Content
Treating an apple tree in the spring against pests and diseases is no less important than watering, fertilizing and timely pruning. After all, this procedure helps to increase the tree’s resistance to adverse external factors and maintain high life potential for many years. However, treatment in the spring can be effective only if the timing of its implementation and the use of suitable products are observed. Therefore, every gardener should familiarize himself with the peculiarities of its implementation in order to avoid critical mistakes.
Processing apple trees in spring improves the quality of fruits
Why treat apple trees in spring?
With the arrival of spring, apple trees, like other fruit trees in the garden, awaken from hibernation and prepare for active growing season. Therefore, it is extremely important to carry out timely treatment during this period for their maximum protection. After all, in the spring, wintering pathogens and pest larvae also begin to become active, which, under favorable conditions, multiply very quickly.And if you don’t start fighting them in a timely manner, then you can’t even dream of a good harvest.
Problems that can be avoided by early spraying of the garden:
- powdery mildew;
- scab;
- curliness;
- phyllosticosis;
- moniliosis;
- bacterial cancer;
- aphid;
- red tick;
- slowpoke;
- flower beetle;
- codling moth;
- coccomycosis.
When to spray apple trees against pests and diseases in the spring
To protect the garden from pests and diseases, it is necessary to spray the trees several times at the beginning of the growing season. This allows for a long-lasting protective effect and expands the area of action.
Optimal timing for processing apple trees in early spring:
- Stage 1 – early-mid March;
- Stage 2 – first half of April;
- Stage 3 – second ten days of May;
- Stage 4 – end of spring.
The timing of spraying may shift by 7-10 days, depending on the growing region
How to treat apple trees against pests and diseases in spring
To spray and water apple trees in the spring against pests and diseases, you can use folk and special chemicals. Each gardener must decide for himself which option to give preference to. However, in order not to make a mistake with the choice, it is necessary to study the features of different drugs.
Folk remedies
These products have a gentle effect. Preparing them at home is quite simple, and you will need to use available ingredients.
Folk remedies that can be used to treat apple trees in early spring:
- Garlic tincture. It is necessary to chop 500 g of spicy vegetable and add 5 liters of water.Leave the mixture for two hours and then strain. After this, bring the volume of liquid to 10 liters and rub in 50 g of laundry soap, stir thoroughly until the mixture is homogeneous. Spray and water the apple trees with the resulting mixture in the spring against pests.
- Chamomile infusion. Pour 700 g of the plant collection with hot water so that the liquid completely covers it. Leave the product for ten hours, then add 50 g of grated laundry soap, mix and clean. At the end, add water so that the total volume is 10 liters. Use the product to treat the garden against pests in the spring, as they are repelled by the smell of chamomile.
- A product based on soda ash. Dissolve 70 g of the component in warm water, add an additional 20 g of dishwashing liquid, and then increase the volume of water to 10 liters. The use of this composition for spraying trees and the top layer of soil at their base in the spring allows protection against fungal diseases.
- Hot pepper decoction. You will need to grind 100 g of spice, add 1 liter of water and simmer over low heat for two hours. After this, as the product cools down, you need to strain it and add liquid to a total volume of 10 liters. Spray the trees with the resulting product twice in the morning or evening in clear weather. This will protect them from pests.
Chemicals
The difference between chemicals and folk remedies is that they have a long-lasting and long-lasting protective effect. However, their effectiveness decreases with regular use.Therefore, it is recommended to alternate chemicals when treating apple trees in the spring to avoid pathogens and pests becoming accustomed to their effects.
Effective means:
- Coragen Expert Garden. The drug is effective against codling moths, leaf rollers and a whole range of pests. We recommend using it for two treatments, 2-3 weeks apart. This will be enough to protect against pests throughout the season; you will spend a small amount of the drug on treatments and be sure that the fruits will be healthy and not damaged by pests. Coragen Expert Garden is economically used, and thanks to the convenient packaging format, it is easy to use for several treatments.
