Spraying Questions ???

[woodduck]

I read on some old QDMA spray threads that Bonide was not highly recommended due to its poor performance. With that being said its all I could find locally so i'll go ahead and use it anyway.....gotta be better than not spraying at all i suppose.

Question 1 - Can I mix Bonide and Sevin together ? If so should I mix Sevin and Bonide together per each manufactures recommendations or should Sevin be deluded somewhat when mixing with Bonide ?

Question 2 - Why does manufacture recommend only applying Bonide 2 times per year if the ingredients are such low rates when other fruit sprays with higher rates recommend applying more times ?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I can't answer your first question, Woodduck. But I asked that very same ( #2 ) question of the Bonide home base and they said just what the label says. But I went further and asked the head of Penn State's fruit tree program and he said it's something to do with a legal issue Bonide has. He said I could put it on every 3 weeks thru the spring / summer. I did just that and had no problems. When it got to be Jap beetle time at camp, I switched to Sevin ( only ) and used that for the beetles. Trees are fine. Don't know if that helps - but that's what I've done.

 

[CrazyEd]

I bought some Bonide when I first started growing fruit trees because I didnt know any better. I don't spray my trees very often so it's taken me forever to try and get through the jug, I dont want to just pour it into the ground or toss it like some on here would probably recommend. I typically mix in a little malathion with it to help get better coverage with the bugs. Sevin can thin your fruit so obviously if your trees will be producing be careful mixing that in.

 

[Maya]

The best way to answer your questions is to say, buy one of these guides or call your local extension service and see if they have a similar one. You need to learn WHY you are spraying and decide for yourself whether or not if you need to spray and what to use.

http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/publications/new-england-tree-fruit-management-guide

 

[woodduck]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I should have mentioned that these are all young trees so fruit thinning isn't a concern. I'm spraying to try to improve the health of my trees in there early years but at this point do not plan on spraying trees once they get older. I think sticking with the general purpose Bonide that's available locally and then switching to Sevin, which is also available locally, is going to be the way to go for me. Most of my trees are DR so diseases aren't a huge concern but insect defoliation is, especially by Japanese Beetles. I tried calling Penn States fruit tree extension but no one was available to talk to me until Monday.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Ditto, Woodduck. My trees are young too, so thinning isn't a big deal. Besides, by the time of summer I switch to Sevin, the apples that may be on the trees are past the point of Sevin thinning them. I was told that by one of the apple experts on here - or one of the profs. from one of 5 or 6 Universities. I can't remember which source told me that. I believe they said the thinning only works on apple fruitlets up to the size of a nickel, if I remember correctly. Once the apples grow bigger, the thinning action of Sevin dwindles.

Our camp trees are DR types as well. Most of the literature I've read says the first 5 or 6 years are the most important for spraying young trees for diseases AND bugs - just so they get a good, healthy start and get well established. Then they'll be stronger to ward off attacks of either diseases or bugs. So I'll be spraying our trees for another couple years, then can back off, hopefully. Most are for deer, but we'll eat a few too. The Japs are my biggest annual worry, too. Of course tent caterpillars or gypsies can crop up - if so, spray time !! If tents show up, and they're only here or there, I'll pull the webs down after dark and stomp them. No spray for easy to reach webs.

BTW - the Penn State publication: Fruit Production for the Home Gardener - A Comprehensive Guide is available from PSU extension offices or PSU Main campus for about $12. I have it and it goes into all kinds of pest management for apples and many other fruits. Great way to spend $12 !!! You get your money's worth.

 

[woodduck]

Thanks Bowsnbucks, I thought I had read that Sevin would not thin apples after they got bigger but did not have any idea when, the nickel size guideline is good info. I still have a lot of learning to do in a lot of aspects when it comes to fruit trees. I'll be sure to get a copy of that publication . I think I said before that when I started planting apple trees I would just dig a hole and plant the tree, no prep work, only a cage was added... no weed control, no spraying no nothing. Basicly fend for yourself. Those few trees I planted between 2010 and 2013 didn't grow much. Since I have started taking better care of them, they have responded well, Still in a lag phase and not as productive as my newest trees but have improved a lot.

I read the same kind of information about giving as much care as possible to young apple trees for the first several years to promote good health and establishment. This included a spraying program so I began spraying last year for the first time. I sprayed Bonide two times like directions said to do but noticed I still had a lot of insect damage. I knew I needed to target bugs this growing season. When I called the Penn State fruit tree office this morning the nice lady there said nobody was there today to answer my question but told me to call back Monday and anybody I needed to talk to would be there then. I am looking forward to talking to them and picking there brain a little.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

For a little higher investment you can buy from Penn State the fruit tree production guide which is for commercial growers which explains all about why you spray when you spray what you spray etc etc. As I found out spraying can be a waste of time or the best thing you can do and that's why I say get that guide or the one Maya linked in this thread. This time of year I am spraying fungicides i.e. Captan to help control many apple tree diseases which could harm the tree and fruit of beating age trees. Some of the damage to apples may be appearance only but we all like to eat pretty apples. Spraying for harmful insects starts after petal fall so that the pollinators of the blossoms especially bees are not killed by the insecticide most of which are toxic to pollinators. I have whet your appetite now go and buy the guide . Here is the link and its $35 for hard cover. You waste more money in spraying of you don't do it right than that and if you are really frugal you can download the one from Rutgers online for free
http://extension.psu.edu/plants/tree-fruit/tfpg

That is the Penn State fruit tree production guide

 

[woodduck]

Thanks Aero, I checked out the sample PennState provided on the link you posted. Looks like a lot of information packed in that book. I think I'll have one of those headed my way come Monday! As you can tell my apple education is about a 2nd grade level. As I mentioned before, when I started messing with apple trees it was a'' plant them and walk away approach''. As time has gone on planting apple trees has become a fun hobby and learning about them has become just as much fun. I think learning as much as I can and putting fourth the extra effort is well worth it, even if its just a couple small orchards for wildlife.