North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Scott Smith <scott@cs.jhu.edu>]

Chris writes:
> My spray program is 'troubled' in that with my regular work,  
> children, etc.  I have grave difficulty getting the right timing  
> (and weather conditions) to spray.

I have the same problem and it has also set me back.  The only way I  
have been able to get by is with night sprays after my kids are in  
bed.  I have a very high-power helmet light which I use to shine the  
light where I spray.  It is harder to get good coverage with the  
limited visibility and the drying times are not optimal, but it sure  
beats not spraying anything at all.

Relative to Surround, it does clearly require an extra degree of  
attention to the weather and season, and a commitment to quick  
action.  I have not had too many problems with clogging of the nozzle  
on my sprayer.  Sometimes the pump won't get going right away due to  
some unmixed powder by the base, but after enough shaking and pumping  
it eventually gets going.

Thanks for posting the report on the diseases and bugs this year, I am  
not too far south of you and have noticed similar problems.  Bacterial  
spot and fireblight have been horrible this year for me.  I had hail a  
week and a half ago and in spite of an immediate streptomycin spray I  
am still finding dozens of affected limbs per day since then.  I have  
always been clean from brown rot in past years, but some of my  
apricots are already getting it this year.

Scott