More gardeners are using neem to tackle pests and diseases, but is neem itself a good guy or not? Nelson's Bill Brett, horticulturalist and author of Garden Pest & Disease Control, concurs with Hamish. Christchurch gardener Sue Hesp has been happily using neem for eight years following her daughter's recommendation. Sue likes the idea of using neem because "it is not chemical" and hasn't seen any negative effects of using it in her garden. According to Christchurch garden centre Terra Viva, their neem oil and granules sales have increased 55 per cent since 2015, with the oil being more popular than the granules.

Source: Stuff June 02, 2019 12:56 UTC