NEEM TREE Seeds | Azadirachta indica

STEP 1 - Remove the seed from the husk. Soak the Neem seeds in a bowl of fresh spring water overnight.

 

STEP 2 - Plant your Neem seeds 1cm deep into individual pots filled with a Seed Raising mix. Neem seeds require a consistent temperature between above 25’C to germinate well. Mist the soil with fresh spring water.

 

STEP 3 - Neem tree seeds have a high germination rate, between 60% - 90%. Neem seeds usually germinate in 2 - 3 weeks.

 

STEP 4 - Once your seedlings emerge and are 5cm tall they are ready to be planted out.

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES: It is known that Neem seeds are not viable for long. It is generally considered that after 2-6 months in storage they will no longer germinate. However, some recent observations of seeds that had been stored in France indicated that seeds without endocarp had an acceptable germinative capacity (42 percent) after more than 5 years. Refrigeration is also said to extend the viability.

According to the Forest, Farm, and Community Tree Network (FACT Net), the viability of fresh seed decreases rapidly after two weeks, and improperly stored seeds have low germination rates. Ripe seed should be collected from the tree and processed immediately. First the pulp is removed and the seeds are washed clean. Seeds are air dried for 3-7 days in the shade, or until the moisture content is about 30%. They can then be stored for up to four months if kept at 15°C. Seed will remain viable even longer if dried to 6-7% moisture content and refrigerated in sealed containers at 4° C.

Neem is considered to be a pharmacy in its own right in India, where every part of the plant is used medicinally.

 

It contains a number of medically active substances including meliacins, triterpenoid bitters, tannins and flavonoids.

 

It is one of the most important detoxicants in Ayurvedic medicine and a potent febrifuge.

 

It is a bitter, tonic herb that acts as an alterative, clearing toxins, reducing inflammation, lowering fevers, promoting healing and generally improving bodily functions.

 

It destroys a wide range of parasitic organisms and is spermicidal.

 

It is not usually given to the very young, the old or the weak.

 

Leaf teas are traditionally used to treat malaria, peptic ulcers and intestinal worms.

 

The leaf juice is applied externally to ulcers, wounds, boils and eczema.

 

An oil extracted from the seed is strongly anti fungal, anthelmintic, antiseptic and purgative.

 

It is applied externally in cases of leprosy and is also used as a vehicle for applying other active ingredients to the body.

People use the twigs as toothbrushes, where they help to firm up the gums and prevent gum disease.

 

Dentists find them effective in preventing periodontal disease.

The bark is bitter and astringent.

 

A decoction is applied externally to haemorrhoids.

Neem oil is a powerful spermicide and can therefore be used as an inexpensive birth control method.

 

Neem oil has been used traditionally as a topical treatment for skin symptoms in both humans and livestock, but it should not be ingested orally.

Neem has proved effective against certain fungi that infect humans. In a laboratory study, Neem preparations showed toxicity to cultures of 14 common fungi.

 

The Neem tree has suppressed several species of pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella typhosa and Staphylococus aureus.

Various parts of the Neem Tree have anthelmintic, antiperiodic, antiseptic, diuretic and purgative actions and are also used to treat boils, pimples, eye diseases, hepatitis, leprosy, rheumatism, scrofula, ringworm and ulcers.

The fruits are eaten fresh or cooked, or prepared as a dessert or lemonade-type drink.

Young leaves and flowers are cooked. A very bitter flavour, they are often eaten as an appetizer.

Sap obtained from the branches and roots is fermented and drunk.

Being drought resistant with a well developed root system capable of extracting nutrient from the lower soil levels, it is a suitable tree for dune fixation.

 

The large crown makes it an effective shade tree, planted widely as an avenue tree in towns and villages and along roads in many tropical countries. Because of its low branching, it is a valuable asset for use as a windbreak.

 

Intercropping Neem with Pearl Millet, Pennisetum glaucum, has given good results in India.

 

Farmers in India use Neem cake (the residue left after extracting oil from the seeds) as an organic manure and soil amendment. It is believed to enhance the efficiency of nitrogen fertilisers by reducing the rate of nitrification and inhibiting soil pests including nematodes, fungi and insects. The leaves and small twigs are used as mulch and green manure

Neem extracts may have toxic effects on fish and other aquatic wildlife and on some beneficial insects. Therefore, care should be taken that any unused extracts are disposed of by exposing them to heat or sunlight to break down the active compounds.

The Neem tree is a potent insect repellent. The dried leaves are used like mothballs in linen cupboards and also placed within books in libraries.

 

The principal active compound is called Azadirachtin.

 

Extracts can be made from leaves and other tissues, but the seeds contain the highest concentrations of the compound.

 

It acts as an insect repellent, inhibiting feeding, and disrupting insect growth, metamorphosis and reproduction.

 

Formulations based on Neem do not usually kill insects directly but alter their behaviour in significant ways to reduce pest damage to crops, and reduce their reproductive potential.

 

Azadirachtin affects insect physiology by mimicking a natural hormone. It has been shown to affect egg production and hatching rates.

 

Azadirachtin can inhibit moulting, preventing larvae from developing into pupae. Many foliage feeding species avoid plants treated with Neem compounds or cease eating after ingesting the Neem.

 

Its has proven effective as an anti feedant on about 100 insect species.

 

Thus the extracts work especially well to protect plants from defoliation without affecting beneficial pollinating insects like honeybees.

A traditional agricultural practice involves the production of ‘Neem Tea’. The seeds are dried, crushed and soaked in water overnight to produce a liquid pesticide that can be applied directly to crops. Crushed seed kernels are also used as a dry pesticide application, especially to control stem borers on young plants. These homemade remedies are often very effective in repelling pests or acting on insects as a feeding deterrent. The strength of homemade preparations can vary due to the concentration of Azadirachtin and other compounds in the seed, which can in turn depends on the genetic source of the seeds. It can also be affected by the process of handling and drying the seeds, contaminants in the water, and exposure to high temperatures or sunlight. The active compounds break down quickly, so an application of Neem tea generally provides protection for only about 1 week and is often applied under moonlight.

 

A non-drying oil extracted from the seed, called Margosa oil, has insecticidal properties.

 

It is also used in hair for lice and nit control.

 

The oil can also be used as a fuel in lamps.

 

The oil has long been produced in Asia on an industrial scale for soaps, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other non-edible products. The seed oil yield is sometimes as high as 50% of the weight of the kernel.

A resin, obtained from the trunk by wounding the bark, is added to soap, toothpaste and skin lotions. This high-protein material has potential as a food additive and is widely used in Southeast Asia as 'Neem Glue'.

People use the twigs as toothbrushes which are effective in preventing periodontal disease.

The tree bark contains 12-14% tannins. This compares favourably with conventional tannin chemicals.

The grain is rough and does not polish well.

 

It is highly prized for its insecticidal properties.

 

The wood is used to make wardrobes, bookcases and closets, as well as packing cases because of its insect repellent quality.

 

The wood is so highly valued as an insecticide that in some areas of Africa the tree is grown in hedges in order to provide easily obtained supplies of the wood.

 

The main stem of the tree is also widely used to make posts for construction or fencing because the wood is termite resistant.

 

Charcoal made from the wood is of excellent quality and the wood has long been used as firewood.