One spray chemical for apple trees

[bigboreblr]

If you could only spray 1 thing on apple trees, what would it be.

I am looking to get a fungicide treatment for my spruce trees. Would be nice if it worked for apple too. Below is what I need to get

Fungicides with the active ingredient chlorothalonil, copper hydroxide or mancozeb

On the topci of apple trees. I have very old orchard trees plus new ones coming in. Fruit is for wildlife, so I dont stress out if the bugs get a head start on the fruit. I am more concerned with the health of the old trees themselves. Got that grey / blue fungus on the bark that grow on rocks and asphault shingles on roofs. Good or bad. Anything else you look for in tree health.

 

[yoderjac]

For my wildlife trees it would be nothing. I'm trying to do QDM at scale, so that takes volume. If a tree can't produce without maintenance, it doesn't work for me. That is one reason that apples were last on my list of tree and why I only considered the most DR varieties.

 

[TreeDaddy]

As a devout follower of Brother Native Hunter, I abstain from all chemicals on my trees

bill

 

[Barndog56]

Instead of spraying some type of 'cide' on my trees, I hit them with a micronutrient foliar spray a couple times a year. Has worked so far but will be tested this year as I'll have more trees hitting production size.

I'm going to start planting guilds around my trees in hopes of further lowering the need for any 'cide' sprays.

 

[b116757]

I’m also in the no spray of any kind camp they live on their own or they get replaced.

 

[Native Hunter]

As a devout follower of Brother Native Hunter, I abstain from all chemicals on my trees

bill

Bless you my son, and may your fruiting be fantastically fruitful............

 

[b116757]

Bless you my son, and may your fruiting be fantastically fruitful............

Reminds me of the old Hodgdon smokeless powder ads.

 

[bigboreblr]

I'm not a big fan of chemicals either. Try to limit using gly and tolerating weeds more.

These are not necesarily trees, these are pieces of history. Just trying to keep the last few alive. Micronutrients....... Got a link for that? Was thinking of doing selinium injections like the tree doctors use. These old trees really woke up from lime and a bit of 6/24/24.

 

[homerj1]

Without knowing what specific fungus/issue you're spraying trees for, it's pretty difficult to offer advice on what fungicide(s) to use.

 

[Charman03]

Not a fan of chemicals either, but if I want any apples to grow to maturity I need to spray imidan early and often to take care of the plum curculio. These pest are more common in orchards near wooded areas or trashy fields. They hit the fruit when it’s just forming and can do major damage.

I don’t care how disease resistant your apple varieties are, you still need to do some pest management, and while your spraying for pest you might as well mix some fungicide as well.

 

[H20fwler]

The only thing I spray for is the jap beetles if they are bad on particular trees in early June.
And then it’s a one time thing of liquid Seven.

Other than that I leave the chemicals alone.

 

[yoderjac]

Not a fan of chemicals either, but if I want any apples to grow to maturity I need to spray imidan early and often to take care of the plum curculio. These pest are more common in orchards near wooded areas or trashy fields. They hit the fruit when it’s just forming and can do major damage.

I don’t care how disease resistant your apple varieties are, you still need to do some pest management, and while your spraying for pest you might as well mix some fungicide as well.

Well, I don't buy the last sentence at all when it comes to wildlife trees. We had an old apple tree in our yard growing up. My parents never did anything to it. I climbed it. It produced lots of apples that were great wildlife apples. They were wormy and gnarly but that didn't bother wildlife at all.

 

[b116757]

I have not sprayed anything in the last 20 years as far as apples or pears. I did plant a couple peach trees in the orchard when I started it they suffered horribly from pests eating them first few years. I sprayed them one year and the pests still ate them those trees where replaced with apple trees no more peaches for me. I have no interest in spraying anything. Now for full disclosure I very rarely eat much of the fruit I produce I have pressed apples and pears into cider and given it to a buddy that makes wine. I have loaded up the cider press and a pickup load of apples and brought to my kids school for them to have fun making cider. But other than that it’s all fed to the deer and they don’t really care about spots.

