Organic Fruit Tree Spray

People that want to sell their fruit as organic need to treat it with only organic materials, including organic fruit tree spray. Fruit tree spray can keep bugs and worms out of the fruit so that it is fit for people to eat. It can also prevent fungus from growing.

Organic fruit tree spray is not meant to be applied to the fruit directly. By the time the fruit is out, it’s too late. Instead, the grower should apply it to the tree for the first time during the early spring. Depending on the spray, some growers continue to do so weekly throughout the growing season.

There are three main types of organic fruit tree spray: dormant spray, horticultural oil and homemade spray. The first two are available at most garden centers.

Like the name implies, dormant spray is designed to be applied early in the season only while the tree is dormant. This means that the buds have not yet formed. This spray is a combination of two organic ingredients: lime sulphur and horticultural oil. The oil smothers insects that are spending the winter in the tree’s bark. The sulphur kills bacteria and fungus.

The grower needs to use this spray as soon as buds appear on the tree. Using sulphur after this point can kill the flowers or the leaves. Depending on the region where the tree resides, the prime time for spraying is early March to late April.

To use the spray, the grower should take the following steps:

• Mix the spray by following the instructions on the bottle exactly.
• Beginning at the top of the tree, spray downward, insuring that all of the branches get coated with at least a millimeter of spray.
• Check back in an hour to see if the spray has dried. If it rains before it’s completely dry, apply again the following day.

It’s best not to apply the spray on a windy day, since it will be hard to get it to stick to the tree and it could blow back into the sprayer’s face. The sprayer should wear long sleeves, goggles and gloves just in case. Even though the spray is organic, it is not nontoxic if ingested via the mouth, eyes or nose. This spray can be very messy to use.

People that do not have fungus problems can spray their trees with pure horticultural oil diluted with three parts water instead. The grower can use this spray all season long, since it does not have the potentially damaging effects that sulphur does. It’s best to spray in the morning. It’s harder to get the oil to stay on the tree during hot afternoon weather.

Those who really want to get their hands dirty can make their own tree spray. It’s a good choice for people who want to use USDA certified organic materials. The materials required for this spray are two cups of compost, a tablespoon each of liquid seaweed, apple cider vinegar, dish soap and blackstrap molasses and a gallon of hot water.

All a person has to do is mix all of these ingredients in the garden sprayer and then spray the leaves of the tree with it, making sure to get both sides. Again, it’s important to spray in the morning hours before it gets too hot. This spray can be used all season long.

Note that this spray works to fight fungus but does not do anything to control bugs. Those who have both problems can use both this spray and the horticultural oil and water spray. It’s best not to spray both at the same time, but instead to alternate weeks.

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