Today I planted a neem tree that I got from Yuri and they can get pretty tall. I’m pretty excited because his neem trees make really big seeds. From the seeds an oil can be pressed and the neem oil is a natural insecticide used in organic farming. We use it a lot in the garden. A small amount of oil is diluted with water, shaken well and is sprayed on the crop repeatedly. The neem oil tastes so disgusting to the insects that they stop eating and starve to death and it slows down the development of newly hatched baby insects too. Luckily for humans there is no bad taste, although I wouldn’t recommend taking shots of it.
Actually the whole tree is medicinal. In India there are records dating back 4500 BC for it’s medicinal uses for pain, fever, and infection relief. Modern scientists are recently documenting it’s antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-venom, anticarcinogenic, antiparasitic, and immune boosting properties. A tree like neem is an invaluable resource for developing countries where over 80% of the population rely strictly on traditional medicines for their health care and well being.
Dried neem leaves are put into cupboards, drawers, beds, books and food storage bins to repel insects. Neem bark is used for digestive disorders. The oil is used for skin disorders. Neem leaf tea reduces symptoms and speeds up recovery from dengue fever. Neem twigs are great for teeth cleaning. The list goes on and on for this miracle tree.
Originally posted on 2021-09-14, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.