Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] Re: Water sprouts

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Terence Bradshaw <madshaw@innevi.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Re: Water sprouts
  • Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 09:27:02 -0500

At 08:43 AM 3/3/03 -0500, you wrote:
If you want a "chemical" solution to sucker control, go here;

http://orchard.uvm.edu/uvmapple/pest/9697neapmg/wtrsprt.html

Later,
Tom

Hey...thanks for referring to my work's website! That said, the New England Apple Pest Management Guide, of which there is a newer version than that one, is geared primarily towards commercial folks. While it is an excellent guide for learning pest life cycles and management strategies, some of the items really don't apply to homeowners. The use of NAA for sucker control is, in my opinion, too risky...that hormone, when it gets to other parts of the tree, can do funny things....thin fruit when you don't want them thinned, reduce fruit size, stunt shoot growth, etc. Also, I don't remember if Tre-Hold is still available, although I sort of remember a discussion on the Apple-Crop list concerning its availability and skyrocketing cost, but I know that it is a restricted use material, i.e. you need a pesticide applicator's license to purchase/use it.

I agree with the previous post- summer prune. It's cheap, safe, and it works. Just concentrate on removing watersprouts only, don't get caught up in training the tree. I give my guys a pole pruner only, tell them to concentrate on the top, and spend no more than five minutes per tree.

TB



=================================================================
Terence Bradshaw
Pomona Tree Fruit Service
1189 Wheeler Road
Calais, VT 05648
(802)229-2004
madshaw@innevi.com

The views represented are mine and mine only...




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page