Strategy
Do bugs bug you? The bad buggers bug me badly! Well…I have a seven prong approach to defeating “pests” in the vegetable garden. The first is to recognize that healthy plants are less prone to both diseases and pest invasions. I am constantly working to improve plant health by feeding weekly or bimonthly, depending on the time I have, with a high quality brewed compost tea and an organic fish fertilizer (Pure Protein,) added every other brew or sprayed separately, that will blow your mind when you see the results. I have been “sold” on the Boogie Brew and Organic Ag Products for several years now because of the amazing results I’ve witnessed, so it is all that I prefer to use both as a foliar feed and root drench!
There are other factors that affect plant health, too. Proper watering is one…which is one of the main reasons Mr. Farmer Brown and I completely converted ALL of our garden beds from in-ground to a self-watering container method of growing called RGGS (Rain Gutter Grow System). Keeping plants spaced well and properly pruned is another key factor for proper air flow. “Sweaty” plants, as I call them, all crammed together and overlapping each other is a breeding ground for problems. Proper sun exposure is, of course, another factor, so placement of the garden is a key first step. Lastly, soil imbalance will create unhealthy plants, so knowing what you are adding to soil and, in our case, making our own potting mix with a balanced PH and adding quality organic amendments that create a lot of microbial activity will make the plants dance!
The second strategy I use is companion planting. There are many veggies, herbs, and flowers that bring in the good insects both for pollination and predation…they feed on the bad buggers! Additionally, many of these companions either repel pests or can serve as a trap crop for them. If you’re interested in learning more about companion planting, I have a five-part blog series with accompanying videos.
Third, the next least invasive strategy is to pick them off! I check the gardens at least once everyday. I keep a bucket of soapy water nearby, just in case I need to brush off a bad bug into a soapy water death.
The fourth line of defense is a water blast. Certain pests, such as aphids, can be knocked off of the plants with a strong blast of water. You do have to repeat this several days in a row. If that doesn’t do the trick, then I move on to a stronger strategy.
Coming in at number five is a mix of insecticidal soap and water, loaded in a garden sprayer and applied to the tops and undersides of leaves, (where many of the insects reside,) the stems, and the mulch or soil if no mulch is added. Not just any ‘ol soap will do, and I NEVER use dish soap. Dish soap, such as Dawn (a brand that you see posted all over the internet as safe to use,) is a detergent. Detergents break down grease, oil, tar, etc. which is exactly why it is used to clean fowl whenever there has been an oil spill. All plant leaves have a protective waxy coating; using detergent at too great a strength and/or too frequently can strip off the leaves’ protection leaving them way more susceptible to pests and disease pathogens. The ONLY soap I use is Dr. Bronner’s Sals Suds soap, but not the castile version. Castile soap can react with minerals in the water source leaving a film or scum which can plug the stomata, or pores, of the leaves. I only spray a soap mix in the evening after the bees have gone to beddy-bye. If you spray a bee with soap, it will dehydrate their bodies and kill them!
Number six is the most effective, and because it is…I use it on a fairly regular schedule of every week to two weeks as a preventative for buggy problems. The spray mixture consists of four to five things: pure cold-pressed neem horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, RidBugs, Organic Ag Product’s Pure Protein, and water. Each of these items will be thoroughly explained further down, so keep reading. 😉
The seventh and last strategy is insect specific. Although the neem concoction is effective on 90% of targeted invasive bug species, there is that 10% of bugs that the neem just won’t eliminate. You see, neem works on soft bodied insects but just won’t touch pests like wormy caterpillars. So, if those arise, I use either one of two organic products. The first is BT, bacillus thuringiensis, a microbial pesticide that specifically targets the larval stages of development, or as I call it…the wormy stage. BT is a gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium. A note here, mature adult insects will not be susceptible to control by BT. To use, spray the parts of the plant where insects are feeding, usually the underside of the leaves. Treat late afternoon or evening when the sun is going down or on a cloudy day as BT breaks down in sunlight, quickly. Due to it photo-degradation, you need to repeat treatment approximately every three days. BT is an exceptional choice as it is not harmful to people, pets, aquatic animals, bees or other pollinators. This bacteria is not an on contact kill; however, the poisoned chewing insects will stop feeding almost immediately and die off in two or three days. Just an aside here…mosquito dunks are made from a subspecies of BT which makes them perfectly safe to use for mosquito control in the RGGS and KPGS (Kiddie Pool Grow System). There are many brands of BT available; the one I use is Safer brand.
