How to spray fruit trees from diseases and pests

Despite successful breeding activities and the emergence of new varieties that are resistant to certain external influences, it is still impossible to grow a healthy crop without systematic treatments of fruit trees. Therefore, every gardener needs to know how and when to spray fruit trees.

Work in the garden begins in early spring, with the snow melting. As soon as the sun has warmed up, it is already possible to open and ventilate winter shelters during the daytime, prune trees and prepare for the first spring spraying.

The need for spring processing

In the spring, along with the trees, pests also wake up from hibernation and begin to actively feed on the blossoming tender buds and leaves. Intensively sucking juices from leaves and flowers, beetles and caterpillars cause irreparable harm to plants. As a result, the garden will not only not give a full-fledged harvest, but may even die.

Spring processing of the garden includes whitewashing boles, digging tree trunks, in which pests hiding in the bark or in the soil under fallen leaves are destroyed, as well as spraying fruit trees and shrubs. Early treatment is also important because trees and shrubs do not yet have ovaries and fruits in which chemicals used for spraying could accumulate.

Today’s tree spraying preparations allow you to choose from a variety of chemical or biological means of influencing pathogenic microflora and insect pests. However, many gardeners try to get by only with folk methods.

Biological agents

Biological methods of plant protection are gaining more and more popularity. Their action is based on the activity of living entomophagous microorganisms or the toxins they secrete. Entomophages are divided into two groups according to their lifestyle and nutritional habits – predators and parasites. Entomophages can be called live insecticides, some of their species are even specially bred in laboratories to be released into fields or greenhouses. Therefore, choosing how to spray fruit trees, you can pay attention to beneficial insects. Among the most famous beneficial predators are:

• ground beetle eating butterflies and their pupae – up to 300 individuals during one season;
• ladybug is an excellent aphid hunter.

Entomophages can be distinguished by their behavior – they are very active, while pests are usually inactive.

For this purpose, you can use celery, buckwheat, dill and many other plants.

Of the preparations for spraying fruit trees, based on biological action, it can be noted:

• “Trichodermin” – it is used already during the appearance of the kidneys and then the whole season, its active substance is a fungus, effective against scab, various types of rot;
• “Planriz” contains bacteria that act against powdery mildew, leaf rust and lepidopteran insects;
• “Pentafage” effectively protects against bacterial cancer, perforated spotting and scab;
• “Phytodoctor” acts against late blight and fusarium, root rot;
• “Fitosporin-M” suppresses many bacterial and fungal diseases;

  

• “Gaupsin” – a universal remedy against pests and diseases;
• “Mikosan” forms a thin protective film on plants from pathogens.

Particular attention should be paid to Nemabakt. It contains parasitic entomophages that penetrate the larvae and destroy them. They are capable of:

• during the season, clean the garden from harmful insects;
• overwinter safely, benefit in the next season.

Biological spraying agents have undoubted advantages:

• they will not accumulate in the soil and fruits;
• do not cause burns to plants;
• used in small quantities.

At the same time, biological preparations for spraying fruit trees do not act as quickly as pesticides. Their use is effective only when garden pests appear, that is, at temperatures above +10 degrees. Therefore, the first spraying in the garden in early spring will have to be carried out with chemicals.

Chemical methods

Chemical means of protecting trees cope much faster with harmful insects and diseases. In large farms, where the main task is to obtain a beautiful presentation from the fruits, up to one and a half dozen sprayings are carried out per season. However, in smooth, shiny fruits, residual amounts of chemical compounds accumulate.

Summer residents are trying to reduce the amount of chemicals used to spray fruit trees from pests and diseases. However, it is difficult to completely abandon them. When working with pesticides, you need to keep in mind:

• drugs act quickly;
• their effect persists for a long time;
• each of the compounds decomposes within a certain period;
• drugs are highly soluble in water.

The disadvantages of chemicals for spraying trees include:

• the need for accurate dosage, otherwise severe burns can be applied to plants;
• causing harm to the environment;
• addictive pests to drugs, which forces you to increase the dose or change it;
• spray preparations can also harm pets.

Most often, chemical protection is used:

• a solution of copper sulfate, which can be used throughout the season against putrefactive processes and many other diseases;
• iron sulphate is important for the full development of plant cells and their saturation with iron;
• Bordeaux liquid, which is also called “blue spraying” – is used without fail;
• urea or carbamide is used not only as a top dressing, but also as a pest control;
• drug N 30 – has long been known as an effective remedy for aphids and caterpillars.

Especially popular is the “blue spraying” of fruit trees, that is, their treatment with Bordeaux mixture. It consists of copper sulfate, which gives the solution a bright blue color, and lime. As a result, the solution acquires a pleasant blue color. Bordeaux liquid is indispensable in the fight against scab, which especially affects young trees in a long cold spring.

Folk remedies

For those gardeners who categorically refuse to spray with chemicals, there are many time-tested folk remedies. These include:

• many types of weeds;
• medicinal plants, such as chamomile and nettle;
• garden crops – dill, garlic, hot pepper;
• potato and tomato tops;
• pine needles:
• products – salt, dry mustard.

The preparation of solutions for spraying trees is also not difficult. Usually the grass is crushed and poured with cold water for 2-3 days. An infused and filtered solution is used to spray fruit trees and shrubs. Smoking trees with smoke from tobacco dust is useful – it helps to get rid of aphids and other pests. The choice of improvised options for spraying trees is great, but their effectiveness is much lower and requires more frequent treatments. Therefore, it is up to each gardener to decide how to spray fruit trees.

