How to grow neem

Growing neem for the first time

Difficulty: Hard · Sun: full sun · Ready in: about 720 days

1. Choose the spot

Pick a sunny spot (6+ hours of sun). It does best in sandy, loam soil with a pH of 6.2–7.0. Avoid clay soil, or improve it with compost.

2. Sow or plant

Start indoors or under cover in Apr, May. Space plants about 500 cm apart.

3. Look after it

• Water roughly every 7 days, more in hot or dry weather. Water the soil, not the leaves.
• No regular feeding needed in good soil — a mulch of compost is enough.
• Keep weeds down, and add a daily note and photo to your BeAgric grow diary so you can spot problems early.

4. Watch for problems

Common problems: Leaf spot, Powdery mildew. Take a photo with Check a plant if leaves look spotted, yellow or wilted.

5. Organic tip

Neem oil is itself a useful organic spray against aphids and mites.

6. Harvest

Expect your first harvest about 720 days after planting. Record it in Harvests and list any spare on the marketplace.