A good harvest of apples requires special care, however, the prompt observance of all the rules cannot guarantee the increase in yield.
An important element is the spring preparation of fruit trees, as a preventive and eradicating spray, which protect the apple trees from possible diseases and harmful insects.
Stages and terms of spring processing of apple trees from diseases and pests
Spraying apple trees is an important moment, which allows not only to protect and increase future crops, but also to protect them from various pests. Professional gardeners process gardens in 4 stages, having for this a number of significant reasons:
- insects that can harm fruiting trees do not wake up at the same time;
- fungal diseases also occur in different periods of the season.
Following these reasons, spraying is carried out in several stages, depending on the state of the tree. Processing by:
- bare branches;
- sleeping kidneys;
- flowering trees;
- young ovaries as soon as the flowers fell off.
To do this, use:
- fungicides. These are special substances used to combat various plant diseases;
- insecticides. These drugs are used to kill insects.
These substances can be of either chemical or biological origin. The former are very popular among amateur gardeners. The fact is that their active substance begins to act much faster than its biological counterpart. Despite its frightening chemical origin, this is often the only way to quickly act on a pest that is currently mercilessly destroying a tree. Chemical treatment of apple trees in the spring is completely harmless to humans. During the ripening of the crop, the pesticides used in the preparation for treating trees completely break down into safe trace elements and cannot enter the human body.
Using any substance, especially of chemical origin, it is very important to consider the dosage. The fact is that non-compliance with the norms and recommendations in the instructions and on the packaging can lead to burns on young leaves and flowers, which will also lead to loss of yield.
Biological and folk remedies can only be used in cases where the plant disease is very minor. Their use is relevant for a small number of pests on plants or if the affected area is very insignificant.
First stage of processing
Each gardener independently chooses the most convenient moment for the first spraying of the apple orchard. Usually, it should be started in dry warm weather, when the ambient temperature exceeds +5 ° C, there is no snow, but the buds on the branches have not yet swollen.
The first spraying of the bare branches of apple trees is necessary to protect the tree from spores of fungal diseases that are actively carried by the wind. The first treatment does not completely destroy all disputes, but significantly slows down their development.
Fungal neoplasms are destroyed by the following drugs:
- 3% mixture of lime and copper sulfate. When preparing it, it is important to follow all the recommendations and instructions correctly. Otherwise, the mixture will be mixed incorrectly and will not do any harm to fungal diseases;
- inkstone;
- chorus;
- Urea + copper sulfate.
Preparation of the last mixture requires 5 liters of hot water, 350 g of urea (urea), 25 g of vitriol (copper sulfate). The use of hot water is due to the fact that it significantly accelerates the dissolution of ingredients. The finished solution must be filtered and used as a means for spraying the garden. Copper in this solution is a plant protector against fungal diseases, and urea fertilizes the garden, protects trees. This treatment significantly slows down the flowering process of the garden. It is important to consider this moment - apple trees will bloom a week later than untreated gardens. Such a development of events avoids the death of the crop due to sudden first frosts.
Many gardeners rightly believe that spraying with copper sulfate can be very dangerous for the human body. Copper-containing preparations are considered dangerous, but treating trees at an early stage, especially when the fruit has not yet begun to set, will not bring harm. During the ripening of the apple crop, copper is completely washed off, making its use completely safe.
In addition, it is worth considering that in the early spring there are no more active substances other than copper and iron sulfate. In the cold season, the use of biological substances is completely pointless - spraying trees with biological products in the early spring will not bring any results, since they do not work at low temperatures.
Second stage of processing
Subsequent processing of apple trees occurs at a later date, when the air temperature is in the region + 10 ... +15 ° C.
After the first treatment, approximately 2 weeks pass. The buds on the trees begin to swell actively, but also this is the time of the beginning of the activity of harmful insects. The second spraying will not only allow you to fight against fungal diseases, but also stop insects on the way to sweet blooming buds. That is why a mixture of fungicides (drugs for the destruction of fungal diseases) and insecticides used to combat harmful insects is used for it.
The most dangerous enemy for a flowering apple tree is the apple bee-eater. It penetrates into the middle of a flower that has not yet blossomed and lays eggs in it. Hatched larvae glue the flower petals with a special sticky mass, live inside and feed on the plant's sweet juices. It is impossible to get rid of them until they themselves get out of their reliable shelter. The flowers in which the pest settled, of course, will not bring any harvest, they look dry and blackened.
You can destroy the flower beetle with the help of any insecticides and their mixture with fungicides:
- Fufanon;
- Decisom;
- Spark;
- Intavir;
- Tanrecom
- 1% Bordeaux liquid (the solution must be 1%. High concentration can burn young buds, which will negatively affect the condition of the whole tree);
- Horus + Decis (Karbofos, Aktara).
Third treatment
This stage is also called “By the pink bud”. This treatment is aimed at combating the gluttonous moth.
The fact is that this insect actively lays eggs near or on an still unopened bud. Penetrating into the flower, the codling moth actively destroys the future crop, which is noticeable only in the fall, at the time of its collection. In order not to be left without apples, a mixture of solutions of fungicides and insecticides should be applied to the buds when it has already appeared, but has not yet blossomed.
At the time of spraying, you should not save the solution - it is applied not only to the branches, but also to the ground around the trunk, within a radius of 1 meter. It is also worth paying attention to other fruiting trees and bushes located near the apple tree.
Insects can very quickly move from them to the branches of the apple tree, which will also negatively affect the future harvest. It is important to take into account the fact that at a sufficiently high temperature in the street, many biological preparations, such as Fitoverm and Fitoksibacillin lose their properties at temperatures above +10 ° C.
Fourth processing
The last and final stage of spraying is applied after flowering, when young ovaries reach the size of a small pea. For this, it is necessary to use a solution of 2 g of actara (insecticide) and 2 g of Skor (fungicide) in 10 liters of water. Such processing is carried out throughout the tree - foliage, branches and tree circle.
Mr. Dachnik warns: features of processing adult (old) and young apple trees
Of course, an adult fruiting tree must be sprayed according to all the rules, in 4 stages in the spring. Young seedlings that have not yet been fruiting and blooming, require much less processing. Such plants are not so actively attracting harmful insects, which greatly facilitates the work of the gardener. For such apple trees, only three stages will be sufficient, which include processing:
- on bare branches;
- on a green cone;
- after flowering.
Tips for handling apple trees in spring
Before directly spraying the apple trees and preparing the solution, you should know several key points:
- Copper sulfate interacts poorly with iron, so when preparing a solution, do not use iron objects. Plastic and wooden sticks are best suited for mixing, and the solution is best stored in a glass container.
- It is impossible to completely destroy all pests. When processed according to the “green cone”, it is likely that many pests sleeping in the bark of trees will remain alive and, after waking up, will continue to harm the apple orchard. Therefore, it is necessary to re-treat with substances of lower concentration after the leaves have bloomed.
- When kneading iron sulfate, it is important to remember that it has the property of being oxidized quickly enough. Therefore, in order to maintain all the beneficial properties, a small amount of citric acid must be added to the solution.
- At the time of processing the apple orchard, do not forget about your own protection! It is important that the spray solution does not get on the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and mouth. In case of contact, flush skin with running water and consult a doctor.
