Neem Extract

[cooked]

Reading through the posts I notice that Neem extract is recommended as an insect repellant. My melon seedlings got et by a red weevil, maybe some other flying pests too, I have now put mosquito netting over the few survivors and that seems to work for now.

We have a few Neem trees around the place, and I was wondering if anyone has actually made any extract?

Following something I found on Internet I put 300gm through the kitchen mixer and am now letting it steep in water 'for at least three days' after which I can add liquid soap and spray the filtered mixture. My daughter-in-law reckons we should let it steep for 30 days at least, any comments please? If this is the case I would have to make up a brew every two weeks or so. I'll have a go at extracting oil when we have seeds.

I spent an hour or two in the local township trying to find an insecticide that I recognised, all we found was: stuff that has been illegal in Europe for years, or the seller couldn't tell my wife what was in it (I kept saying 'yes, yes, but what's in it?'). No measuring equipment of course ('don't need, very little'...). That's when I decided to go back to basics and found out about Neem.

[stevehaigh]

its called ต้นสะเดา sa dao in thai, should be able to find it easy in any garden shop

[cooked]

its called ต้นสะเดาsa dao in thai, should be able to find it easy in any garden shop

well, no, not around here you can't. I want to make it myself, and was wondering if anyone had experience doing this?

[Khonwan]

Used it many years ago as a spray for my cattle, and again recently for my itchy dandruff scalp. I’m sure there may be better ways to prepare it but I’ve only ever plucked a bunch of leaves, put them into a liquidiser, and added a little warm water. You can then filter it if necessary – I don’t bother. I used it straight away. Works for me.

Rgds

Khonwan

[loong]

If you have access to plenty of material, why not try some after 3 days and allow the remainder to steep longer.

Keep in mind though, that these organic pest controllers don't normally have instant results and will usually require repeat sprayings.

Don't forget that chilli, onion and garlic are well known ingredients for a pesticide tea brew. Not so well known on the www, lemon grass and galangal readily available in Thailand and you can use the whole plant.

When experimenting with various mixes and steeping times, I would advise that you try out on only a few plants to make sure that they are not too strong/

Look at the thread...

I posted some ideas there.

[cooked]

Further adventures with Neem.

I eventually found, with difficulty, what seems to be a Neem extract in Chatuchak market, the lady didn't really want to sell it to me, and definitely thought I was weird because I wanted a measuring spoon also. She proposed E-85, which makes your balls fall off and transforms whole villages into Katoeys. I had just seen an old lady selling packages of Neem twigs plus chili and lemon grass, but as I had started to brew that up before leaving for Bangkok I didn't buy any.

Getting back home I was greeted with cries of 'Farang Mai Sa daow' like I was a drug dealer or a dog rapist or something.

Anyway I think they have further proof of my insanity, following the fact that I also work in my garden myself, am trying to improve the soil using sand and mature cow manure, and am trying a chili that they don't recognise.

By the way I ate half a neem leaf and had a very satisfying fart about15 minutes later, since when my digestion has returned to normal since my food poisoning about two weeks ago.