Calathea Neem Oil Soil Drench: Treating Spider Mites
Vložit
- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- After uploading my updated calathea collection video (link: • Calathea Collection 20... ) last week, I received some comments here and on Instagram asking about how I applied neem oil systemically via a soil drench to address spider mites. Watch to see how I make my own diluted neem oil mixture and apply it to my potting soil.
NOTE: so far, I've had luck with this method but it is too early to tell if it will be effective over time or exactly how much damage the plant might face due to the neem oil soil drench.
I also share where I got the idea, from a research article in the 1990s which confirmed that neem oil applied to the soil can be uptaken by the plant and translocated to the stems and foliage (the study looked specifically as aspens, however). I hope this answers the questions that people had and if you're dealing with spider mites--good luck!
Follow me on Instagram: / addybeezy
*Just know that I am really bad at Instagram :(
Intro Music:
expression by Pold / pold-music
Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - CC BY-SA 3.0
creativecommons....
Music promoted by Audio Library • Expression - Pold (No ...
I did a similar drench and foliage treatment (I wiped and sprayed) on my Whitestar back in early January. It was completely covered in spider mites 😱
I honestly thought it would not make it but I figured I'd leave it until spring to see for sure. All the leaves were burnt/eaten, some went completely crisp and I did not water it for 2 months (I checked with a moisture meter to be sure). It started praying again two weeks ago! 😊 I took off the dead leaves, and it's slowly coming back. No new growth yet but it is drinking up water now so I hope it will be OK in the end. I only did one treatment and I've been inspecting it regularly just to be sure.... So far, so good!
How exciting!!! 😊 I am so glad that your Whitestar recovered. I'm treating mine every 30 days with the soil drench and then using the topical every week. Fingers crossed that it works!
You prolly dont care but does any of you know of a way to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was dumb forgot the password. I would love any tricks you can give me!
@Flynn Gatlin instablaster =)
@Beckham Brayan Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im trying it out now.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Beckham Brayan it worked and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much you saved my ass :D
Thanks so much for doing the research and showing the article about the neem drench. So much info is thrown around in the plant community with no supporting evidence given and I always wonder if it is really safe & effective or if it’s just an old wives tale. Would be great to see a follow up on how the plants were affected by it. Did you notice any negative effects? Did you feel like it helped with the spider mite issue? Thanks again 😊
I really understand where you're coming from. I've had to start looking more at agricultural research where there's more funding for research in plant and pest management. Houseplant research seems a lot less funded, and thus, a lot less prolific. I also might be looking in the wrong places, as plant science is far outside of my field of study. I will definitely post some updates about how this works. So far, the spider mites appear to be gone and my calathea has started to regain its normal movements. I haven't seen any negative effects yet except--the tips are a bit crispy now. However, I also hosed this calathea down with tap water the day that I found the mites, and I know that my tap water likely singed the roots a bit. It was worth it though. It mechanically removed most of the mites which then gave me a chance to try to figure out a better long-term solution. 😊
I found it works in my calathea, now she is striving hard, new shoots are sprouting. Im very happy to see them. But Im afraid to spray them wt neem oil and detergent liquid soap. Tjey might get burned !
I noticed you’re using garden safe neem oil extract which is clarified neem. Clarified neem does not contain the compound azadirachtin found in pure neem which is what the plant would need to uptake to have the pest control effects. I think you would need to use a pure neem oil for the soil drench to be effective.
Yeah you're correct. Cold pressed is definitely the best option. Garden Safe is basically an expensive smothering application
vs the systemic values of cold pressed neem oil.
Yes! I mention in another video that I pulled out the wrong one! 😮 I didn't even catch that I did it until about two months later.
Hi there! I’m obsessed with your collection and your page. I was just curious about when you trench your leaves in Nimoy oil. Do you leave the Nimoy oil on there as is, do you wipe it down with a cloth, or do you rinse it off with distilled water? Thank you so much! I’m really trying to take the best care of the sassy little queens! 💕
Great video! Am I right in thinking the oil does not mix with the water though and just sits on top even if you shake it? I think a little dish soap is needed too so the oil mixes very well on shake and apply quickly until it all settles to the top again 🙏
I should have mentioned that this brand of neem oil has something in it that works like, or is, an emollient. A gentle shake mixes the solution really easily.
Many thanks for putting up this video.. it's very informative :)
I'm glad that you enjoyed it! 😊
Hi Addy, how often do you have to do the soil drench to maintain the systemic amount? Also have you ever tried the treatment recommended by Miss Orchid Girl? I used her DIY insecticide treatment twice this winter when two of my plants got spider mites and fortunately, they are both alive, growing and spider mite free (for now, anyway). If this systemic neem works, I'll give it a try!
Hi, Cheryl! 😊 From the studies that I've read, the concentration begins to fall significantly between 30-40 days after application. So, I am trying ever 30-35 days right now and plan to do three full treatments as well as topical treatments (this video shows the second soil drench treatment). And, I have never tried Miss Orchid Girl's treatment, I will definitely have to do some exploring. You can never have enough weapons against spider mites.
