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NEEM OIL: FACTS & EXPERIENCES
By Mr. Larry Evans

I can only tell you of my experience with Neem Oil. I cannot recommend Neem oil because our government (USA ) has not approved its use on orchids or on any plants. When I refer to Neem oil, I mean pure Neem Oil as pressed from the seeds of the Neem tree. I have never used any product with Neem oil in it. I don't know that it would be as safe as pure Neem oil.

Where does Neem oil come from? Originally it came from India. The Indian natives have been using Neem for about 3000 years as an internal remedy as well as an ingredient in tooth paste, soap, shampoo, cosmetics and skin creams. I have never used a product in the greenhouse whose effects were as efficient and long lasting as Neem. Insecticides and fungicides that I had previously used were a short-term fix - about two weeks. And the smell was offensive and lasted for days. But it was what was available to keep a clean insect free greenhouse even if the fumes from most insecticides caused me to have allergic reactions.

Due to a long term illness, my greenhouse became a disaster area. In January, as the phalaenopsis were spiking, the mealy bugs moved in by the thousands. About 75% of the mature plants had fire ants in the pot. Scale was rampant. We had snails and slugs so big they looked dangerous. Toxic sprays did not get rid of them completely.

The first time I used Neem oil (1 oz. to 1 gallon of water + few drops of dishwashing liquid), I sprayed every plant, bench, walkway and under every bench. In a few days there was a definite improvement. I waited 2 weeks and sprayed again. I kept a close eye on the plants, no mealy bugs, scale and best of all the fire ants were gone. And no more slugs and snails.

I didn't spray again for six months. I found a snail and a slug, no other 'live stock', but I decided to spray everything again. The beauty part of using Neem oil is that you don't have to wear protective clothing or special breathing equipment and there are no sickening odors. Neem oil does have an odor, best described as 'kind of like onion soup'. However, the odor only lingers for a short time.

How does Neem get rid of insects? Most insects die shortly after spraying. Those remaining become sterile and do not reproduce. I've heard a story of 2 desert locusts, 2 grape leaves and 2 bell jars. One grape leaf was sprayed with an insecticide, the other with Neem. One locust and one grape leaf were put under each bell jar. The locust ate the toxic leaf and died. The other locust refused to eat the Neem sprayed leaf and starved to death. From my experience the story could be true. I believe it is better if you can prevent the insect from eating the plant, than to let them eat the plant and then die. It takes years to lose the damaged leaves on most orchids. Flowers can be ruined before the critters will die from insecticide. I've not been disappointed with Neem Oil. I'm sure that many who read this will be skeptical because of the 'do everything' claim.

We have a cat that has grown up in the greenhouse. Neem hasn't bothered her at all. Panzie greets all comers and we certainly would not use anything that would hurt her. We also used Neem on my daughter's dog, a Shar-pei. The dog was biting and chewing her fur and making sores and bald spots all over her coat. The veterinarian said she had hair mites. There is a treatment for this - a series of 6 dips at $65.00 per dip and only a 50% chance of a cure. I suggested that she try using a 'Neem rinse' after bathing the dog, using a 1 oz. to 1 gallon of water. This treatment was followed for three weeks. The dog has stopped chewing herself and has grown back a full glossy coat. It is also harmless on people. A lady in our orchid society has an allergy to mosquito bites. Living in Florida she had a problem working in her garden, fishing or taking an evening stroll. She had used spray repellents but it was difficult to use and not always satisfactory. She tried Neem oil and she swears by it. When I use Neem oil I only mix the amount I will use within four hours. Neem is very biodegradable and will start to break down quickly. If it is kept in the refrigerator at approximately 40F the shelf life is extended. As any organic oil, it will turn rancid. How soon will depend on the storage temperature.

