Dormant oil

[NorthWI]

I am in zone 3/4 in northern WI and the snow melt has finally let me get out to spray my 65 apple trees. The majority are dormant, a few have slight color at the tips of the buds with no leaf protrusion. Is it too late to use a mineral oil based dormant oil? Should I use an all season Neem oil instead? Has anyone done damage to apple trees by spraying dormant oil too late and if so what happened?

Thank for any responses

 

[Prof.Kent]

Dormant oil cannot hurt trees. Well, unless it freez the buds or blossoms. Spray away.

 

[Wild Thing]

When should dormant oil sprays be applied to apple trees?Iowa State Universityhttps://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu › faq › when-shoul...

 

[Prof.Kent]

Dormant oil is used to smother (deprive of oxygen) insect eggs laid on the branches. The oil coats the eggs. So you have to soak the branches well.

 

[NorthWI]

Dormant oil cannot hurt trees. Well, unless it freez the buds or blossoms. Spray away.

Thank you, I was just worried because the label says must be applied before bud swell. I have to put off the spraying more now because the night temps are going below freezing again...

 

[bigboreblr]

Too late for zone 5/6 in NY? Neem oil like captain jacks overkill, or just canola oil? Guys think its' even worth it. I do have a maybe 150 acre or so orchard a 1/2 mile away and some random trees in the neighborhood. I got 4 mature and 25 to 30 trees planted in 2023.

Was pruning last week and got an inchworm on me. thin kit was a canker worm.

 

[bigboreblr]

Anybody add anything else to their oil sprays like stuff for cedar apple rust? Givng pristine a second chance here, but its 20 yards away from a big patch of red cedars. Cedar block the view of the pool from the road. Golden deliious is the on the fence of being topworked or not.

 

[homerj]

Copper is the only thing I've ever added or heard of adding to dormant oil. Timing wouldn't be right for adding myclo for CAR anyway.

 

[bigboreblr]

Any oil folks prefer on here? Neem oil this time of year worth the extra? OR just mineral oil itself is good enough? Got droptine, golden delicious, and pristine as my only CAR problems. Debating on removing or topworking them.

Had plum curcurlio maybe they were pantry moths caterpillars, tent worms, canker worms, bag worms, beetles werent too bad last year, but they come from the ground.