Question
Can you please give me an idea of when I need to spray my fruit trees (I have one each of nectarine, peach, apricot, apple and cherry).Can you let me know when, based on the weather in Cache county? What is the name of the best spray to use?
Answer(s)
Unfortunately there is not a magic spray that can be sprayed on all fruit trees, with the exception of dormant oil. This should be sprayed within the next couple of weeks to help control aphids, scale, and other pest and some diseases. Do not apply it once trees have leafed out or you have had problems with shothole fungus (Coryneum Blight) that also needs to be treated with an appropriate fungicide. Captan is labeled for this. The following hyperlink will lead to a Website that provides info on when to spray or trap insect pests http://utahpests.usu.edu/ipm/htm/advisories/treefruit. You may subscribe to the Website for regular updates on current insect and disease sightings and outbreak predictions, and highlights upcoming concerns for tree fruit growers. A traditional pesticide good for controlling coddling moth on apples is Sevin (carbaryl). For trees such as cherries and peaches Malathion can be used if needed. Consider using alternatives more sustainable to these including traps and baits. The Utah plant pest diagnostic lab has more specific info on this http://utahpests.usu.edu/.
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