Is NEEM OIL a good insecticide to use on tomato plants? is it safe and effective?

have you used it. give me some tips.


can i use it on flea beetles that eat my eggplants and melon leaves.





does it get rid of ants and other unknown bugs that eat my tomatoes?





how much and where did you buy it?





what other pesticides are natural and not toxic?


what's the best neem oil to use. how did you use it?Is NEEM OIL a good insecticide to use on tomato plants? is it safe and effective?
yesIs NEEM OIL a good insecticide to use on tomato plants? is it safe and effective?
Here's the link to a science based university site for the flea beetles on your eggplants. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VE鈥?/a>


Personally, I would avoid using anything of a pesticide nature on something that you are going to eat.


Here's the link to neem.


http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/CO鈥?/a>


It's fairly safe with minimal danger to humans or wildlife (they even use it in toothpaste) but unfortunately the only bugs that it controls are aphids and mites, (and you can control those with a strong spray of water)


First of all, you need to identify what is affecting your tomatoes. The ants aren't eating your plants but probably farming a type of sucking insect for the honeydew that it produces. Check under the leaves for aphids or the like.


Here's the link to the tomato page. It has lots of pictures of insect damage so you can probably ID the culprit there. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VE鈥?/a>


Last but not least, keep the site bookmarked for future gardening problems. It is science based IPM. Which means that they use the least toxic methods of control and it's all university accredited so you won't be buying ino someone else's snake oil cures.
Yes! Neem oil is organic and safe. I use it on peppers and summer and winter squash. I bought a bottle of concentrate from Lowe's for about $8 and you just mix small amounts with water. So it's pretty economical. It'll deter buggers and also helps prevent fungicide. The brand I use is ';Green Light'; and it's been working great.





Other options are insecticidal soap, which is non toxic. You can make your own by diluting soap in water. A lot of people will tell you that you can use dish soap but this is not always true. The soap you use has to be real soap, with fatty acids. If it's a detergent, it will only burn your plants and the bugs will laugh. So I just buy premade insecticidal soap from Home depot or Lowe's for $6-$7 dollars. The ';Safer brand'; is a good one.





Either way, make sure you use the neem oil or the soap early in the morning or in the evening so it has a chance to dry off. If you spray it on the plant during full sun your plants will get burned.
Safer or Safe Garden Brands make a good one that I use, it is effective, but you have to apply ever two to three days in order to completely kill all the bugs. It says you can spray up to the day of harvest but I would stop about a week before harvest as it can be slightly toxic to humans and animals. Oh and it stinks so dont get it on ya!





I got it for free because I worked at a hazardous waste facility, so I cant help you with the price. One spray bottle has lasted me two years (Four tom plants last year and 6 this year) still have half a bottle.
It's very effective against insects of all kinds and is also a fungicide. Stop using it about 24 hrs. before a harvest. Use it in the evening as the oil in it can burn foliage if hit by direct sunlight. Another reason is because you want to wait until the bees have gone home for the night, it's deadly to them also. More cost effective to get a bottle of concentrate. I just paid $12 for a bottle that will last me about 4 months or so. I got it at Lowes, as Home Depot has stopped carrying it. The first answer was right about the smell, like rotting garlic!


Be sure to get the stuff ready made to mix with water, pure neem oil floats and you have to add dish soap as a surfacant to get it to mix properly. I use it on my food crops, fruit trees and orchids and have never had a bad reaction from any of them. And, yes, it will kill ants, sucking insects, chewing insects, rust and powder mildew. It will also kill beneficial insects, sorry to say. Also don't use it around a pond or stream, toxic to fish.