Posted by A neem leaf-shine spray is a weak mix of neem oil in water, used to wash the dust off the leaves of houseplants and ornamentals and leave a soft, natural sheen. There are two ways to make one with Ourons products: with our water-soluble neem, which is pre-blended so it mixes straight into water, or with pure neem oil and our natural liquid soap. Both give the same milky wash.
With Ourons water-soluble neem
Shake the bottle, then stir the concentrate into tepid water. The rate is up to you. One part neem to ten parts water, 10 ml in 100 ml, gives a rich mix. One part to a hundred, 5 ml in 500 ml, gives a light wash, which is where we suggest you start. Shake, pour into a hand sprayer, and shake again before each use.
With pure neem oil and liquid soap
Pure neem oil floats on water, so it needs a little soap to carry it in. For each litre of warm water you need 5 ml of neem oil and 1 to 2 ml of Ourons liquid soap.
- Neem oil sets solid in a cool room. Stand the bottle, cap on, in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes until it pours.
- Measure the oil into a jug, add the soap and stir the two together until they form a smooth paste.
- Add the warm water a little at a time, stirring, then pour into a sprayer and shake until the mix turns milky.
The oil and water will start to separate as the sprayer stands, so shake it again every few minutes while you work.
Using the spray
- Work in the morning or evening rather than in strong midday sun, and let the leaves dry before the plant goes back into full light.
- Mist lightly over the top and underside of the leaves, then either wipe with a soft cloth or leave to dry.
- On a plant you have not washed before, do a single leaf first and look at it the next day.
- Keep the spray off open flowers and off fuzzy or very fine foliage; wipe those with a barely damp cloth instead.
- Once a fortnight is plenty for ordinary household dust.
Mix fresh
Make only what you will use in a session and use it within 48 hours; a diluted mix does not keep, so tip the rest away rather than storing it. The earthy neem smell is noticeable while the leaves are wet and fades as they dry.
If you would rather not mix
Our ready-to-use neem leaf spray is the same wash, pre-mixed: shake and use. There is more on which plants take a leaf wash well on our leaf polish, roses and cacti and succulents pages, and on timing on when to apply a neem leaf wash.