Q.Best Time to Spray Fruit Trees for Pests
What time of spring is a good time to start spraying fruit trees for pest?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
It really depends on the type of spray and tree your are treating. For instance, dormant sprays should actually be started in winter before green tissue shows in spring buds and only when the air temperature is above freezing. Use a Superior Oil spray for the first dormant spray application in mid- to late winter. Three weeks later make a second application of Superior Oil or Liquid Lime Sulfur. When spraying trees to control pests, such as borers, choose those with lindane endosufan or chlorpyrifos. Sprays should be mixed according to label instructions. They should also be applied so that it runs down the trunk and soaks into the ground around the base. Try not to spray on foliage or any fruit that may still be on the tree. The best time to spray trees is within the first or second week of July and again in late August or September. An alternative would be to use neem oil spray on your trees instead, which acts not only as an organic insecticide but as a fungicide too. This way you're giving the trees double protection while not harming other beneficial insects, the environment or yourself. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/pests/neem-oil-uses.htm