The beginning of March is the time to start spraying fruit trees and conifers in order to combat wintering pests, before they even start to feed on our plants. Thanks to this, we will not harm pollinating insects that have not yet started their flights. We also perform the first spraying against fungal diseases. Here are the best ways to combat plant diseases and pests at the beginning of the growing season.
In March, we spray fruit trees and conifers to combat cuplets
It's getting warmer outside the windows, the days are getting longer, and the gentle rays of the sun are touching our face, a sign that it's high time to start working in the garden.At this time, the pests of our plants also come to life, with which you should start fighting as soon as possible. So early spring is the perfect time to stock up on the necessary plant protection products to keep our plants beautiful and he althy throughout the season.
Spraying fruit trees and conifers in March - pest control
March is the high time to apply the insecticide (preparation against insects) Promanal 60 EC on plums and conifers. It is a product based on paraffin oil, designed to combat spider mites, scots and gorse. Paraffin oil forms a coating on pests in the wintering stage and causes them to suffocate. We prepare the working liquid from 20 ml of the agent per 1 liter of water, and spray paraffin oil so that the joy flows from the trunks and branches. The treatment must be performed before the leaves appear on the trees and shrubs.
"Spraying Promanalem will protect our plum trees from attackfruit spider mite Spider mites are small yellowish-green to orange-red mites, commonly known as red spiders. By feeding on the plant, the fruit spider sucks its juices and causes yellowing, browning and plant death. The growth of the affected plant is stunted and the yield is significantly reduced.Spray plum against spider mitesbefore bud break. During this period, spider mites on fruit trees can also be combated with another agent based on paraffin oil - Treol 770 EC. "
Spring spraying of plums and conifers with Promanal 60 EC will also help in the fight againstJuneAmong the June we distinguish: bowls, scales and mealybugs. These are, for example, a plum tree, a spruce bowl, a thuja bowl or a yew tree bowl. They mostly feed on the stems and undersides of young leaves - they can often be found along the veins. Depending on the species, the pests can reach a size of up to 5mm. On plants, we find them in the form of growths created by the motionless body of the female.The female lays eggs under her body so that they are protected by a hard shell. The female of June can lay up to 2,000 eggs. Males are smaller than females, they can fly, but they do not have mouthparts, so they live very shortly. Young larvae spread throughout the plant immediately after lodging. Foraging scorms cause plant growth inhibition, distortions and death of shoots. The attacked plant becomes weakened and susceptible to diseases and attacks by other pests, gradually wilt, lose leaves and, as a result, die.
Spraying on conifers with Promanal 60 EC or Treol 770 EC will also prevent the attack ofelbowsOchojniki are aphids, common on spruce and larch. In spring, they feed on apical shoots, which transform into cone-shaped growths, the so-called galls. The next generations of the gorse develop inside the galls. Young galls are light green, and later turn brown. Galls obstruct the flow of water and mineral s alts in the shoot, which causes the shoot to lose needles and die.In June and July, the aphids on larch are covered with a white waxy discharge in the form of fluff and thus hidden, they feed and reproduce, giving birth to larvae. Galls should be removed from infested conifers and burned before larvae are released.Spring spraying of Promanal against the protrusionsshould be done when the temperature exceeds 12 ° C.
In March, we fight the gaiters, which cause the formation of characteristic conifers on the twigs, the so-called galls
At this time, you should also spray apple trees against apple blossom andapple honeyj. For this purpose, we can use the preparation Decis 2.5 EC (on average 1 ml / 1l of water). Spraying is performed during the flower buds bursting stage. However, remember not to use Decis more often than twice a season, because the pest may become resistant to the substance contained in it.
Spraying in March - fighting disease
In March, we enter the war path also with fungi that cause diseases in our plants. We start the war by dealing with the frizziness of peach leaves by spraying with fungicides: Miedzian 50 WP (24g / 1-2.5l of water) or Syllit 65 WP (7.5g / 1l of water). The trees should be thoroughly covered with the working liquid, but remember to perform the treatment before the buds break.
When the buds break, startprotecting apple and pear trees from scabThe most visible symptoms of scab are spots appearing on the upper surface of the leaves, initially olive in color, then increasing the surface and turning black and brown. Then the leaf surface becomes bulged, the leaf dries up and falls off. Similar symptoms appear on the fruit. In a more advanced stage, the peel of the fruit becomes corky, dries up, cracks appear, through which water escapes, causing drying and stunting of the fruit.
