I think I might have accidentally ruined my succulents with neem oil! A while back, my planter got hit with an awful thrips infestation. To save them, I tried several methods: washing the plants, switching soil, and spraying a diluted mixture of soap and neem oil. Now, while the thrips are mostly handled, many of my succulents are losing leaves and showing signs of damage. Specifically, my pickle plants (Delosperma echinatum) developed sunken spots and the leaves started to detach. I'm starting to wonder if the neem oil mixture was too strong or if it was just a bad combo with the soap. Maybe it caused sunburn, or the treatment just dehydrated them too much? I'm hoping to learn if anyone's had a similar experience and how I might treat the remaining thrips without harming the plants more. If it helps, I'll upload a picture of the damaged leaves in the comments. I don't have much experience with succulents, so any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
I feel you! I've been battling thrips too, but I switched to using 70% isopropyl alcohol instead of neem, and my plants are handling it well. Maybe give that a try? Just spray it directly on any visible thrips, and it seems to work like a charm!
Sounds like you're really dealing with a tough situation! Neem oil can definitely cause leaf burn if it’s applied in direct sunlight. One tip I learned is to keep your plants out of the sun for a few days after the treatment. It helped my plants avoid that nasty burn!
Totally agree! Just switching to applying it in the evening or when it's cloudy could really save your succulents.
The type of neem oil really matters! Cold-pressed neem oil is generally less harsh, while regular neem can burn leaves. If you've used the latter, that might explain the issues. Always check the product you're working with!
That's exactly what I thought too! The damage looks like what happens when leaves get scorched.