Did someone tell you to spray a plant twice in 3 days? I would defoliate too under those conditions. Getting heavy handed with any chemical after a repot is not a wise decision. I don't even spray soapy water that often. I would keep the plant in a shady location, don't overwater, and leave the neem oil alone. Pick off any offending survivors you might find down the road. You can't do anything about dead leaves unless your plant's name is Lazarus and you have divine powers. I've never liked Black olive because they seem finicky and don't tolerate my kind of abuse. randy

And learn to spray only in the early AM, never in the direct sun or the heat of the day, and to lightly mist the plants rather than drenching them. Aim for the bugs - not the whole plant. Dave

Please note the following reaserch of internet data; 1: A very popular pest control product is neem oil. Neem oil is extracted by pressing the seeds of the Indian neem tree. The resulting oil concentrate can be purchased at quality garden stores. Neem is generally applied in a spray to the entire plant. Don��t forget to spray the underside of leaves, because many insects will hide there. The dilution rate for mixing the neem oil is one to two teaspoons per quart of water. To help the oil and water mix, try adding a couple drops of hand soap; make sure the soap is not antibacterial. When the sprayed neem oil comes in contact with the garden pests, the active ingredient, azadirachtin, confuses the insect��s growth hormones. On young garden insects or eggs this contact will cause the insect to never reach sexual maturity, meaning that no offspring will be produced. Neem oil is effective against spidermites, aphids, scales, fungus gnats and even harms beneficial insects. Neem can also effectively remove powdery mildew and rust. HOWEVER; Neem oil should not be used on edible plants and are going to be consumed. Neem oil is a SYSTEMIC PESTICIDE and will be ABSORBED DIRECTLY INTO the plant that it is being used on (you may also only just place it in the surrounding soil and it WILL absorb it). If one does intend to use neem oil on a plant that is edible, it is best to make sure that none of the neem oil comes into direct contact the with fruits or vegetables (Best Practice). 2: Reported effects of neem oil on humans are summarised. Two cases were described where oral administration to young children resulted in acute toxic effects. The oil, even in small amounts (5ml)was reported to cause toxic encephalopathy. Features were vomiting, drowsiness, tachypnoea, and recurrent generalised seizures. Laboratory tests showed that the oil causes leukocytosis and metabolic acidosis (Lai et al., 1990). Sinniah et al. (1982) reported the case of a child, who died after administration of the oil as treatment for a cough. Autopsy findings revealed changes in the liver and kidneys consistent with Reye��s syndrome but unlike those described in acute aflatoxicosis. As aflatoxins have been identified in oil samples, the toxic action of the oil may have been due to the synergistic effects of aflatoxins and other toxic components in the oil. In indigenous medicine in India, the oil is considered to have a contraceptive activity 3: It should NOT be given internally to the weak, very young or the old and must be avoided by any pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant. High continuous intake could cause liver problems. Neem seed oil CAN (as its been reported), when taken internally, produce a toxic effect in humans, and side effects include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, acidosis, encephalopathy, etc amongst other things. The toxic effects might be due to the presence of aflatoxin and other toxic compounds present in Neem oil. Neem oil shows toxicity to fish like tilapia and carp, and oral administration of the oil in rats and rabbits (at 14 ml/kg and 24ml/kg respectively) produced a severe hypoglycaemic effect and possibly targets the central nervous system and lungs. Taking Neem oil internally is not recommended and taking internal doses as small as 5 ml has killed infants �V I would recommend to err on the side of safety. Neem capsules containing the aqueous extract are also sold �V but it is an extract from the leaves, and is not the oil itself. If you do your research beyond the blue i think there is more to the story. Personally try these Red Pepper, Garlic and Onion Spray Chop an unpeeled onion and a head of garlic. Simmer the onion and garlic with 15 ml (1 tbsp) cayenne pepper in about 1.5 litres (2 �� pints) water for 20 minutes. Cool the mixture, pour into a jar, seal, stand for six weeks and strain into bottles. To use, mix 15 ml (1 tbsp) of this mixture with 750 ml (1�� pints) water. Add a little soap solution. Use as a general pest spray as well as for caterpillars. Note: Do not allow this to come into contact with eyes or skin. You can find these and more at www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/Insect.html other organic sites also state use of edible oil to be mixed in to these "like" ingredients.

Plants don't actually breathe like humans, however they do go through a similar process called respiration. The small holes under a plant's leaves called a stomata lets oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out. So that is why I would wash them leaves off if you have used too much oil in order to allow my plant to breathe. That is why you must follow the directions closely as Dori say's. It is better to use little than more. That is why you are suppose to give a few days between each spray of oils. In my case, when I feel I have sprayed to often, then I wash the leaves off after 20 minutes because by then you will have suffocated any pest and re-opened the stomata. Mike This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Mon, Jan 21, 13 at 18:38