Which Orchid Girl treatment did you use? She has a few...lol.
@@christinamarie5141 Hi Christina! I use the soap + alcohol solution she recommends.
This is awesome. Very well researched. Please let us know how it works for you!
Hi! 😊 Yes, I will definitely post some updates. If this helps me finally have a more thorough defense against spider mites, I will jump over the moon.
Hi thanks for the video. It is helpful to see how you use it. Are you not affraid to have root rots if you drench the plant very often? I was also wondering how often do you plan to treat the infested plant and the others as preventive mesures? Thanks.
This is a good question! The soil drench takes the place of a watering that I would usually do, so I'm not adding significantly more moisture than I normally would (a slight bit larger volume but not an increase in frequency). Right now, I am applying the soil drench in place of a weekly watering once every 30-35 days (I plant to complete three full treatments). I also have this calathea in a terracotta pot, which is handy as it helps to balance the moisture inside of the pot. 😊
@@AddyBeez Thank you very much!!
Hi Addy I have tried neem oil by spraying it on the leaves and under them but not effective enough new growth keeps coming weak and damaged, I will try the drenching method! I have heard wonders about the potassium soap too, do you have any experience or thoughts? I dont know if you can drench a plant with a diluted solution I have looked through the internet but i found nothing
Great vid! Will this work on my calathea warscewiczii?
How do you feel about applying a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution to calathea's considering their sensitivity.
I have never done it but I've gotten a ton of recommendations to try it. Right now, I can't get a hold of hydrogen peroxide very easily but do plan to try it out soon.
@@AddyBeez hello there! Would you have any updates on this please? Thanks!
How did your calatheas do after the neem oil treatment now that it's been months? I'm battling a bit of fungas gnats
They are doing well and I've seen a reduction in spider mites. I posted a video about it here: czcams.com/video/afunLNDe8gI/video.html. Good luck with the fungus gnats!
Thanks Addy. Really helpful.
So glad that it was helpful! 😊
No need to mix the diluted neem oil oil with a bit of dish soap for emulsification?
Have you had to battle aphids on your calathea?? If so how without damaging it. Thanks. BTW best info on calatheas on CZcams 🤍
hi addy. i bought a calathea. when i repot this i cut some roots. now the plant just close them. already 4 days gone. they are not open. i know calathea is a sensetive plant. now what to do? pls help me.
Thank you so much!
Do you plan to do this on a regular basis? I too am paranoid about spider mites and want to do this as a preventative measure.
I have the same question. I want to be preventative
UPDATE: I have been watering my Calatheas with a Neem oil/soap/water mixture about once a month (using distilled water). This seems to be fine. HOWEVER, I tried spraying them with the Neem/soap/water mixture as a preventative as well and my rattlesnake calathea got a fungal infection on a few of its leaves from being wet. I cut the leaves off and it seems fine now. Hope this info helps!
thank you!! i'm going to try this on a couple plants that have been struggling. i guess i'm about to find out if this will work for succulents since my string of dolphins keeps seeming to have webbing no matter how much i treat it!
side note - how can i be sure it's webbing and not just an actual spider that has left a strand or two behind it and then dust has gathered? i live on the ground floor/basement level where it is dusty sometimes and spiders enjoy the corners of the rooms :p :p
I wish you luck! My succulents have never developed spider mites, just mealy bugs and some white mold. 😌 That said, I know that people use neem oil on succulents, though I don't persoinally know enough about the vascular system in succulents. However, I've seen people do soil drenches the same way on succulents and it seems to be effective for them. Again, good luck! I hope it knocks those spider mites right off your string of dolphins!
This is currently happening to my calathea now, they are bushy about 50cm long and now dying, at first I just ignored because I can not see the spider mite my hint only is the spider web. I hope I can still save them. I will try your formula. They are tall and bushy the leaves are twice as big of my hand😔😩😩 !
Oh, I am so sorry. 😌 I can share that my calathea is now moving normally again, though its new growth is coming in slower than usual for this time of year/season. I also hosed mine off with tap water, which I would normally never do, the day that I found the mites, which burned the tips of my calatheas leaves, thus also its roots. So. I am just happy to see normal movement again and now I'll start babying it back to gloriousness, I hope. Best of luck, and I really do hope this helps.
Thank you for this! I've been seeing a particular calathea of mine constantly struggling and I'm scared for it. Will definitely do this and hope it better prepares the plant.
Would adding dish soap to the need ful drench benefit it?
I actually wouldn't add the dish soap. I only showed that part because I had questions from people about how I applied rosemary oil, and I only used that mix once. In hindsight, the neem has been very effective systemically on its own from what I can see, so far. My plant has regained normal movements finally, which makes me very happy. Good luck with your calathea! 😊
Should your plants be moist or dry when doing a soil drench? Tia
Hi, Bianca! Good question. I do this in place of a watering, so that way the plant's roots aren't overwhelmed with moisture.