foliage looks right for any number of squash. What kind of zucchini did you plant? It could be one of those newer varieties which are small. The way to find out is to harvest one and cut it open. The foliage is not that of the common garden zucchini. Cut one open Chris.
OK will do
Chris
I grew those last year. It's what happens when you grow pumpkin and zucchini close together, and you save the seeds.
Two years ago I grew some acorn squash. I took one of the squash and saved the seeds. Last year, I planted them, and they grew these large beautiful vines, but the fruit was anything but acorn! I had acorn/zucchini cross, acorn/scallop, acorn/pumpkin, acorn/yellow crookneck cross, etc. All kinds of interesting squash grew from those seeds, it was rather amusing and very interesting.
That's so darned cool.
-paghat the ratgirl
OK, I did it, and it sure is a zucchini. What a hoot!
Here's what it looks like inside:
Chris
The weird thing is that there were straight from Burpee. Now I cannot find the seed packet- I must have finished it off. Oh well, live and learn.
Chris
Now, the trick is to pick them before they get too big. If you knew the size they were supposed to be you could gauge their size at capacity, but zukes can get very bitter if you leave them to grow too large. They also can get woody and just impossible to eat.
So, for this year, harvest them at the same size as the one you cut up, provided it is good tasting. If it is not, you should harvest them when they are smaller. Baby vegetables are a delicacy in some hoi palloy eateries. Feh. Not you, the palloy!
v
Look at the size of the stem - I bet if he let them grow, they would hit 18" diameter, maybe more.
Thanks! Yup, gonna steam them tomorrow and see what they're like.
Chris
Yah, they really looked like they could get to bowling ball size!
Chris
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