Fruit tree spraying

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

You are welcome.

May god bless you and keep you.

You're a good friend forest.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I get this fungas "blight" I'm not sure of the name of it right off hand bit I get little black blotches on the leaves and some fruit. It isn't terrible but sometimes it is heavy enough to cause problems with the nourishment of the tree due to lowered photosynthesis. I have a plating system I could make the copper solution from quite easily ....thanks forest!

That sounds like scab. Does this look like it? All of my trees have some degree of scab by fall. I don't spray but Steve's looking into it.

[Submariner]

They say that scab over-winters on the ground. And re-infects each year if left untreated.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

That sounds like scab. Does this look like it? All of my trees have some degree of scab by fall. I don't spray but Steve's looking into it.

Yes that's it! I read you need to rake up the fallen leaves and remove fallen apples from the area. I do this routinely though the scab disease reaturn every year. Some years it isn't a problem and other years it can ruin a lot of apples. My pest problems come from some little moth which lays eggs and the resulting worms get into the budding apples. The biggest problem though is Japanese beetles stripping off the leaves in mid summer. They can really devastate a tree in short order if not dealt with in a firm manner. The spray I use (Bonine fruit tree spray), does prety well with them though I sometimes have to spray daily almost if the infestation is heavy. Apples(pretty ones anyawy) are a lot of work.

[Submariner]

Being a fungus; once it releases it's spore that spore is going to settle everywhere.

The apples and leaves on the ground are surely contaminated, but so is the grass.

I can see removing all fallen apples, they might have pests in them hoping to winter-over.

I think that I would rather spray the ground [leaves, grass and all] with an organic fungicide, in the late fall and again in the spring.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Being a fungus; once it releases it's spore that spore is going to settle everywhere.

The apples and leaves on the ground are surely contaminated, but so is the grass.

I can see removing all fallen apples, they might have pests in them hoping to winter-over.

I think that I would rather spray the ground [leaves, grass and all] with an organic fungicide, in the late fall and again in the spring.

I did it today. My pesticide isn't organic though. It smells like K-1 and rotten eggs
It will most likely kill everything including the earth worms. I really need to read up on organic farming practices.