Dormant Spraying

[lupinfarm]

I need to Dormant Spray my fruit trees, and so I bought a Dormant Spray kit. On the box it says you need to spray just before the buds turn green on your fruit trees, on a low-wind, warm day.

Now the buds on my fruit trees aren't green, but the buds on my lilac bush are... so on a nice warm, low-wind day, in the next couple weeks could I spray my trees? What is the ideal time to spray your trees? Do you spray early morning? Is the first two weeks of March okay to spray in?

It's going to be fairly warm out this week and this month, I'm in Canadian Zone 5 (I think I'm US Zone 4?)

 

[patandchickens]

It's still a bit early for dormant oil spraying on fruit trees here. If things are more advanced where you are, you can do it I guess.

It is the *fruit tree* buds that you're looking to catch just before leaf-break. Ignore the lilacs, they have nothing to do with it

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[vfem]

I just sprayed mine here, and my trees have buds. I only used the neem oil... we're going with organic growing practices for now.

I'm guessing you should have a couple weeks left to go!?

 

[lupinfarm]

I actually just took a look at the box and it says when it is above 5 C during the day, spray early in the morning...

Tomorrow would be a great day to spray lol. It's supposed to be 10 degrees, and if it is warm enough in the morning I might spray, and the spray later on in the month as well.

The box said spray before the buds turn green. I need to get it good because we had some bad bugs last year, and I'm thinking maybe a spraying this week and a spraying in a couple weeks might be a good idea.

 

[journey11]

My ag ext calendar for my area said to spray dormant oil on Feb. 25th. I still haven't gotten around to it yet, but better soon! You're up there a little behind us, so it will be soon for you too.

 

[patandchickens]

It's really somewhat too early yet, lupinfarm. Look, if you don't believe me, here is an OMAFRA publication on the subject:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/hort/news/hortmatt/2008/04hrt08a4.htm

I am sure that googling can find other Ontario-origin recommendations, possibly even some other OMAFRA ones.

If you spray too early it is just pointless, you will not be killing anything; also it can be hard on the tree in some cases.

Also, remember that dormant oils only help against *certain specific* pests, not everything. So it would be worth considering *what* particular buggies you had trouble with last year.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat