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sonny44_gw

Question on Spraying

sonny44
10 years ago

Like when and how often??

I sprayed dormant oil a few weeks ago.

Now I bought some BONIDE for my apples and peaches, mostly young trees. The directions say you can spray it up to harvest time. But when and how often? Just at random intervals through the summer?

Help!

Comments (4)

  • flatwoods_farm
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Read the directions

  • mamuang_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sonny,

    Spraying should be done as needed.

    Do you know what problems your fruit trees have? Different fruit trees could have different problems.

    Some spray needs to be done when trees are dormant as a preventative measure like your dormant oil. Other is used when your trees shows signs or symptoms.

    I am not a fan of Bonide Fruit Tree spray. Many people here are not, either. Generally speaking, it' s not effective. If you have not opened it, you may want to return it.

    If you can be specific about what you try to prevent, people will give you answers.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well you can also spray as a preventive. I know I do! I'm not waiting for my fruit to be ruined to see I have a problem.
    Bonide also is not the best product I have heard, I'm still experimenting and learning myself. Stark bros gives these suggestions for that product:

    Spray every 7 days with Bonide® Fruit Tree Spray as a preventative measure. Cease spraying 14 days before harvest. No more than 2 applications per year.

    -----------

    Or maybe you have this product?

    Spray every 7 to 10 days or after rain with Bonide® Citrus, Fruit & Nut Orchard Spray as a protective spray for fungal diseases. May be used up to day before harvest.

    -------------

    If you have a specific problem, Using a product designed
    for the problem is better. Insect or fungus. First you have to figure out what the problem is.

    Also do not spray during bloom, you might kill bees.
    I would look around other threads for more advice too.
    You may want to go more organic, to do so you need to know exactly what is in each product. And some organics are highly toxic.

    I'm at this time only using preventative fungicides, and I'm researching insecticides currently. The only insect problem I have had are Japanese beetles. Well for now! I'm sure I will have other problems soon as my trees mature.

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Thu, May 2, 13 at 23:11

  • alan haigh
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alan Haigh- The Home Orchard and Nursery Co. alandhaigh@gmail.com

    REPRINT PERMISSION FROM ALAN HAIGH REQUIRED

    ________________________________________
    Low Spray Schedule for Home Orchards in the Northeast

    Here's my spray schedule for the scores of orchards I manage around SE NY adapted for home owners managing a few fruit trees. It has functioned well for me for over 2 decades, although J. Beetles and brown rot of stone fruit increases the number of sprays and necessary pesticides some years some sites. Stink bugs are also an increasing problem requiring more subsequent sprays when they appear. Time of spray is based on apple bloom as that is the predominant fruit here but I generally get away with spraying all trees at the time I spray apples.

    Please note that pesticide labels must be read before their use and my recommendations do not override the rules on the label. The label is the law. This document only communicates what has worked for me and your results may vary depending on local pest pressure, which may require a different spray schedule.

    Dormant oil (this is optional if there were no mites or scale issues the previous season, which is usually the case in home orchards). Do oil spray somewhere between the point where emerging shoots are 1/2" and the flower clusters begin to show a lot of pink. Mix Immunox (myclobutinol) at highest legal rate (listed on label for controlling scab and cedar apple rust on apple trees) with 1 to 2% oil. If it's closer to pink use 1%.

    Don't spray again until petal fall when petals have mostly gone from latest flowering varieties and bees have lost interest. Then spray Triazide (Spectracide Once and Done) + Immunox mixed together at highest legal rates. Repeat once in 10 to 14 days.

    Where I manage orchards, the space between earliest flowering Japanese plums and latest flowering apples is only 2 weeks or so which usually allows me to wait until the latest flowering trees are ready to begin spraying anything. Plum curculio seems to time its appearance conveniently to the rhythm of the last flowering apple varieties. This may not be true where you are.

    If plums or peaches need oil they may need application before apples. I’ve only had mites on European plums here and never need oil for other stone fruit.

    All this is based on plum curculio being your primary insect problem which is the case most areas east of the Mis. River. These sprays will also absolutely control scab, CAR and Mildew as well as most of the crop fatal insects. Apple fly maggot is an exception, but I haven't had much of a problem with this pest in the orchards I manage. This pest can be controlled with a lot of fake apples smeared with tangle trap.

    If you don't want to use synthetic chemicals try 4 applications of Surround about a week apart starting at petal fall. You may need to start on earlier flowering varieties as soon as they drop petals because Surround is a repellent and can’t kill eggs after they’ve been inserted into the fruit..

    Stone fruit may require the addition of an application or 2 of Indar (Monterey Fungus Fighter is closest available chemical for home owners) starting 4 weeks before first peaches ripen. Apricots must be sprayed sooner if they are scab susceptible with same compound.

    Because I manage so many orchards so far apart I have to resort to a spray schedule that is based on expectations rather than actual monitoring. You may be able to reduce insecticide sprays with monitoring but PC can enter an orchard over night and if your insecticide lacks kick-back (as is the case with Triazide), do a lot of damage in a couple of days..

    Other problems may occur later in the season and you will in time learn to monitor and react to the pitfalls.
    Good luck, Alan Haigh- The Home Orchard and Nursery Co.