The other organic product I sometimes use to target those hard to kill pests is Spinosad, as it is effective on more stages of the insects’ development and works on additional insects such as beetles. Like BT, this bacteria kills by ingestion; the insects stop feeding in minutes. Spinosad has a longer residual of 7-10 days, so you don’t have to repeat treatment as often. A word of caution, however, using this product. It IS harmful to bees and should only be sprayed in the evenings after the pollinators have left the garden to go to bed. Additionally, it should NOT be used if the plants are flowering as it can remain on the plant for up to two days, therefore still putting the bees at risk. The brand of Spinosad that I use is Captain Jack’s Dead Bug.
Why Neem?
Why neem, you ask? There are three main reasons! First, it is organic. Neem is a botanical pesticide extracted from the seeds of the neem tree. Bugs keep adapting to chemical pesticides, thus requiring the creation of ever stronger poisons. There is no adaption or resistance from bugs to neem’s multiple and complex natural compounds. Neem oil contributes the least clogging of leaf pores, (stomata), but heavy infestations can require spraying every three days in succession. Occasionally, its wise to apply “rinse off” sprays with compost tea or plain water to minimize build-up on plants’ leaves. I feed the plants with compost tea once a week, so this also cleans the leaves preventing any possible build-up; I do, however, space the sprayings apart by two or three days so as not to nullify or interfere with the desired affect of each treatment. Consistent neem-spraying alternating with compost tea, will make your plants thrive.
Secondly…IT WORKS! As I mentioned earlier, it works on 90% of insect pests in the garden. Neem kills soft bodied insects on contact and it repels other insects when they encounter it on the leaves, but for those chewers who continue to feed, the neem oil contains components that doesn’t bode well for them. The most active component and well-researched being azadirachtin, which interferes with the insects’ hormonal systems, inhibits their eating, mating, egg laying pattern, and growth. Here is a list of some of the main insects it can help control:
Third, and lastly, it’s a healthy pesticide. There are many research claims that the foliage is healthier and is considered a foliar fertilizer. Pure organic neem oil is safe for birds, bees, pets, and humans and is non-toxic. It breaks down quickly without a lasting residue. The fatty acids in the oil are beneficial to the soil food web. Actually, neem cake, (the residual left after the oil is cold-pressed,) is used as a soil conditioner. When neem oil is sprayed on the soil, it is said that the plant will take it up systemically, which will deter insects from feeding even more. Finally, neem oil has fungicidal uses, too. The compound in the oil sparks an immune response to prevent some fungal diseases such as mildew, black spot, rust, rot, scab, leaf spot, and some blights. Additionally, it helps control some fungi when they are already present.
Did you know that pro rose growers rely on neem to beautify their flowers?
Choosing the Right Neem Oil
When purchasing neem oil, you need to read the label carefully! It needs to be 100% pure neem oil with no additives, preferably cold-pressed, not an extraction. Cold-pressed will have higher levels of active ingredients which makes it more effective.
Some brands, such as Garden Safe and Bonide, both have 30% other ingredients and don’t disclose what those are. Most recently, a member of my FaceBook group page shared a shocking article about Southern AG Triple Action Neem Oil. Even though it has an OMRI listed label (Organic Materials Review Institute,) the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture notified consumers that laboratory testing of this product contains pesticide active ingredients not listed on the product label. During testing, the presence of malathion, chlorpyrifos, and permethrin were confirmed. While consumers expect neem oil to be a safe natural product, the pesticides detected are NOT!!! In fact, chlorpyrifos is a restricted-use pesticide, for use in specific agricultural settings, and never in a home setting. So…buyers beware! If it is not 100% pure neem, DO NOT BUY IT. The brand I use is Dyna-Grow 100% Pure Cold-Pressed Neem Oil. It does call it a leaf polish, but just ignore that confusing sub-title. The Boogie Brew Company sells three different brands of pure neem oil, but you can purchase from many different places. Just a reminder, if you want to know what products I like to use, you can go to janetspicks.com for several “kits” divided by category. You may be able to find the products cheaper than the links I include, but at least you can see the product, click on the link and read the label information.
The neem oil should be stored at temperatures between 65-95 degrees F. High heat will destroy the azadirachtin.
The Other Mix Ingredients
Because neem is an oil, you need to add an emulsifier to keep it mixed with water. I’ve already spoken about the only soap brand that I am willing to use on the garden: Dr. Bronner’s Sals Suds Soap. Again, you can find product links to all of these in my kits. That live link is embedded directly above.
Another product I like to add to the neem mix is RidBugs. This organic product adds an extra punch in that it targets insect eggs which neem does not kill. It, also, is an horticultural oil and equally as safe to use as pure neem. Additionally, rosemary and clove organic oils can also be added at a rate of 5-10 drops per gallon each. Rosemary oil is said to kill spider mites and clove oils are effective at killing their eggs. I never bother with adding the oils because the RidBugs takes care of those.
