The Plant Runner
Neem Oil has been a game changer for Indoor Plants. It has fast become one of best selling products and we are super passionate about educating people on just how much this product can do.
What is Neem?
Neem is a natural oil produced from the seeds of the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica). It has been used for years in a number of industries and can found in things like:
Cosmetics, pet food, hair and beauty products, and fertilisers. It has long been used medicinally in Ayurvedic medicine.
Azadirachta indica is an evergreen tree native to the North-East of India and some parts of Asia. In Australia, there have been attempts to set it up as a commercial crop but with limited success. Nearly all neem oil comes from India and has a slight, sulphur smell.
Neem and Indoor Plants
There is a heap of literature about Neem on the internet. A simple google search ‘Neem + Indoor
Plants’ will reveal many of the different ways people have used neem with plants. All neem oil contains the same active ingredient, azadirachtin which is why it has been considered such a versatile product - including pest deterrent.
It is important (legally) for us to point out though, that our Neem Oil is not registered as a pesticide with the APVMA, and therefore we cannot advocate it as such.
Plant enthusiasts have been using neem with the indoor plants for a long time. In agriculture it is used as a fertiliser as it contains a number of beneficial proteins and trace elements that plants love. For the companies that have registered their neem as a pesticide, they use it to manage pests (again - our Neem Oil is not registered as a pesticide with the APVMA). As it is not considered a poison, it is safer to use around the home and pets and it doesn’t harm beneficial insects like bees, lady bugs and butterflies.
We love Neem Oil for indoor plants as it is a great natural leaf shine. As it is a non comedogenic oil, it does not block the plant’s pores so their stomata can continue to exchange carbon dioxide and water with the atmosphere.
The importance of cleaning foliage
It is important to wipe down the leaves of your indoor plants on a regular basis. Like all things in the house they can gather dust, and as the dust sits on the leaves it can block out sunlight preventing them from photosynthesising to their full capacity, as well as blocking the pores and preventing your plants from ‘breathing’.
In their natural environments, this doesn’t happen as the wind and rain regularly cleans the plants of any excess dust and dirt, but inside the home it is up to us. Cleaning foliage will encourage better plant health and growth and is just as important as having a regular fertilising routine.
How to use our neem oil
The neem oil can be used in a number of ways.
For our neem oil, you can spray directly on to the plants foliage then wipe down with a soft cloth, or alternatively spray or dab directly onto the cloth then wipe as necessary (it depends how messy you want to get)
This will remove any dust and give your foliage a brilliant health shine. The plant will also benefit from those proteins, vitamins and trace elements the Neem contains so it can also be thought of as a foliar spray.
Some people like to spray directly onto the soil to improve soil health or, if using a registered APVMA neem oil, to manage pests like aphids and fungus gnats.
