Using Neem Oil in Organic Lawn Care

2 July 2021
 Categories: , Blog


Organic pesticides can range from natural plant-based products to products that use bacteria to target specific pests. If you're choosing an organic care option for your lawn, you will likely want to avoid using pesticides at all whenever possible, but sometimes you may come up against a pest problem that can only be solved with a pesticide, or a fungal problem that can only be solved with a fungicide.

Neem oil is a natural plant-based product that can help your lawn in a variety of ways. Here are some of the top applications to use neem oil for in organic lawn care.

1. Insecticide

Many insects that attack your garden could also decide to branch out further and munch on your lawn. For example, aphids, Japanese beetles, armyworms, and cutworms could attack your lawn's turfgrass. These and other pests can all be controlled with the use of neem oil. Neem oil works in several ways, such as smothering soft-bodied insects and disrupting the life cycle of other insects.

To apply neem oil, your lawn care personnel will typically dilute it to a specific strength and may add a surfactant to help it cover pests better. For the most eco-friendly application, try to schedule neem spraying for times when bees and other beneficial pollinators aren't active in the area because it could hurt them if they're in the path of the spray.

2. Miticide

Although you may think of mites as just another type of bug, they're actually technically not insects, they're a type of arachnid. So not every insecticidal treatment will work for them. Fortunately, neem oil does have a miticidal, otherwise known as mite-killing, effect.

Mites, such as spider mites and clover mites, may attack your lawn. In this scenario, your lawn may develop dead-looking patches that stay straw-colored even when the rest of the lawn greens up. Your lawn care professional can inspect for mites and recommend treatments such as neem oil or insecticidal soap.

3. Fungicide

Although a fungus is a totally different type of organism than a mite or an insect, neem oil can be used to fight fungal infections as well. While it doesn't directly kill existing fungal growths, it does help control the spread of the fungus. This can help the plant fight the infection off, or make other treatments more effective because the fungus can't regrow easily on other parts of the plant.

As you can see, neem oil is a versatile lawn care substance that can be used for a wide variety of problems. Get in touch with your organic lawn care professionals today to learn more about this and other natural, organic treatments.


Share