---
title: "This week I re-learned TWICE a valuable lesson learned the hard way!…"
description: "This week I re-learned TWICE a valuable lesson learned the hard way! 1) NEVER put neem oil or pest spray of any kind (even the DIY soap one) on your…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/64b2f0db85a0f7157fd5f2c2"
community: "Anything about plants"
author: "Danika"
published: "2023-07-15T19:17:47.917Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/z8NlNnzN2bCQiikKWmC4jfK47VZM9QjYJXPHMlEmazc/6c3cb15bbded4d9b96b13db85d56aa7a.webp?size=large"
---

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# This week I re-learned TWICE a valuable lesson learned the hard way!…

_Posted by Danika on 2023-07-15_

This week I re-learned TWICE a valuable lesson learned the hard way!  
1\) NEVER put neem oil or pest spray of any kind (even the DIY soap one) on your air-plants. They absorb everything through there leaves as it they were roots. They will die.  
2\) NEVER put Neem oil on your succulents. Powdery mildew or not. My giant Echeveria is now on deaths door. (Photo on right)

Found this funny post online to confirm my lesson: 🤣

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/z8NlNnzN2bCQiikKWmC4jfK47VZM9QjYJXPHMlEmazc/6c3cb15bbded4d9b96b13db85d56aa7a.webp?size=large)

## 9 comments

### Rhonda commented on 2023-07-15

Thanks for sharing this

### Mara commented on 2023-07-15

Man I’m sorry that happened. When I get powdery mildew on my plants, I fill up a spray bottle with roughly 8oz milk, 2 tbls baking soda and the remaining with water. The results have pretty good. As a preemptive, I sometimes use Neem Seed Meal in the soil of some of my plants.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/zAeBx6Vo0jqFOQ55isUxhizvDvi2sUjJemalwa__YoI/f5a66f286d434a36b51a1f5489af249f.webp?size=large)

#### Danika replied on 2023-07-15

Good to know!

#### Dave\_opuntiaface replied on 2023-07-16

Thank you. I have some various peppermint spray stuff in my Amazon cart. Adding baking soda. I did have to re-read the word “milk” because whoa. That feels like a brand new world.

### Elle Woods commented on 2023-07-15

I didn’t know that. I give everyone a neem oil bath weekly for prevention 😅

### Dave\_opuntiaface commented on 2023-07-16

So “on” or “in” with sucs? Meaning mixing neem in with watering. I do that. The other thing I won’t do again is egg water (boiled shells forever and ever). It smelled, and It was a waste of time for a “I wonder if this works.”

#### Danika replied on 2023-07-16

I did read on line somewhere that if using on succulents, to dilute neem quite heavily into water. I didn’t do that stupidly. Note to self. Read first. Then act. Just ignorantly thought the way i use it on leafy plants is same across the board. Nope! Ha ha! The pope of nope has spoken!

#### Dave\_opuntiaface replied on 2023-07-16

That pope sucks. Okay, yes, I have used it, but sparingly and really diluted. Regardless of that suggestion, I’m looking to ditch neem altogether. Regardless of dilution, it still shouldn’t touch sucs.

#### Dave\_opuntiaface replied on 2023-07-16

I nearly launched into my story of semi-understanding a certain soil additive, and then potting maybe six really precious plants in it. I will save it for when/if this place turns into a way to catalog my ramblings. Word

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