Asclepias Curasavvica

Neem leaf juice for the garden

It is peak summer and the season when mealy bugs and aphids take over the plants. It is also the season when along with many other trees the neem also gives out fresh leaves. We bring the leaves home to decorate the front yard during the Kannada and Tamil New Year that's celebrated during these months. There is a whole bunch of them lying around for a few days. Every year I would dry them and scatter them in pots along with the already exiting mulch. This year I made a neem solution to spray on the plants and I think it helped it controlling the mealy bugs this season. Here is a video of the entire process. There was a generous amount of diluted solution that was left which I used a week. I think I will make this solution the cusp of every season to control the infestations. The bitter sweet smell of neem fills the nostrils when you filter it. It really makes you pause and live the moment.

Here is a video of the making the juice.