Fruit Tree Maintanence

[bigredfeather]

I planted 3 apple, 3 pear, and 2 peach trees last Spring. I was wondering what do I need to do as far as spraying these trees this year? What do I need to use and when do I use it?

 

[Ridgerunner]

From a pamphlet from my Arkansas extension agent.

On a warmish day before new green growth is over 1/4" long, spray dormant oil for scale control. All tree fruits

Pink - just before blossoms open - Captan or Benlate for apple scab and cedar apple rust. Apples and pears

Pink - just before blossoms open - Streptomycin at 5 day intervals until flowers are gone for fire blight. Apples and pears.

Then there is a blurb on "general purpose mix" from petal fall until before harvest ona one to two week interval for many other things. Quite a few notes so I'll not type all of them.

There is a lot more, but maybe this will help. I'd suspect your Ohio extension agent has similar information.

Note: I strongly suspect this is not organic.

 

[vfem]

I only spray with neem oil, and I do that in 2 week intervals in the spring before growth starts (If it rains after a spray before the next, I spray again when warm and dry). Spray at dusk when the bees are no longer out.

I will be bagging my fruit after petal drop, but will still spray by weekly with neem oil. (At dusk on warm dry days.) This helps prevent fungus and keep several types of bugs away.

This is not the 'ideal', but it is the organic means to what my fruit trees need.

 

[jojo54]

In the spring I use dormant oil and lime sulfur before the tree buds out. I make my own oil using 1 Tbsp veg oil and 1 tsp dishsoap to 1 gallon of water. I add the lime sulfur and spray only once. This helps smother over-wintering bugs on the tree plus is a fungicide.