I made a mix of 1:8oz neem oil: water solution to treat some indoor plants against insects occassionally. I wonder how long, if at all, this solution can be stored and remain effective? It's in a sealed bucket stored indoors and I'm thinking I can mix it well before use and simply continue to use it as long as it lasts, but I wasn't able to find info on whether or not the solution will loose its effectiveness being stored like this over time (and if so, over what timespan).
Can a solution of neem oil and water remain effective through storage, and if so, for apx. how long?
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It is stored in the dark (a bucket with a sealed cover over it) so light is not an issue. It is already mixed with water, and the bucket was not sterile, so microbes could be an issue.– cr0May 11, 2017 at 14:40
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Banned - wow! I didn't know that. I thought it was a fairly safe option, and occurring naturally makes me more confident it won't have unintended consequences. Apparently the EU disagrees - I'll have to look into why.– cr0May 11, 2017 at 15:21
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I'm new to this substance, and have only used it once so far, after finding out it's a great solution to my current black cherry aphid (aka cherry blackfly) problem, but all of the information I have found so far says to make a fresh batch each time, and use within a few hours.
Here'a quote from www.discoverneem.com:
Use your neem insect spray as quickly as possible, definitely within eight hours. Once mixed with water the neem oil starts breaking down. Always make a fresh batch for spraying, and only prepare the amount you need.
