Spraying time again for fruit trees

Sanitation

Disease problems in fruit trees often overwinter on dried fruits and leaves that fell to the ground in the Autumn and were never cleaned up. The spores stay to re-infect the tree in the spring as the leaves begin to emerge. This is why sanitation beneath and around your fruit trees is critical. Rake up and removes all debris from the tree,  each year. Dead or diseased branches must be pruned and removed each spring.

Dormant Oil

You should apply dormant oil spray to your fruit trees before they begin to bud out. For apple and pear trees, dormant oil is used to control scale and spider mitesPlum, peach, apricot and cherry require lime-sulphur spray.

The spray must be applied at the right time with complete coverage of the tree. Dormant oil or lime-sulphur should be sprayed on the tree while it is still dormant. Thin out excessive growth before spraying.

DO NOT combine dormant oil applications with lime-sulfur, or pesticides containing sulfur, as tree injury may result.

Here is a link to a dormant spray guide. Learn more about dormant spraying here.