Educating the community

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Master Gardeners In the Garden

  • Have a fruit tree in your yard? It’s time for dormant spraying

    By Mary Fran McClure
    WSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener

    Mary Fran McClure
    Mary Fran McClure – WSU Extension Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener – photo by Don Seabrook, Wenatchee World

    Mid-to-late winter isn’t a welcome time to be out spraying fruit trees, but alas, an important time to tackle the program of dormant spraying.

    Why is this important? Our tree fruit industry here depends on it. That very unpopular worm that may show up as you cut into your apple is a result of a nasty coddling moth. That is just one of many damaging insects and diseases that affect our local fruit industry, including apples, cherries, pears and other tree fruits. Anyone who has fruit trees in their landscape has the responsibility of controlling pests and diseases that easily migrate to area orchards, including ones far afield.

    There’s a reason WSU Master Gardeners discourage homeowners who have visions of growing their own tree fruit; they likely haven’t realized the effort it takes to keep fruit trees healthy, especially the late winter/spring spraying program to prevent insects and diseases.

    This is not just a once-and-done project; repeat applications of insecticides and fungicides are needed. Dormant sprays are just the beginning of a spray schedule as buds and leaves progress. There are both organic and general sprays to control problems.

    Perhaps the magic of picking fresh apples or cherries right outside your door isn’t so romantic after all. A whole range of vegetables, herbs and berries are more realistic and less spray intensive for the home gardener.

    If you have backyard fruit trees, it’s important to research important steps in preventing damaging insects and diseases. Help is on the way when you contact WSU Master Gardeners to get specific information on dormant spraying of your trees. Send an email to askamastergardener@chelandouglasmg.org and explain that you would like information on spraying your fruit trees. Share what type of tree or trees you have, along with your telephone number so we may contact you. Or phone us at the WSU Chelan County Extension office at (509) 667-6540.Visit our Plant Clinic for in-person help. Our clinic season begins Monday, Feb. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Sagebrush Meeting Room in the lower level of the Wenatchee Public Library. We’ll have regular clinic sessions there every Monday through the month of October.

    You may download spray schedules for pears, cherries or apples by going to bit.ly/sprayskedpub. Each begins in late winter as buds begin to show a bit of green, and reapplications continue up until bloom time. Flowers bring out the pollinators, and that’s a sign to skip your spray schedule to protect our all-important bees while doing their work to bring forth a successful fruit crop.

    You’ll learn about the importance of timing applications that begin with oil-based dormant sprays that kill overwintering problem insects and diseases hidden in crevices and tiny spaces on your fruit trees. These applications smother eggs of mites, scale, aphids, coddling moth, drosophila and others. It also kills the spores of fungus and bacteria.

    Removing old, decaying fruit and falling branches can help avoid population explosions of these bad bugs and diseases.

    Smaller trees can be sprayed with your backpack sprayer, while large ones probably require scheduling a company with commercial equipment. It’s worth noting that all newer orchards have planted compact, easy-to-reach trees without having to pull out those ungainly, tall ladders.

    Good tree management means quality fruit for your enjoyment this summer.

    A WSU Chelan-Douglas County Master Gardener column appears weekly in The Wenatchee World. To learn more, visit bit.ly/MGchelandouglas or call (509) 667-6540.