We have used pure Neem oil on cattleya, dendrobium, phaleanopsis, oncidiums, vanilla, vanda, peristeria, etc. We have detected no damage to any of these plants. Ref: http://www.neemuses.com/

Tips on Using Neem Oil
By Mr. Larry Evans

1. Pure Neem Oil will retain its potency much longer if stored at about 40° F in a low light area such as a refrigerator.
2. Do not mix anything with Neem oil until you are ready to use it. Mix only the amount of Neem oil you will use in 4 to 6 hours.
3. A new batch of Neem oil, water and a little soap (according to the label) should be mixed each time you are going to spray.
4. The soap (dishwashing detergent) is used to help emulsify the oil. If no soap is used the Neem will not mix into solution with the water and spraying will not be effective.
5. Spray the complete plant including the top of the potting media. Spray benches, walkways and any surface over which an insect might travel.
6. A mixture of 1 oz. to 1 gallon of water should be used for spraying. A weaker solution may be used as a maintenance spray. It is impossible to gie a definite schedule for spraying, however a "close eye" will help each person to adjust a timetable to maintain clean plants. You will probably not have to spray as often with Neem as with toxic insecticides. http://www.neemuses.com/

All Indian Institute of Medical science (AIIMS)
July 15, 1999

Dear Mr. Joseph,

Hello ! I have not received your newsletter for quite some time now. I had written to you earlier regarding the use of Neem extract at AIIMS I have been giving to the patients for wound care. Recently I have developed an oil which is Neem bark based. It is popularly known as jatyadi oil. I have modified this oil to a good extent and have tested it on about 25 patients with chronic wounds. Those patients who have been regularly visiting the hospital for about a year or so and have not been able to cure themselves have applied this oil with some dressing of cotton and have been alright in 2-3 dressings. I am planning to start a trial at AIIMS with this oil. It can cure any type of wound (including diabetic patient wounds also). The best part is that the patient is not supposed to take any antibiotic with it like the regular antiseptics Savlon, Bitadine, Dettol. These antiseptics do not promote healing that is joining of the skin. Well my oil does that and is also very fast. Well recently I met with an accident and I had a wound on my knee starting from the knee to the thighs. It was about 5-6 inch long slit and 4 inch wide and 1 2/2 inch deep. I applied that oil on this wound and within about 10 days it reduced and healed to 75%. I have taken a photograph of my wound initially and now (75%). I have been also taking photographs of patients that have been treated with this oil its constituents are mainly: Neem bark extract, sesame oil, mustard oil, coconut oil, Copper Sulphate, bee wax, honey, turmeric, Licorice etc. If you are interested I can send a sample across to you.

With kind regards,
Manish Saxena

June 9, 1999

Dear Readers,

Hi ! I am an Ayurvedic doctor working at A.I.I.M.S , New Delhi as a research fellow in breast cancer clinic. We are using Neem very extensively in our wound clinic and have recently started its use in breast cancer clinic. I am very much impressed/convinced by the medicinal properties of Neem in curing cancer (as studied in Ayurvedic treatises like charakh samhita, sushruta samhita etc.). I recommend my patients who are suffering from breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancer to chew 8-10 Neem leaves early in the morning with lukewarm water on an empty stomach. I have observed that their white blood cells count had increased considerably. Neem being a depurative purifies the blood and being an astringent decreases the body heat. I wish to cure my patients exclusively with Neem since taking chemotherapy causes lots of side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, alopecia and fever. It is very painful also and most important aspect is the cost factor which sometimes makes the patient think twice whether to go for it or not. I am planning to suggest/convince my patients to adapt Neem as a primary treatment and to continue with chemotherapy if he/she likes. I would appreciate if there are any queries from any cancer patient and would be very happy to help.

With regards,
Dr. Preeti kachroo (Ayurvedic Practioner)

May 5, 1999

Dear Sir,

I am working at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences as Research Officer. I am a corporate member of the Neem Foundation in India. We have a full-fledged wound clinic at AIIMS. We have treated more 100 patients with Neem water (boiled Neem leaves) in a randomized trial and have seen that severe wounds have healed in no time. The wounds were of many types Arterial as well as venous. Deep vein Thrombosis, Diabetic Ulcer, Chronic Venous ulcer, madura foot, gangrene etc.
We have a bathtub where we recommend the patient to clean the wound in very fast running tap water to remove the dirt and the sloughs. We then treat the patients with Neem water i.e. 8 -10 leaves boiled in 1 liter of water. The complete list of wounds treated is as follows:

I would like to know are there more innovative Neem based solutions available that can be tested on patients.

With kind regards,
Manish Saxena
Ref: http://www.bytheplanet.com/neem/news/allindiainstitute.htm