Neem cake

[don_sanders]

Anyone ever used neem cake / meal?

Saw a video that said that it cured his fungas gnat issues. Looking into it further, it is a fertilizer, soil conditioner, anti fungal, pest deterrent including fungus gnats and rkn, etc.

Sounds like a cure all. Wondering if anyone had any positive results with it or if it is just snake oil.

[greenfig]

I had some results but it smells like hell. Make sure you do not use it close to your residence or late at night .
Unfortunately, the squirrels are the bigger issue for me. Whatever I saved from gnats had grown beautifully and produced the figs that were consumed by the rats with bushy tails.

[COGardener]

Time to start eating the squirrels!!!

[JohnnyK]

When I was growing up I had a neighbor who use to eat squirrels all the time. I've never tried it, but he said they were great. I guess if it was to save my figs, I'd have to start gobbling them up...

[don_sanders]

Hmm, the video was a guy sprinkling some on top off indoor pots and steeping some in the water that he used for those indoor pots. But you say not to even use it close to the house? Maybe if it's worked into the top of the soil a little it wouldn't smell bad?

Cats could help keep those squirrels at bay. Then you just have to clean the squirrels up off of the porch.

Warning : gratuitous photo attached.

[Kelby]

I haven't used the cakes, but neem oil sprays have worked well for me for a variety of issues. Neem has an...odd...smell. Not really bad, but not really good either. Maybe it was in cakes instead of spray it wouldn't be noticeable.

[Merle]

I've never used the cakes either, but I have been using cold pressed Neem and Karanja oil for years on all my plants, my skin, dogs and horses. Oil works great if you can handle the strong nutty smell. I got used to it and didn't notice the smell after awhile, but anyone who got to close let me know real quick. A little goes a long way and during the hottest time of the year apply in the morning or right before dark.

[cwujek]

I use both neem and karanja meal. Some people really don't like the smell, I absolutely love it! It helps that I can't remember the last time I've had a bug problem on any indoor plants. I mix some into soils and also sprinkle on top. An excellent organic amendment, but pay the extra to purchase high quality neem/karanja products. Ahimsa Organics seems to be the best I've found, others may have different experiences.

[don_sanders]

Well, that's a very positive report. Have you tried the Down to Earth brand? What defines a good brand? I almost ordered the Ahimsa but with shipping the Down to Earth brand was a little cheaper...

If it works out well, I need to look around for a local source.

[cwujek]

Haven't tried Down to Earth neem, but have used many of their other products. Quality could be equal to Ahimsa, but I highly doubt it. Not a big fan of Down to Earth as a company, try calling them to ask about details on their products and you will get very little information. They deal in bulk amounts of supplements, not really concerned with top quality, proper storage and all that. They are trying to sell it all, when that happens quality suffers. Call up Ahimsa and they can give you details on how the seeds are stored, what they test for to insure purity (beyond just basic OMRI certification), and anything else you want to know. Understand that it might be cheaper, but a bag will probably last you a couple years. Might just be worth spending the extra money to get something from a company that really knows their product.

[don_sanders]

Oh, well dang. I'll post some pics when it arrives. I only ordered a five pound bag so maybe I'll try the Ahimsa next time.

[Altadena Mara]

I'm trying to grow two neem trees now in pots. The leaves are used in ayurvedic medicine. Some people swear that eating a neem leaf a day keeps them healthy. I don't know about that but eating a neem leaf delays getting hungry for a few hours if you're trying to diet. The little trees went dormant but I think one is trying to grow out again in my sun room.