Mmm... spicey

W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Chunky Stool said:
I used neem seed meal for the first time in a batch of nutrient tea.
Wow, that's quite an aroma!
Not bad; hard to describe...
View attachment 3947979
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I only made the tea once, didn't even need the wife's complaint to know not to do that again.

Now, it's either added to the mix, or top dressed .... lightly. 1cup/cf of mix is max and 1/2cup/cf works fine. Top dressing is just sprinkled on. The stuff that makes it work so well can be detrimental when over applied, especially to younger plants and seedlings. Big VOE there.

I've noticed the smell after watering a top dressed plant. To me, it smells like drying garlic after harvest, which I like, and when the smell goes away I know the time for another top dress is near.

For top dressing, I'll use ~a mounded Tbl for a 5gal bucket. Much like alfalfa meal, a little goes a long way.
 
Chunky Stool

Chunky Stool

Well-Known Member
Wetdog said:
I only made the tea once, didn't even need the wife's complaint to know not to do that again.

Now, it's either added to the mix, or top dressed .... lightly. 1cup/cf of mix is max and 1/2cup/cf works fine. Top dressing is just sprinkled on. The stuff that makes it work so well can be detrimental when over applied, especially to younger plants and seedlings. Big VOE there.

I've noticed the smell after watering a top dressed plant. To me, it smells like drying garlic after harvest, which I like, and when the smell goes away I know the time for another top dress is near.

For top dressing, I'll use ~a mounded Tbl for a 5gal bucket. Much like alfalfa meal, a little goes a long way.
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I've been having a hard time keeping up with a couple of heavy feeders that can't seem to get enough nitrogen. So the tea I made was with 1 cup in a 5 gals. (Also added humic acid, bat guano, and maxicrop seaweed powder to balance the mix.)

Doesn't neem oil come from neem seed? Would neem seed meal make my plants taste bad to bugs??? That would be awesome!
My back yard is filled with bugs like mites and gnats. Fortunately, it's also got good bugs like spiders and predatory mites, so I avoid interfering with mother nature unless things are getting out of hand.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Yes, it does make the plants taste bad to the bugs, but not right away.

When I first got neem all the soil was mixed with plants in it. Was sorta limited to top dressing and the bug repellent action was kinda Meh, but great results everywhere else. Enough that I sprang for the 44# bag, to go all in.

Anyway, all the new mix and recycled mix (~20cf total), got neem added that fall/winter and well aged for the following spring. That outdoor season there was a marked decrease of all bug damage. The top dressings worked great, complimenting the residue in the mix.

That first time, everything had 1cup/cf added, both fresh and recycled. Now, just the fresh mix gets 1cup/cf and the recycled closer to 1/2cup/cf. It's like, once it's in there, it doesn't take a lot to keep it working well.

BTW, the worms love it and I keep a coffee jug of some by the bins for the occasional sprinkle. Using it outside will attract worms.

The longer you use it, the more you love it. You'll see.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Neem seed meal will not provide your tea with N in a tea! It is not water soluble nitrogen. It is great for mixing into soil or top dressing. It will add slow release nitrogen, it will keep nitrogen from other sources in your soil for longer. It balances out other nutrients and provides a full compliment of micro.

The smell will detour gnats, and a steeped tea of it will scare off a current population.

If need some instant N I would recommend alfalfa meal, high N guano, or chicken shit. Composted or a small amount until you know what your plants can handle.
 
Chunky Stool

Chunky Stool

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Neem seed meal will not provide your tea with N in a tea! It is not water soluble nitrogen. It is great for mixing into soil or top dressing. It will add slow release nitrogen, it will keep nitrogen from other sources in your soil for longer. It balances out other nutrients and provides a full compliment of micro.

The smell will detour gnats, and a steeped tea of it will scare off a current population.

If need some instant N I would recommend alfalfa meal, high N guano, or chicken shit. Composted or a small amount until you know what your plants can handle.
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Using neem seed meal in a tea was suggested on the box. Sure made the water turn red (before I added the humic acid, which turned it black). Also, I usually stir it right before applying so the little bits go along with the liquid.
I've got a couple of sativa doms outside that seem to be digging the neem. I'm going to check them for bugs again today. They've got a mild mite problem -- just like everything outdoors. But mother nature provides helpers to keep them in check. I'm hoping the plants will actually absorb neem and cause mites to avoid the plant. There are tastier options everywhere outside...
 
Indacouch

Indacouch

Well-Known Member
Chunky Stool said:
Using neem seed meal in a tea was suggested on the box. Sure made the water turn red (before I added the humic acid, which turned it black). Also, I usually stir it right before applying so the little bits go along with the liquid.
I've got a couple of sativa doms outside that seem to be digging the neem. I'm going to check them for bugs again today. They've got a mild mite problem -- just like everything outdoors. But mother nature provides helpers to keep them in check. I'm hoping the plants will actually absorb neem and cause mites to avoid the plant. There are tastier options everywhere outside...
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What's it taste like?
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Chunky Stool said:
Using neem seed meal in a tea was suggested on the box. Sure made the water turn red (before I added the humic acid, which turned it black). Also, I usually stir it right before applying so the little bits go along with the liquid.
I've got a couple of sativa doms outside that seem to be digging the neem. I'm going to check them for bugs again today. They've got a mild mite problem -- just like everything outdoors. But mother nature provides helpers to keep them in check. I'm hoping the plants will actually absorb neem and cause mites to avoid the plant. There are tastier options everywhere outside...
Click to expand...
I'm familiar with the box friend! You can use it for a tea, but not to provide N. You will note the box also tells you it contains barely any water soluble nitrogen. The plants will not absorb the neem meal. The soil will, and then the soil will provide nutrients for your plant. The neem meal will make your soil smell unpleasant to gnats...but it will do nothing to keep mites of your plants. For that you want neem oil, mixed with something to make it still to your leaves. Proteckt(sp?) is popular, I prefer plain old nonscented, dish soap (not antibacterial obviously).
 
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