 

[Wild Thing]

OK - At the risk of being tarred and feathered by all of the "Absolutely No Chemicals" practictioners, I will post a spray schedule which I found on the Michigan Sportsman forum several years ago. Most of my apple trees are strictly wildlife trees so, like many of you, I don't really worry too much about spots on the apples - the deer care even less. That being said I do also have a "People Orchard" where we grow apples (and a few cherry trees) for human consumption. We eat them fresh (Honeycrisp & Wealthy esp), my wife freezes a lot of them for pies (Cortland and others), and she also dehydrates and vacuum seals a lot of them for gifts. I don't want any spots or insects chewing on these apples so we do spray them.

Some of you may recall a series of articles authored by Bill Mayo in Quality Whitetails magazine many years ago. One thing he mentioned that I took note of was that if you are only going to spry once, the most important spraying would be the "Dormant Oil" spray prior to bud break. I also like to spray a fungicide (Captan - also recommended by Bill Mayo) once, prior to bloom. I personally don't spray anything when the trees are in bloom or blossoming as it is critical that you avoid killing any pollinators (bees primarily around here). After petal fall a MultiPurpose (including insecticide) spray is recommended. Commercial growers will spray at this point every 10-14 days as indicated on the spray schedule below. I like to spray at least once or sometimes twice after petal fall = especially if I note any insects in the trees.



These are the products I mostly use. Bill Mayo also recommended Imidan for an insecticide and I used to use it but the last time I read the label they were recommending almost a full HazMat suit while applying so I have shied away from it in more recent years.



Who doesn't like sinking their teeth into a nice beautiful home grown apple?



or cherry....





or fresh cherry pie....



or pie alamode?



Sorry guys...but I really enjoy eating these things so if I have to drag the tank sprayer out once in a while to get great eating fruit... I am OK with that.

 

[Charman03]

Thanks for that post and pics

 

[Derek Reese 29]

OK - At the risk of being tarred and feathered by all of the "Absolutely No Chemicals" practictioners, I will post a spray schedule which I found on the Michigan Sportsman forum several years ago. Most of my apple trees are strictly wildlife trees so, like many of you, I don't really worry too much about spots on the apples - the deer care even less. That being said I do also have a "People Orchard" where we grow apples (and a few cherry trees) for human consumption. We eat them fresh (Honeycrisp & Wealthy esp), my wife freezes a lot of them for pies (Cortland and others), and she also dehydrates and vacuum seals a lot of them for gifts. I don't want any spots or insects chewing on these apples so we do spray them.

Some of you may recall a series of articles authored by Bill Mayo in Quality Whitetails magazine many years ago. One thing he mentioned that I took note of was that if you are only going to spry once, the most important spraying would be the "Dormant Oil" spray prior to bud break. I also like to spray a fungicide (Captan - also recommended by Bill Mayo) once, prior to bloom. I personally don't spray anything when the trees are in bloom or blossoming as it is critical that you avoid killing any pollinators (bees primarily around here). After petal fall a MultiPurpose (including insecticide) spray is recommended. Commercial growers will spray at this point every 10-14 days as indicated on the spray schedule below. I like to spray at least once or sometimes twice after petal fall = especially if I note any insects in the trees.

View attachment 43094

These are the products I mostly use. Bill Mayo also recommended Imidan for an insecticide and I used to use it but the last time I read the label they were recommending almost a full HazMat suit while applying so I have shied away from it in more recent years.

View attachment 43095

Who doesn't like sinking their teeth into a nice beautiful home grown apple?

View attachment 43096

or cherry....

View attachment 43097

View attachment 43098

or fresh cherry pie....

View attachment 43099

or pie alamode?

View attachment 43100

Sorry guys...but I really enjoy eating these things so if I have to drag the tank sprayer out once in a while to get great eating fruit... I am OK with that.

I have that purple capped fruit tree spray..is that effective on gypsy moth caterpillars? I just found them last night and wanted to check before buying some Sevin. Thanks!

