i am thinking of using neem oil as a precautionary thing. i bought a bottle of einstein oil today at my local hydro store. my question is.. how old should the plants be before i apply. and.. according to the directions on the bottle i should mix with a drop or two of gentle detergent. would ivory dish detergent be gentle enough? i go through the store today trying to pick a detergent and everything is labeled ultra concentrated. thank you in advance.

I would only use it if ya need it.

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-- just a thought--

Only use pest control when needed. If you are looking for bug prevention use lady bugs.

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http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/85056-skunk-1-sweet-island-skunk.html
Or you can look at my grow pics in my photo album

lady bugs? indoors? i have a closet grow going and theres a large tarp covering the doorway that is always left partially open in an air conditioned room. last night i went 2 go check on my babies and i saw this 1/8 inch long bug that was jus chillin on a leaf. when i disturbed it, it hopped onto the soil and i crushed it. i jus get paranoid i guess. i bought some yellow sticky traps and cut one big square in half and put each half at the base of each of the 2 plants. any suggestions or advice?

Ya i am indo to man ya they work grate. I had spider mights and decided to try them and worked out good if i got bugs or not i use them.

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http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/85056-skunk-1-sweet-island-skunk.html
Or you can look at my grow pics in my photo album

preventative measures are probably a better way to go than having to deal with the headache of trying to remove them. although its my first grow and i could be blowing smoke up your ass.
i asked a question on prevention and someone responded saying they use 1/4 the strength you are supposed to use, and he just wipes the rim of the pot with it. so it doesnt contact the plant and perhaps the fumes from the oil prevent mites.... he said he has had no problem with that method

Neem oil is a fantastic product and Einstein oil is one of the best. Waiting for a pest problem to occur may be alright for some people but I like to take care of things before there is a problem especially if you are trying to be fully organic. I usually wait 'til there about 6" before I start (just personal preference). As for a detergent you should try to find a wetting agent such as coco wet, these compounds are made specifically for plants; I don't like to use soaps on my ladies (again just a preference, but wetting agents will give you the same results). You don't even technically need to use the detergent it just makes it easier to get even oil dispersion in your sprays. Neem can leave your leaves a bit oily sometimes but don't worry about that, although I would suggest against using it after the first two weeks of flowering.