I will be no help as I would like to know the answer myself.
I will say that the only thing that I have done was to spray bordeaux after petal fall on my peaches and have completely eliminated the peach leaf curl that I had.

This year I need something in the spring (i Think) to work on a aphid problem that I have. Maybe a delayed dormant oil?

I'm thinking of painting my trunks again to protect against borers (etc), windburn, and sunburn. I did a mix I read about with Bordeaux and Latex because I thought I had bacterial gummosis at one point last year (probably did*), and it happened to be about this time of year. It didn't hurt and everything did great. So I might do that again :D

Unless someone has advice on that, of course :) I'm flying by the seat of my pants here this time of year, folks!

Great thread :) Sorry I'm a newb at all this.

* I also had to do a bit of surgery, but the combination did the trick. It was on an almond that came with a bad spot.

Meredith

Where did you read abouy Bordeaux in paint? Sounds interesting.

At what rate did you mix?

Mike

BUMP

There is very little, if any fall/winter spraying to do.

Most spraying is done to battle pests (although there are nutritional sprays and sprays to increase beneficial microbial activity). With coming of winter, there aren't as many pests to battle. Winter kills many weeds and insects alike. Most sprays are designed for the growing season.

There are exceptions. A couple that come to mind are peach leaf curl and borers. Borer larva overwinter in the bark or roots of trees. If one has borer problems, the larva can be destroyed by insecticides any time of the year - although generally there are optimum times to spray, depending on the borer.

Leaf curl can only be controlled by dormant sprays. Most commercial growers around here try to spray for it in the early fall because springtime is busier and wetter. Some folks on this forum claim they need multiple sprays to control leaf curl, but here one spray of chlorothalonil (fall or spring-dormant) will control it.

Olpea,

Well if you want to use something more organic, like sulfur, a couple of sprays is better. Thanksgiving and Valentines Day, Some do three, one at Christmas.Usually in Zone 9-10, .Or copper with dormant oil.Probably better but more toxic. Both works too! Two weeks apart.
If I have problems I'll try the chlorothalonil. I need copper and sulfur for other reasons, so it saves me from yet another payout. I have the stuff, it can be used instead, so I will try it.

I agreed with Olpea that there's not much to spray in the fall. Get rid off dropped fruit and rake away diseased leaves under the trees are important.

I assume different people use different products that work for them to fight diseases and bugs. In late fall (when most leaves fall - the rest I pick them off), I spray copper hydroxide (Kocide 3000) plus spreader/sticker once to prevent Peach Leave Curl.

I spray Kocide again in early spring before bud break to prevent bacteria spot on peach. It has worked well for me.

I do try to use less toxic products when I can. Come this spring, I may use sulfur more to prevent peach scab, brown rot and pear blister mites.

"Well if you want to use something more organic, like sulfur, a couple of sprays is better."

Drew,

I hope I didn't imply chlorothalonil was the only option for leaf curl. I too sometimes use an organic compound to control leaf curl. Like mamuang, I use Kocide 3000 if I want to knock down bac. spot inocculum and spray for leaf curl at the same time.

In my limited experience, chlorothalonil is slightly more effective against leaf curl (which parallels with university ratings) but copper is also a good product.

Copper is generally recognized as having a higher margin of safety than chlorothalonil, however in terms of the fruit, there would virtually no residue by the time fruit is ready to be harvested since it's sprayed in the dormant season.

Interestingly both chlorothalonil and copper can be used right up to the day of harvest on tomatoes.

Well that's a plus about tomatoes, as I grow them too, no, Olpea I got what you're saying just adding to the thread as it was asked. I heard a radio garden show where besides a lime-sulfur spray (and this is what you should use, not just sulfur), recommended Mancozeb for peaches, which is a zinc spray. I know zinc also has anti-fungal properties, is great to kill moss too, but other than that, have no experience. Yeah I put zinc strips on my cottage roof to prevent moss from growing on the very shaded roof. Worked like a charm! When it rains, the zinc runs over your roof from the zinc strip.

Thanx everyone...

This does not mean that this conversation should be over.

As new thoughts or suggestions come up please add them.

I will be applying Ferti Lome ( streptomycin) for fire blight protection and follow up later in the fall with a dormant copper spray. and.... then wait for spring !!!!

Mike