For protection against scab, it is recommendedAntracol 70 WG , because it is one of the few preparations at low temperatures, which is why it is irreplaceable in early spring (average dosage 4g / 1l of water).Another advantage of this preparation is the zinc content, which increases the resistance of plants to stressful conditions. When the outside temperature rises, it is recommended to use a mixture of preparationsAntracol + Magnicur GoldThese two preparations complement each other, creating a more effective protection against scab. In addition to chemicals, non-chemical methods must also be used, involving the removal and burning of dry leaves and fallen, dried fruit, in which the fungus spores can overwinter.
Spray the fruit plants againsttree cancerandbark gangreneFor this purpose, we use Topsin M 500 SC (dosage: 2.5 ml / 1l of water).All the above-described spraying of fruit trees in March is very important, because the fight against diseases such as curly peach leaves at a later date does not bring any results.
Weed control in March
March in the garden is also the beginning of the fight against weeds.There is probably no need to convince anyone about the need to combat weeds. Those who are happy to have a garden know perfectly well that the majority of their time is spent on maintenance work.March weed controlmainly involves the preparation of beds for sowing or the preparation of a place for setting up a lawn.
In small gardens, we can use mechanical weed control. We start treatments when the soil is dry, does not smear and does not stick to the tools. In order to stimulate the stocks of weed seeds in the surface layer of the soil, we use mechanical cultivation, thanks to this treatment we also improve the air-water and thermal conditions in the soil. Young weed seedlings will be destroyed during the next cultivation work.
Another weapon against weeds are herbicides, the so-called herbicides. From early spring, we can use glyphosate-based preparations, such asGlyphocide 360 SLor Roundup 360 SL. The preparation is applied after the emergence of weeds (preferably when they are about 5 cm or at least two leaves developed), but not later than 2-3 days before the emergence of the crops.The substance contained inside is absorbed by the green parts of the plant and transported directly to the roots, causing them to die. Yellowing and wilting are the first symptoms of the product and we can see them already 5-7 days after the treatment. On the other hand, the complete dieback of plants occurs about 3 weeks after spraying. In the place where we have applied glyphosate, we can grow all plants, but we do not start preparing for cultivation, sowing or planting earlier than 7 days after the treatment. Personally, I advise you to wait at least 2 weeks. Glyphosate is very effective in combating weeds, but is also often controversial due to its high environmental harm. We should also remember that it works in a non-selective manner (it destroys almost all plants), so it should not be used near crops. Selective herbicides are a safer solution.
Substrate decontamination and seed treatment
March is also a period of preparing seedlings and sowing seeds of flowers and vegetables.Prophylactically, before sowing or planting plants, the substrate can be decontaminated with Magnicur Energy 840 SL (recommended dose: 12.5 ml / 1 liter of water / 50 liters of substrate). This measure prevents the emergence of diseases such asphytophthoraandrotThese diseases cause browning and death of seedlings, as well as older plants. The spore-free medium is now ready for sowing or planting. Now you just need to select the seed correctly.
He althy seeds should be used for sowing, with high germination capacity and not containing weeds. One of the pre-sowing treatments is seed treatment. This treatment is used to destroy diseases and pests transmitted with seeds and to protect the seeds from infection or damage by soil pathogens. Seed treatment is beneficial in that it allows you to reduce the number of further protective treatments.
In amateur crops for dressing, first of all agents based on natural substances, such as e.g. Bioczos BR , produced on the basis of garlic. If necessary, stronger preparations are also available, such asZaprawa Nasienna T 75 DS / WS ,Topsin M 500 SCor Dithane NeoTec 75 WG. The topic of seed treatment is discussed in more detail in the article Dressing seeds and flower bulbs.
Immediately after planting, we can use Magnicur Energy andProplant 722 SLto protect the roots against infections caused by soil fungi or as an intervention at the first disease symptoms.
During cultivation, biotechnical plant protection products such as Biosept Active can also be used. It is a preparation made on the basis of grapefruit pulp and seed extract, used against fungal and bacterial diseases. Biosept can be used in any phase of plant development, starting from the seedling phase.These are, of course, only some selected protective treatments that should be performed in March. We hope that the most important of them were discussed.When reaching for the plant protection products listed in the text, remember not to overuse them and be especially careful when using them. In amateur crops on plots and in home gardens, it is recommended to use mainly natural, non-chemical methods of plant protection. We should reach for chemistry only when natural methods fail or turn out to be insufficient.
Aleksandra Dziugan-Smoleń