Finally…something that I have not shared before now, but occasionally add when I spray the neem mix is Pure Protein made by Organic Ag Products out of Florida. The Boogie Brew Company carries this item as well. This pure protein powder is an organic fish fertilizer made from cod fish hydrolysate which renders an abundance of amino acids instantly bio-available to plant cells. In turn, this builds a powerful “super-structure” for your plants’ entire leaf, stem and root-tissue mass. The fatty acids and aminos in Pure Protein work to fortify plant tissue from pests and pathogenic organisms. There are several ways to apply Pure Protein…it can be added to the neem spray, as I just mentioned, a stand alone foliar spray, or added to the compost tea while brewing which creates a super-charged brew that sends microbes into a feeding frenzy.
Why do I occasionally, once every other spraying or once a month, add the Pure Protein to the neem? Well…I’m out there spraying anyway, so combining products when possible is a time saver, not to mention what it does for the plants as listed above. The Pure Protein is the best match for mixing with pure neem oil.
Lastly, the water. If your water source is from a municipal water supply, I highly recommend you purchase a purifying hose mount filter. Chlorine and chloramine compounds are used in city water systems to destroy all active biology present in the water. In my opinion, the use of an effective filter is required for watering organic gardens and especially for creating compost tea. There are many filters readily available on the market. Again, Boogie Brew offers three types of hose mount filters. Luckily, we have wonderful well water for all of our water needs.
A note here: you never want to add your compost tea to any oil or soap mix as it will smother the beneficial organisms in the brew. Additionally, I use a completely separate sprayer for compost tea for that reason. It is possible to remove all of the oils from a sprayer, but I just don’t like to take that chance.
How To Use Neem Spray
You can use the neem spray all season. I recommend starting after your transplants have been well established in their permanent garden spot for a couple of weeks. Be careful with seedlings and young plants in general, as they tend to be more vulnerable to any type of spray with the exception of compost tea.
It’s best to start early in the season to prevent the main infection period of fungi, disrupt egg hatch of soft-bodied insects and to target overwintering moths in the soil.
I recommend spraying once every week to two weeks. If you have an insect infestation, you can spray once every three days for at least two weeks straight which is the approximate length of one life cycle for many insects.
When spraying, be sure to get the underside of the leaves, where many pests feed, as well as the tops, along with the stem and the mulch or soil, and the tops of containers if container growing.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, ONLY spray in the evening after the sun goes down and the bees are out of the garden for the night. Even though neem is not harmful to bees, soap can kill them if you accidentally hit them with the spray. Additionally, remember neem and the RidBugs are oils. The oils on the plant in direct sunlight can burn the plants’ leaves.
What Not To Spray With Neem
The only vegetables I do not spray with neem oil are the greens and vegetables without a skin, namely the cole crops: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc. The reason being, neem has a bitter taste and it is hard to wash off of these tightly layered vegetables. Try some other methods mentioned in the opening if you have bug infestations with these and don’t forget the companion plants.
There is also a product new to me that I will try on these cool season crops in the fall. It is called The Amazing Doctor Zymes, Eliminator. I received two free trial bottles from the company. It is a citric acid based product. The two reasons I haven’t tried it as of yet are: 1) Everything I grow in my summer garden can be sprayed with neem, and 2) Their website gives a warning to test a plant first….hmmm…pause. It also mentions to only spray in the evenings due to phytotoxicity which basically means the product’s compound can have a toxic effect/damage on plant growth. Additionally, you have to spray several consecutive days in a row for heavy infestations. Soooo…there’s that. :-/
Recipe For Spraying
- 2 Tablespoons of 100% pure, cold-pressed Neem Oil
- 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of Dr. Bronner’s Sals Suds Soap
- 4 Tablespoons of RidBugs
- 2 Tablespoons PURE PROTEIN
- 1 gallon of filtered water
Directions: To mix, add the products to a lidded jar of warm water. Shake like a milkshake until oils are thoroughly mixed and pour into you sprayer of choice that already has water in it. Keep the sprayer shaken as you move throughout the garden to keep the mix emulsified.
Note: If your neem oil has thickened, run some warm water over the bottle for a minute or two, or set the bottle in a bowl of warm water. Do NOT use hot water as that will kill the azadirachtin compound.
Use within 8 hours of mixing as the neem oil will break down in water after that and any remaining mix should be discarded.
Clean your sprayer immediately to keep the oils from clogging the spraying tip. Now, THIS is the time to use a dish soap! Remember detergent soaps cut grease and oil. ;D Be sure to rinse several times and run both the soapy water and the rinse water through the spray tip, too!
There is no such thing, as plant it and forget it! That’s a bit like birthing a baby and thinking it’s going to take care of itself to adulthood, LOL. As always….. Have a Good ‘En!
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.