Posted by On a small one, yes. A neem leaf wash lifts the grey film of dust and town grime that settles on glossy foliage and leaves a natural sheen, and it works as well on a potted bay, olive or citrus as on a houseplant. The limit is reach: nobody washes a full-grown tree leaf by leaf, so on anything bigger than you can comfortably spray from the ground, do the lower branches you look at and leave the rest to the rain.
Where it earns its keep
- Bay, olive, citrus and camellia in pots on a patio or in a conservatory.
- Evergreen shrubs by a road or drive, where the leaves go dull with traffic film.
- Standard trees in tubs by a front door: the leaves are at eye level and the difference shows.
How
Make the wash as on our leaf-shine spray page. If the leaves carry a tacky film rather than dry dust, wash first with warm water and a drop of Ourons liquid soap, rinse, and then apply the neem wash; the wash on its own sits on top of grease rather than lifting it. Mist in the evening and let the foliage dry overnight. Wipe the leaves you can reach with a soft cloth for a faster sheen.
Once a month is plenty for outdoor foliage; rain does the bulk of the work between washes.