Neem oil is more toxic than insecticidal soaps would be and has different uses than horticulural oils. It is not superior although it does have its place in some gardens. This gets to the root of Integrated Pest Management and that you should start with the least toxic control needed rather than go to a more toxic substance first.

It doesn't work well on Japanese Beetles.

Really depends what you're wacking. It does kill a lot of pests, and does a job on many pathogens. It's pretty strong stuff though, and will kill things you don't want to kill.

If superior means "more lethal", it's superior. But then again some other organic sprays (nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum) are quite lethal too, but can be pretty scary to mess with.

What things does it kill that I wouldn't want killed? The reading I did on it indicated it didn't kill anything beneficial except bees if they were directly sprayed and I can avoid that.

I always try to avoid anything that will kill desirable organisms whenever possible which is why I chose the neem oil.

From what I read (although it didn't offer any evidence to back up the assertion) worm populations increased in soil where neem was used as a drench.

I am very interested in any literature that demonstrates the possible harmful effects of neem products.

Thanks for the link GardenGal.

It indicated that while not everything has been tested there didn't seem to be much in the way of toxicity to beneficials which is consistent with what I have read elsewhere.

is there some organic treatment for sooty mold? it is on many plants. help!

thanks, diana

Sooty mold is not harmful to plants unless it is extremely severe - it can then disturb the process of photosynthesis. It is simply a harmless fungus that grows on the secretions (honeydew) of sucking insects, like aphids or scale. Just wash it of with regular water. Use a strong spray if on large plant, or just use a soft spray and your fingers if on a plant of more manageable size. Don't bother to do anything if on a deciduous plant - any affected foliage will be shed soon enough.

The treatment for sooty mold is to kill the aphids. If they're not on a giant tree overhead, neem is actually pretty good for that.

Keeping the trees overhead well pruned to improve air circulation is the best OG control for aphids, as they're easily dislodged by winds if the canopy isn't too dense. Topping trees will make the problem worse, though.

On shrubs, reduce the density a bit, and make sure there are good nectar plants nearby. Syrphid fly adults eat nectar, while the larvae primarily munch on aphids.

Answering you fungus control question, neem oil is mostly a preventative not very good for control of established disease. For powdery mildew on cucurbits, for example, milk and baking soda are a more effective control once the disease shows up, but I use neem oil earlier in the season to supress the fungal infection. This year, once the powdery mildew struck, I used a combination of milk and baking soda and neem oil, and found this better than either approach by itself to knock out and control the fungus.

This is a great thread! I think I have both aphids (defiantly aphids) and leaf streak on my daylilies and am hoping the combination of baking soda, soap, and been oil would be a perfect concoction fo both? I don’t do milk but am not opposed to grabbing some for this if its necessary.