To Spray or Not to Spray
After all of the research, reading, asking questions of many a professional, what I learned is very simple. If you do not spray you do not get fruit. For as controversial as that might sound it is true. It is not that your fruit might be scarred, that is not the issue. Beauty is in the eye of the grower. What is the issue is saving your tree from very nasty insects, bacteria and fungi that will kill your trees.
Owning a small private orchard is deluxe and very special. That said, the work that goes along with the understanding of growing, spraying, training, planting, mulching, bagging, weeding. . . the list is endless goes with an orchard. The work is not deluxe. Once you see fruit growing, however, all of the work turns into magic.
I decided to start my own orchard in 2009. I took the entire winter of 2008 to plan it. I started with six trees, then added three to four trees each year. Being an orchardist is a very addictive hobby. There is always an excuse to buy 'just one more tree'.
The plan was to grow my own fruit to cook, bake, make jams, tarts, pies and everything fresh from my orchard. It is a glorious feeling to go out on a summer morning in August and pick your first peaches and apples.
I spray 'Dormant Oil' first. Dormant Oil is a petroleum based product, that is diluted with water then sprayed on your 'dormant' trees. Dormancy takes place during winter and late winter. It is the time when your trees take their long winter's nap. The spray creates a light coating over all of the branches and trunk. The oil smothers mites, assorted insect eggs, and wounds, that have 'over-wintered'. Dormant Oil is preventative medicine for your trees. All of the sprays that will be discussed are used for disease and insect prevention.
Spraying all twenty-two trees only takes a little over an hour. It is a great way to end a two day session of late winter pruning.
Now that we are back on day-light saving time, work can really get started. It is sunnier, and warmer, making for few excuses to get my orchard in order.