Already in early spring you should think about spraying fruit trees. Low temperature and sometimes lack of sun mean that we rarely go out to the garden. Meanwhile, it is at this time of year that the most importantspraying of fruit treesis performed, which will prevent the appearance of diseases and pests during the growing season. Whichspring spraying of fruit treesis the most important and how to do it?
Spring spraying of fruit trees
When to start spring spraying of fruit trees
Spring spraying of fruit treeswe usually start at the end of February, when there are no leaves on the fruit trees yet.The dates of individual sprayings should be adapted to the weather conditions and the phase of plant development (phenological phase), because both spraying performed too early and too late will not be effective. spraying the trees at the moment when the pathogen enters the plant tissues
or when they spill out and infect the spores of fungi that cause diseases of fruit trees. Therefore, we follow the observations of developing buds, leaves and flowers.The first spring spraying of fruit trees is done before the opening of leaf buds , and the next ones in the leaf development stages, before the opening of flower buds, during flowering, etc.
Determining the proper date of spraying fruit treesrequires very careful observation of plants and their changes. For example, in the apple tree, which is the most frequently cultivated fruit tree, the flower buds are first green, then pink, and finally white. The pink bud phase is a sign to spray the apple trees with sulfur preparations against powdery mildew.
Remember!
It is impossible to set an exact, fixed calendar date for each spraying, because each year the date may differ depending on the influence of the weather on the growth rate of plants.To determine when to spray fruit trees, use the phases of plant development , according to the fruit tree spraying schedule and the information on the recommended spray date on the label of the protection product.
How to do spring spraying of fruit trees
When performingspring spraying of fruit trees , we must ensure that all shoots and branches of the sprayed tree are thoroughly covered with the spray liquid. Spray the fruit trees with the finished preparation from the base of the trunk to the last shoots of the crown. In some cases, such as duringspring spraying with oil preparationsagainst pests, you should spray the trees so generously that the liquid drips from the twigs and shoots. We act differently in the case ofspring copper sprays , which should be performed in points, e.g.only on the twigs on which the buds are developing and do not let the spray drip.
Spray fruit trees in spring on a windless, warm and cloudy but rainless dayDo not spray on a sunny day, because then the shoots could be burned. And in the event of rain immediately after spraying, the protective agent can be washed off and the treatment will have to be repeated.
The temperature of the air in which we spray is also importantIf the temperature is too low, measures plant protection are much less effective. Information on the temperature range in which a given protective preparation can be used can be found on the label attached to it. For example, popularpreparations for spring spraying of fruit treesMiedzian 50 WP and Syllit 65 WP are used when the air temperature is above 6 ° C.
Spring spraying of fruit treesis an important element of plant care in the orchard. Failure to spray may result in deterioration of fruit quality, lack of yield or complete dying off of the tree exposed to disease and pest attacks.
Spring pest spraying of fruit trees
Preparations we useSpring spraying of fruit treesshould be selected according to the date of spraying, the type of plant being sprayed and the disease or pest we want to fight.
Chronological the first spray to be applied in most orchardswill be an oil spray to combat pests of fruit trees. This treatment destroys the winter spider mite eggs and the larvae hatching from them, as well as the plum bowl and aphids wintering on plants. This effectively prevents the appearance of these pests later in full vegetation.
Spraying over wintering pests can be carried out in February , although March will also be a good date. The following oils are recommended for this spraying: Emulpar 940 EC, Promanal 60 EC or Treol 770 EC. Spraying Promanal and Treol, which contain paraffin oil, should be done before the leaves appear.There is a high risk of phytotoxicity symptoms later. Only Emulpar, which contains palm oil, can be used on leafy plants, basically throughout the growing season (it can also be used as an intervention, after noticing pests on the plant).
Spring peach spraying
Another early spray that is unfortunately easy to miss is peach leaf curl spray.Sprinkle peach trees before breaking leaf buds when the temperature exceeds + 6 ° C(peach leaf buds should be observed at the end of February to catch their swelling, spraying is best done just before they break). The preparations of Miedzian 50 WP and Syllit 65 WP will be useful. It is important to cover all parts of the tree's crown with the preparation.
Spring spraying of stone trees
The aforementioned Syllit 65 WP will also be useful for spraying against plum cysts. Spray the plum just before breaking the leaf buds.
During the period of leaf bud swelling, you canspray peaches, apricots, cherries and plumsagainst bacterial cancer (you can use Miedzian 50 WP or other copper fungicides). Cancer spraying should be done mainly if we have encountered this disease in previous years or it occurs in the area (e.g. in neighbors' gardens).
At the beginning of flowering, in the white flower bud stage, plums, cherries and cherries are sprayedagainst the brown rot of stone trees. Miedzian 50 WP will also be helpful here. You can also prepare preparations of weeds and herbs yourself. For spraying on brown rot, you will need: horsetail decoction (used in dilution with water in a ratio of 1: 4), yarrow extract (dilute 1:10) and horseradish decoction or infusion (used without dilution).
Spring spraying of apple and pear trees
Apple sprayingin the period before the leaf bud breakand the green flower bud with Deltam (formerly sold under the name Decis) will help protect the plants from apple blossom. Thanks to thiswe avoid damaging the flower buds in the spring(the beetle larvae eat the inside of the flower buds, the petals dry up and the bud does not develop).
By usingsulfur preparations during the pink bud of an apple treewe protect it from mildew. We can use Siarkol Extra 80 WP or Siarkol 800 SC. Powdery mildew can also be fought ecologically by spraying fruit trees with yarrow extract, as well as the natural EVASIOL preparation of horsetail.
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Another of the most important diseases that we sprayfruit trees during spring sprayingis apple scab.When the leaves are showing up or when the flower bud is green, we use Miedzian 50 WP, Syllit 65 WP or Magnicur Gold. Pear scab is treated in the same way.
In the green and pink bud phase, apple trees are sprayed against aphids, spider mites, butterfly caterpillars, such as the spider mite and apple tentacle, as well as against apple fruiting body. Mospilan 20 SP will be useful for spraying aphids, caterpillars and fruiting bodies, while the spider mites can be treated with Nissorun Strong 250 SC or Ortus 05 SC.
We continue spring spraying of fruit trees during the flowering period.During this time, it is worth spraying apple and pear trees against scab, apple trees against mildew, and cherries, plums and cherries against bacterial cancer. We use the same agents as for the earlier spraying.
Eng. landscape architect Piotr Moliński