Many gardeners successfully use potassium permanganate spraying in the fight against garden and garden diseases. More recently, this substance was a cheap and affordable antiseptic, but now, unfortunately, it is classified as a prescription drug. However, if there are old stocks, it will become an effective remedy against late blight on vegetable crops and fungus on berries and even fruit trees.

Experienced gardeners prepare a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate and store it in a dark place. As necessary, it is diluted with water and mixed with copper sulphate is used for spraying berry bushes – raspberries, currants and others. Spraying fruit trees and shrubs with potassium permanganate is carried out:

• in early spring before buds appear;
• late autumn – at the end of the growing season.

Potassium permanganate is also used:

• as a source of manganese and potassium for feeding berry bushes, especially those growing on sandstones;
• soil disinfection under trees and shrubs;
• for disinfection of garden tools.

Factors Affecting Processing

In the spring, spraying fruit trees takes place in 4 stages:

• the first is carried out when the kidneys are still sleeping;
•  in the phase of the so-called green cone, when its tip has just appeared, “blue spraying” is carried out;

  

• the third treatment of fruit trees is carried out when flower buds have already formed, but have not yet opened;
• after the end of the flowering phase, another treatment is carried out.

The exact timing of spraying fruit trees and the type of preparation are determined depending on:

• on the specific climatic conditions of the region;
• weather features of the coming season;
• tree age;
• prevalence of a certain pest in the region;
• plant vegetation phases;
• the degree of aggressiveness of the drug;
• the timing of the appearance of different types of pests.

Spring processing calendar

The first spraying of trees is considered the most important, it is carried out before the buds begin to bloom. During this period, those insects wake up that have overwintered in the bark of a tree and near-stem soil, for example, bark beetles. As soon as the snow melts and the sun warms a little, the trees are processed. Pesticides can be used as they are effective against insects but will not harm the tree. The schedule for spraying fruit trees and shrubs in the spring is presented in the table.

Schedule of spring treatments with chemicals in the garden

Before using the drug for spraying fruit trees, you need to carefully read the instructions. It contains information about:

• What kind of pests is it effective against?
• what should be the concentration of the solution;
• are there any contraindications;
• for which phase of vegetation the drug is applicable;
• what can be the frequency of treatments.

For each phase of plant development, certain pests are characteristic, therefore, it is necessary to choose the right preparation for spraying, otherwise its use will not give the desired effect. For example, an apricot is afraid of perforated spotting, as well as moths or leafworms. For apple and pear trees, the caterpillars of the codling moth, mites, and scab are the most dangerous diseases. Aphids infect almost all plants.

More often, 3% Bordeaux liquid is used for the first spraying. You can buy it in a kit or cook it yourself. Bordeaux liquid can be replaced with urea with the addition of a small amount of copper sulfate. Such a composition has the property of slowing down the beginning of the growing season for ten days, which will protect the tree from recurrent frosts.

The final processing of the garden in the spring should be carried out no earlier than 2-3 weeks after the end of flowering. It completes the stages of spring spraying of fruit trees and is directed against caterpillars of various pests, weevils, mites, aphids and possible pathologies.

Summer and autumn treatments

Spraying of fruit trees is carried out throughout the growing season, depending on their condition. But too frequent treatments can also damage plants – table 2.

Schedule of spraying fruit trees during the growing season

summer spraying

The processing of fruit trees and shrubs in the summer requires taking into account some features:

• there is a lot of foliage on the trees, and it can get burned if the spraying agent is chosen incorrectly or its concentration is too high;
• for young seedlings, the concentration of the fungicide solution should be much lower;
• by the end of summer, many fruit varieties ripen, which requires caution when processing;

  

• many drugs will also harm beneficial insects, so it is advisable to reduce the number of sprays and fight pests with trapping belts;
• it is also recommended to use folk remedies – infusions of onions, garlic, dandelion roots;
• An effective way to deal with aphids is to plant tobacco in the garden, the smell of which they are afraid of.

Summer spraying of fruit trees is mainly directed against:

• caterpillars of the apple codling moth;
• larvae of bark beetles;
• different types of aphids;
• spider mites.

Autumn work

One of the most important types of seasonal work in the garden is the autumn spraying of fruit trees, since at this time there is an active reproduction of pathogenic microflora. Especially contributes to this process wet warm weather. If the trees are not processed before wintering, disturbances in their development will appear in the spring, which will also affect the quality of the crop.

The best remedy for autumn spraying of fruit trees is Bordeaux liquid. It can be replaced with copper sulfate. These agents have a good disinfecting effect. It is also useful to whitewash the tree trunk, filling all the cracks and pores on the trunk with a solution.

Garden sprayer

It is difficult to manually carry out numerous garden sprays. Therefore, summer residents usually purchase sprayers – devices for uniform spraying of the prepared solution over the crown of a tree or shrub. They are equipped with a pump that feeds the jet to the sprayer, breaking it into small particles. Filters installed at the outlet are designed to trap large particles. Fruit tree sprayers are:

• manual – with a simple design for pumping a solution up to 2 liters;
• pump-action ones have a larger capacity – 3-20 liters and the presence of mobile models;
• rechargeable batteries are the most popular, as they provide long-term operation without recharging;
• gasoline – the most convenient, thanks to a powerful engine and an automated process.

If you surround the garden with care, organize proper care, effective prevention of pests and diseases, it will surely thank you with a plentiful and tasty harvest.