Question
Hi Will,

I've been using cold-pressed neem oil (Dyna-Gro) mixed with water and liquid soap on my houseplants occasionally as a preventive measure to avoid pest infestations.  Recently I purchased some succulents.  Some of them have leaves which can be described as having fine white hairs and others have leaves which look as though they're coated with a white powder.  I've read it's not a good idea to use neem oil on houseplants which have "hairy" leaves; the example provided has been African violets.  There's no warning on the label of my neem oil product.  Should I use the neem oil mixture on the types of succulents I've described above, or would you recommend something else?

Thanks in advance   :-)

Answer
Hi Lori,

I do not advocate using sprays of any kind as a preventive measure. The best way to prevent pest problems is to keep your plants healthy by providing proper light, pot size and watering. A plant weakened by improper care is much more vulnerable to pest problems. Indeed, pest problems are often a good indication that something is wrong with the light or watering. When you have specific evidence of a pest problem, then it is appropriate to use chemical-free sprays specific to that particular pest.

It is generally not a good idea to spray even plain water on hairy-leafed plants such as African Violets. Spraying with soap or Neem is even more risky.

I could be more specific if you could let me know the specific succulents that you are concerned about or post or email a photo to me directly. In the interim, I recommend that you keep your hairy-leafed plants dry.

I have written an article on indoor plants pests, including how to identify and treat them, that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com