 

[SwampCat]

OK - At the risk of being tarred and feathered by all of the "Absolutely No Chemicals" practictioners, I will post a spray schedule which I found on the Michigan Sportsman forum several years ago. Most of my apple trees are strictly wildlife trees so, like many of you, I don't really worry too much about spots on the apples - the deer care even less. That being said I do also have a "People Orchard" where we grow apples (and a few cherry trees) for human consumption. We eat them fresh (Honeycrisp & Wealthy esp), my wife freezes a lot of them for pies (Cortland and others), and she also dehydrates and vacuum seals a lot of them for gifts. I don't want any spots or insects chewing on these apples so we do spray them.

Some of you may recall a series of articles authored by Bill Mayo in Quality Whitetails magazine many years ago. One thing he mentioned that I took note of was that if you are only going to spry once, the most important spraying would be the "Dormant Oil" spray prior to bud break. I also like to spray a fungicide (Captan - also recommended by Bill Mayo) once, prior to bloom. I personally don't spray anything when the trees are in bloom or blossoming as it is critical that you avoid killing any pollinators (bees primarily around here). After petal fall a MultiPurpose (including insecticide) spray is recommended. Commercial growers will spray at this point every 10-14 days as indicated on the spray schedule below. I like to spray at least once or sometimes twice after petal fall = especially if I note any insects in the trees.

View attachment 43094

These are the products I mostly use. Bill Mayo also recommended Imidan for an insecticide and I used to use it but the last time I read the label they were recommending almost a full HazMat suit while applying so I have shied away from it in more recent years.

View attachment 43095

Who doesn't like sinking their teeth into a nice beautiful home grown apple?

View attachment 43096

or cherry....

View attachment 43097

View attachment 43098

or fresh cherry pie....

View attachment 43099

or pie alamode?

View attachment 43100

Sorry guys...but I really enjoy eating these things so if I have to drag the tank sprayer out once in a while to get great eating fruit... I am OK with that.

This is where I am. I only have a few trees - mostly apples and a few plums and peach. My plum trees are full of plums in the spring. By the time they get nickel sized, they have all fallen off - every year. The peach trees would produce some fruit - if the possums and coons didnt get them. I only have two mature apple trees - they are full of dime to quarter sized fruit right now. I have a dozen or so younger apple trees. I have a few young pear trees. I hope my deer get to eat some apples one day, because that means the trees produced enough fruit to have excess after I got what I want. My apple trees are not really for my deer. They are in a food plot that is already eaten to the ground every winter. I dont expect additional use by deer even if there were apples on the ground.

I used to plant a wide array of warm and cool season food plots - from soybeans and sunflowers to a wide variety of brassicas and multi species of clover - all groomed and well fertilized. As my planting acreage increased, I started reducing my effort in species planted and care for the plantings. I now plant durana clover and wheat into the clover stands every fall. I dont fertilize, and I rarely spray the plots or mow the clover - except before fall wheat planting. I have just as many - and probably more deer now - with this simple planting system than I did with much more variety, effort, and expense. I would imagine my apple trees, when they do get to producing - are probably not going to be game changing as far as increased deer numbers or quality on my place. But the apples should be a lot better for me to eat than my wheat straw or clover.

 

[yoderjac]

OK - At the risk of being tarred and feathered by all of the "Absolutely No Chemicals" practictioners, I will post a spray schedule which I found on the Michigan Sportsman forum several years ago. Most of my apple trees are strictly wildlife trees so, like many of you, I don't really worry too much about spots on the apples - the deer care even less. That being said I do also have a "People Orchard" where we grow apples (and a few cherry trees) for human consumption. We eat them fresh (Honeycrisp & Wealthy esp), my wife freezes a lot of them for pies (Cortland and others), and she also dehydrates and vacuum seals a lot of them for gifts. I don't want any spots or insects chewing on these apples so we do spray them.

