Does Anybody Have An Apple Orchard Spray Program?

[MossRoad]

Moss, I had the inclination to spray a lot of chemicals but there is the real risk of making the insects immune to the sprays. EPA limits the fruit tree spray to twice a year. I want to be responsible with chemicals and it is my assessment that organic apples are not that abundant. I may have screwed up early in the spring because the apples showed signs of plum curculio, a pest prevalent in the east. It apparently infects the fruit buds when they are small. They happen early June every year.

I hear you. We just have a few fruit trees. Three apples, two cherry, three pear, a peach, two apricot, two nectarine and a couple filbert bushes, and three grapevines. Between freeze, frost, fungus, diseases, insects, birds, squirrels and woodchucks.... well.... I'm happy if I get to eat anything off those each year. I have a great respect for orchard owners that can manage it without over-applying the chemicals. It's too tempting just to shotgun spray for everything all the time just in case. But I imagine that's what they have to do.

 

[California]

tempting just to shotgun spray for everything all the time just in case.

I think that's a part of the bee decline.

 

[RalphVa]

Your local extension office can supply you with a commercial spray schedule. However, unless you're growing to sell to the public, why mess around with so many sprays (there are A LOT) and poison yourself. If you want sprayed fruit, buy from the grocery store.

In my experience, use of 1 or 2 dormant oil sprays during the winter time will take care of almost all bugs that want to burrow or mess up your apples. The main other problem that apples have in our area of central Va is fire blight. It can be controlled by proper pruning or with streptomycin. I had 3 or 4 apple trees in NJ for 20 years. I only ever did the dormant oil sprays. They apparently don't get fire blight much there.

Ralph

 

[HillStreet]

Fish head bob,

I have not dismissed IPM because I do not wish to spray anything that is not useful. In other words I am trying to be responsible. What I知 saying is when I miss a signal, or misinterpret what I see, I lose the entire crop with bugs and other diseases. I have read IPM, and understand it痴 principles, but if I miss something I lose the whole crop. When I talk about resources I am not talking about money/costs.

 

[HillStreet]

... and if you don't know which pest you're dealing with, you may spray at the wrong time.

If you read the instructions on, say, Bonide fruit tree spray, and you want to use it on apples, it lists 6 stages of when to spray, but it specifically says to never spray apples more than two (2) times per year. So you have to pick the two best times to spray, based on the specific pests you intend to deal with.

Moss, I understand the theory. However, bugs of all shapes and sizes come at different times of year. For example, plum curculio comes every June. I have not seen one, but the apples show problems. Too late to spray then. Plus, this doesn稚 even consider all the disease issues such as apple scab, sooty blotch, etc.

 

[Diggin It]

I disagree. An IPM education is just that, an education. I am a small Christmas tree grower ....

I thought about that too, but what do you do with the stumps after you cut?

 

[Diggin It]

Three apples, two cherry, three pear, a peach, two apricot, two nectarine and a couple filbert bushes, and three grapevines.

No partridges? ;-)


I just put a few in this year. It will be a while before I see any results, but I don't plan on doing a lot of spraying. I won't strive to be 'organic' either though.

 

[Jstpssng]

No partridges? ;-)


I just put a few in this year. .

Just curious, how do you put in partridge? My place was loaded with them when I bought it, not there are very few to be found.

Don't you hate it when people take your post out of context?

 

[HillStreet]

I just spoke with an acquaintance from a farmers group that we belong to. He is very disappointed in his crop this year because of a disease on his apples. He is using an IPM designed by someone else. His family have been orchardists for 100+ years, so it does perplex everybody.

 

[Jstpssng]

That stinks. How was your crop this year? What kind of apples are on the old trees? I spoke to the farmer who I used to work for, even as dry as it's been he's picking some huge apples. His father planted the trees in 1954, and the root systems must go deep enough to find water.