- Urea (urea). The drug is effective against pests such as aphids, leaf rollers, copperheads, as well as diseases such as scab, moniliosis, coccomycosis. To increase the efficiency of treatment in spring, it is recommended to combine urea in a tank mixture with copper sulfate. This will slow down flowering in case of late return frosts. Recommended ratio of components per 10 liters of water: copper sulfate 50 g, urea 700 g urea, 10 liters of water. This composition is suitable for treating the garden in the spring at the first stage.
Urea protects and provides nitrogen to apple trees
- Copper sulfate. This drug is used to protect against curling, scab, phyllosticosis, and bacterial cancer. To effectively treat trees in the spring, you need to add 100 g of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water. This composition allows you to suppress the activity of pathogens of fungal diseases in the shortest possible time.
Copper sulfate can be used at temperatures above +4 °C
- Inkstone.A universal action drug that protects against pests, diseases, lichens, and also prevents the development of chlorosis. It is recommended to use iron sulfate for treatment in the spring before the buds open. To prepare the working composition, you need to add 300 g of the component to 10 liters of water.
Iron sulfate is not recommended to be mixed with other chemicals
- Speed A systemic fungicide that protects apple trees from fungal diseases, namely curl, scab, gray rot, powdery mildew. The drug begins to act two hours after treatment. Can cause addiction in pathogens. To treat an apple tree in the spring, you need to dissolve 2 ml of the drug in 8 liters of water. The drug provides protection at air temperatures of +14-25 °C.
Skor is resistant to rain
- Bi-58. An insecticide that is effective against a complex of pests: scale insects, mites, leaf rollers, aphids, copperheads, caterpillars. To prepare an effective solution, it is recommended to dilute 10 ml of insecticide in 10 liters of water. Do not spray apple trees in the spring during flowering, as the product is harmful to bees.
When using BI-58, increased precautions must be taken
Stages of spring treatment of apple trees from diseases and pests
It is necessary to spray and water apple trees in the spring against diseases and pests, taking into account the stage of development of the tree. Only in this case can you count on the treatment not harming the garden and ensuring maximum efficiency.
Before flowering
This processing is the most important.The level of resistance of the tree to adverse external factors depends on how it is carried out.
When processing an apple tree in early spring, special attention should be paid to the trunk and skeletal branches of the apple tree. You also need to carefully spray the cracks in the bark, where overwintering larvae usually hide. In addition, it is recommended to water apple trees in the spring against pests and pathogens, since as temperatures rise they will begin to attack young shoots and leaves.
When the buds open
The second stage of processing apple trees in the spring is recommended when the buds open. This allows you to destroy pests that awaken during this period. The procedure also helps to destroy fungal spores remaining on the tree after the first spraying.
During flowering
The third stage of spring garden treatment allows you to protect apple trees from mites, which become active during the flowering of the tree. The procedure also reduces the likelihood of developing fungal diseases throughout the season and improves immunity.
During fruiting
The fourth stage is recommended at the stage of fruit set. At this time, favorable weather conditions are already established, which activates the development of pests and diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to pay special attention to the crown of the tree to ensure the full development of the fruit.
Spraying should be carried out in dry, windless weather.
Tips for treating apple trees in early spring
In order for the treatment of apple trees in the spring to bring a positive result, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules for its implementation. Otherwise, it will not only be useless, but will also harm the tree.
Basic recommendations:
- Before spraying, you must first protect the trunk and skeletal branches from peeling sections of bark.
- The solution should be distributed evenly over all parts of the tree, including the tips of the branches.
- It is necessary to prepare the solution immediately before use, since during long-term storage it loses its protective effect.
- All trees and shrubs in the garden must be treated.
- It is necessary to strictly observe the dosage of the products and the timing of their use.
Conclusion
Treating an apple tree in the spring against pests and diseases is an important procedure that is the key to a good harvest not only in the current season, but also in subsequent seasons. However, before carrying it out, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the timing of its implementation, since its effectiveness and the further development of the tree directly depend on this.