Some of you may recall a series of articles authored by Bill Mayo in Quality Whitetails magazine many years ago. One thing he mentioned that I took note of was that if you are only going to spry once, the most important spraying would be the "Dormant Oil" spray prior to bud break. I also like to spray a fungicide (Captan - also recommended by Bill Mayo) once, prior to bloom. I personally don't spray anything when the trees are in bloom or blossoming as it is critical that you avoid killing any pollinators (bees primarily around here). After petal fall a MultiPurpose (including insecticide) spray is recommended. Commercial growers will spray at this point every 10-14 days as indicated on the spray schedule below. I like to spray at least once or sometimes twice after petal fall = especially if I note any insects in the trees.

View attachment 43094

These are the products I mostly use. Bill Mayo also recommended Imidan for an insecticide and I used to use it but the last time I read the label they were recommending almost a full HazMat suit while applying so I have shied away from it in more recent years.

View attachment 43095

Who doesn't like sinking their teeth into a nice beautiful home grown apple?

View attachment 43096

or cherry....

View attachment 43097

View attachment 43098

or fresh cherry pie....

View attachment 43099

or pie alamode?

View attachment 43100

Sorry guys...but I really enjoy eating these things so if I have to drag the tank sprayer out once in a while to get great eating fruit... I am OK with that.

Nothing to be tarred and feathered for. There is a huge difference between how I would maintain trees, as well as the trees I would select, for human consumption and for wildlife.

 

[Wild Thing]

I have that purple capped fruit tree spray..is that effective on gypsy moth caterpillars? I just found them last night and wanted to check before buying some Sevin. Thanks!

Yes - The Bonide Fruit Tree concentrate will kill gypsy moth caterpillars or really any type of caterpillar - Anything that contains Carbaryl will work. Not all of the Sevin products contain carbaryl so you need to check the label. Sevin 4F and Sevin SL do contain Carbaryl.

The Bonide is much more cost effective than the Sevin products IMO. Mix Bonide at 5 oz/4 gallons, which treats 168 gallons per 1 gallon of concentrate. It takes 4 oz of Sevin to treat 1 gallon so you would only get 32 gallons of mix per gallon of concentrate. I usually can only find Sevin in the quart size which only treats 8 gallons.

I purchased this 1 gal jug of Bonide a year or two ago for $69 - I just saw it today on Amazon for $97/gallon - Inflation has hit these products also.





Bonide® Fruit Tree Spray - Stark Bro’s





BT - Bacillus Thuringiersis is also good for caterpillars but I have never used it on my fruit tree. I used it to control tent worms which usually hit my black cherry trees and others, and for Spruce Budworm which can devastate any type of spruce trees. It should be used within 24 hours once it is mixed.





Ferti-Lome is also a good product containing Carbaryl.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Yes - The Bonide Fruit Tree concentrate will kill gypsy moth caterpillars or really any type of caterpillar - Anything that contains Carbaryl will work. Not all of the Sevin products contain carbaryl so you need to check the label. Sevin 4F and Sevin SL do contain Carbaryl.

The Bonide is much more cost effective than the Sevin products IMO. Mix Bonide at 5 oz/4 gallons, which treats 168 gallons per 1 gallon of concentrate. It takes 4 oz of Sevin to treat 1 gallon so you would only get 32 gallons of mix per gallon of concentrate. I usually can only find Sevin in the quart size which only treats 8 gallons.

I purchased this 1 gal jug of Bonide a year or two ago for $69 - I just saw it today on Amazon for $97/gallon - Inflation has hit these products also.

View attachment 43107

View attachment 43108

Bonide® Fruit Tree Spray - Stark Bro’s

View attachment 43110



BT - Bacillus Thuringiersis is also good for caterpillars but I have never used it on my fruit tree. I used it to control tent worms which usually hit my black cherry trees and others, and for Spruce Budworm which can devastate any type of spruce trees. It should be used within 24 hours once it is mixed.

View attachment 43105

View attachment 43106

Ferti-Lome is also a good product containing Carbaryl.

View attachment 43109

THANK YOU! I will be trying to spray tonight as I was just beginning to see a few caterpillars but expect more soon.
As for the price, my grandma had it sitting around and gave it to me as her trees are too tall to spray anymore.