Fruit Trees and Pesticide

Special Note: I'm not getting paid anything from anybody. (unfortunately) I write this blog for fun and all recommendations and products mentioned are not financially influenced in any way.  

My pear tree in bloom.

Growing fruit trees is really the dream, isn't it? Who doesn't love fresh fruit? You can buy a tree once and have fresh fruit for decades, what's not to love? Well, it's not that easy. That sweet, juicy fruit is really attractive to lots of critters too, from tiny little gnats to full size deer. They also seem really prone to different diseases. For that reason, I am actually caving in a spraying them with pesticide this year. 

In general, I believe American's spray way too much pesticide. We don't like being inconvenienced by bugs and we have very specific ideas for what our lawns and gardens should look like (golf courses anyone?). These pesticides do have environmental costs and I encourage everyone to read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson to get a better picture of this. 

However, sometimes pesticides can be necessary, not just to get "pretty" fruit but to get any fruit at all. My research led me across this youtube video. MI Gardener is a good YouTube channel in general. I then went to Stauffer's of Kissel Hill and talked to their greenhouse manager. She agreed with their suggestion but suggested a different timeline for York County, PA. 

The product I'm using. 

She said to spray the following 3 times as a minimum:

1. Right before the flowers open. (that's right about now as I'm writing this)

2. After the flowers drop. (don't spray anything on open flowers, you need them to pollinate!)

3. When the leaves have completely grown in. 

You can spray more after that but I want to keep a minimalist approach. The other thing to note about the Orchard Spray is that it is considered an organic spray and is less toxic than other options. If you follow this approach, as with all pesticides, please read the label and follow the instructions carefully. 

Are you growing fruit trees? What has been your approach to pests? I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments below. 

Do's and Don'ts for March

 March is a cruel mistress. She teases with sunshine and warm weather and then drowns you in a snow storm. Don't assume anything in March. However, if you're like me, you just can't wait to get outside

Crocuses will start to bloom in March

and get busy and there ARE a lot of things you can do. Here's a list of Do's and Don't s for this month. 

DO clean up your yard. I know, I know it's not fun but it is necessary. Winter winds blow trash around from who knows where. You're kids have left toys out. Leaves have blown up in piles by the fence. Your herbaceous perennials are mounds of dead leaves and stems from last year. Now is the time to clean it up. Just like the inside of your house, it's much better to decorate the outside when you start with a clean slate. Trash (and some toys) gets tossed. All those dead leaves can go in your compost bin. 

DON'T plant anything heat loving. Just because it's going to hit 70 degrees later this week doesn't mean you can plant out anything that's frost intolerant. Tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash, melons and peppers cannot be planted outside till the last frost date which for York County, PA is around May 1st. 

DO apply fertilizer as needed. Now is a great time to feed your trees and perennials. You can also add amendments to your vegetable garden. Ideally, you'll get a soil test done and follow the recommendations. Most of us can benefit from an application of an organic, complete fertilizer and you can never have too much compost. 

DON'T prune anything. It's too late to do your winter dormancy pruning and for the vast majority of plants, spring is the worst time to prune. Unless you know for a fact that your specific plant is one of the rare exceptions, hold off on any pruning till at least the summer. Right now, the plants are putting lots of energy in sprouting buds and it's really hard on them to have many buds pruned off. 

Helebore are a beautiful early spring flower. 

DO start planting some spring veggies. April 1st is really the safe time to plant cool weather crops but sometimes March will pull through and you can get salads a few weeks earlier. The worst case scenario is that you'll be out a few seeds. To increase your chances, plant in a cold frame. I plan on planting lettuce, spinach, carrots, peas and sweet peas this month. Keep you eyes on the forecast. 

DON'T use any pesticides outdoors unless you absolutely must and the packaging specifically says it will work when nighttime temps are below freezing. The vast majority of herbicides and insecticides will not work when it's this cold. Besides, the bugs aren't out yet to threaten you anyways. I'm not a fan of pesticides in general but in March they just don't make any sense. 

There's my list of dos and don'ts for you. What projects are you tackling this spring? Feel free to
comment below. 

What You Need To Know About Pesticides

 There are a lot of opinions about

Powdery Mildew on Zucchini

pesticides out there. There is also a lot of information about a lot of different kinds of pesticides. Just walking into the pesticide aisle at a hardware store can be daunting. If you have a problem with a pest and don't know what to do, here is some basic information you need to know. 

First, the best thing you can do to fight any problem is grow happy healthy plants. A tomato growing in full sun with good soil and consistent moisture is going to do much better at fighting off any problems then the same plant in partial shade and bad dirt. So be sure you know how to make your plants desirable. 

Second, be sure you accurately diagnose the problem. You can dump all the insecticide in the world on your plant but if the problem is fungal, then it's not going to solve your problem. In the meanwhile, you've wasted your time, money and energy and probably killed a lot of nice pollinators. Identifying a problem can be tricky. You can do some research on line or contact your county extension office for help. 

Third, use the least toxic solution possible to solve your problem. All pesticides have a trade off. Organic and narrow spectrum treatments will have a lot less side issues than more toxic options. For instance, you can use BT, an organic bacteria, to kill caterpillars and it won't hurt pollinators like a more conventional pesticide might. Assuming, of course, that caterpillars are your problem. 

Tomato Horn Worm - Yuck!

Fourth, if you buy pesticide, you must read and follow the instructions!!! I know it's not fun but absolutely necessary. If you put too much on, it can be toxic and damage plants. If it's too weak, it might not work. So be sure to read the instructions and follow them carefully. 

Fifth, 95% off all pesticide injury (to people) is from skin damage on hands and arms. So, if you wear safely gloves and a long sleeve shirt, your in pretty good shape. However, wear eye protection if the chemical in use recommends it. Don't skimp on safety. 

Finally, be a good observer. Is the pesticide working well? Are there bad side effects? Keep an eye on your plants and always be learning. 

Do you have experience with pesticides? Feel free to share your stories and questions below.