Ontario Fruit Explorers

["Biz Storms" <biz.storms@sympatico.ca>]

Last year we were in New Zealand for the weeks appropriate for spraying 
dormant oil and powdery mildew prevention. So, we just crossed our fngers 
and waited. There was little mildew until August, and I let it ride as it 
wasn't developing enough to warrant a separate treatment. Our worst pest was 
an invasion of rose chafers. Spent the better part of two days out there 
wearing a succession of surgical gloves - squishing. The goal was to prevent 
the eggs from falling into the grass and overwintering. Rather than bringing 
in heavy duty spray that would kill them and all the hungry ladybugs, I 
decided to end their dating and mating careers. We also experienced 
leafrollers, but a morning stroll with a pair of shears, and some garlic 
spray took care of them. All things considered, we were fairly well off from 
pests and diseases. Even the deer behaved after a spraying of Plantskydd - 
wonderful, wonderful stuff.

My apple growing neighbour did offer me one piece of advice for spring 
spraying. Saturate everything, till you see the liquid running down the 
branches. That way you have a high degree of assurance that it's getting 
into all the nooks and crannies. Folks tend to underspray, or just spray too 
haphazardly.

Hope this helps. Would love to hear what products folks are using. We just 
went with the Wilson's products two years ago, and things cruised along 
rather well. Since taking the Pesticide Course last fall, I now know about 
some really heavy duty things, but forget letting animals or people into the 
orchard for several days.

I'll be absent for the next two plus weeks for March break, but will try and 
check in periodically with the slow speed service in the Creemore 
countryside.

Cheers, Bizmark
Creemore, Ontario Z5