Whats BTI? I have azamax which I think is made with neem oil. Whats the difference between neem cake and neem oil?
Bti is a bacteria strain that is in mosquito dunks, I here mixing it in the soil helps get rid of fungus gnats.
Copy and paste from lumperdawgz from GC
In this instance, the term cake and meal are interchangeable. Neem seed cake/meal is the dried residue after the oil has been pressed from the seeds.
All parts of the neem tree contain the agent
Azadiractin (among 60+ others equally important) that provides a defense against molds, nematodes, leaf-eating insects, et al. This includes the leaves, bark, seeds, roots, branches, etc.
The pressing does not remove all of the oil or the active agents. The Azadiractin level of the meal is generally about 1/3 - 1/2 of the PPM level of the oil that was pressed, i.e. if the neem oil tests out at 1500 PPM for Azadiractin then you could figure that the meal/cake would come in at 500 PPM - 750 PPM.
The cake is helpful in any type of organic growing environment. It has a solid NPK profile (if you're one of those who subscribes to that paradigm), a complete micro-nutrient component as well as trace elements, phytohormones (Abscisic acid, Auxins, Cytokinins, Ethylene, Gibberellins) Vitamin C, citric acid, saponin, et al. providing improved conditions for the nitrification process, preventing root rot and other anaerobic-related problems like root aphids, gnats, etc.
The neem seed cake also triggers a plant's defenses through a number of agents it contains resulting in systemic defense against the invasive powdery mildew issues.
The meal/cake can also be used to make an effective tea during those times of the grow/flower cycle where using the neem oil may not be the best option. 1/2 cup of neem seed meal/cake and 1/4 cup of kelp meal along with 1
tsp. of liquid silica into 5 gallons of water and then bubbled/brewed for 18 - 24 hours. This can be used to irrigate the plants as well as applying as a foliar spray.
I'd recommend the neem & karanja seed meals from NeemResource.com - it's organic. It's Fair trade. It's Inexpensive. It's Effective. And the woman who heads this organization is the most informed individual I've ever talked with on the subject of neem tree products in general.
And her products are from India. There's a lot of neem products coming in from China and Africa. That's not necessarily a bad thing. However, the neem tree industry in India goes back several centuries. The tree is part of the worship of several incarnations of the Godhead including Krishna, Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, et al. and it's a part of the culture in the production regions and the industry is tightly controlled by the Parker India Group.
For me I consider neem cake as important as my other 'must have' for gardening, i.e. kelp meal, alfalfa meal and rock dusts.
Bummer. So what I'm going to do is put them in the in the canyon thats part of the property I live on. And try to keep the rest in veg with artificial light to get a bigger harvest anyways. Here I go.
