Allotments 4 All

hiya everyone,

What are people using to spray thier fruit trees with at this time of the year, ive read in an oldish gardening book about tar oil wash for spraying fruit trees, do people sill use this or something else?

The old style Winter washes are no longer available, but there is a product sold as an alternative. If it is as good is another matter. Now by the way is the time to spray.

The tar oil wash is carcinogenic so was removed from sale. The only alternative I have found and have used on my gooseberry bushes is a product by Growing Success

http://www.growingsuccess.org.uk/detail.asp?ID=Winter+Tree+Wash&cat=Plant_Care

Not sure how useful it is as this is my first year with a lottie (the old guy I took it off used the Moorteg Tar Oil wash religiously...

I have terrible problems with aphids on my Victoria Plum. Any suggestions on what will get rid of them?

Grawrc for aphids, I deal with them in this way:
Around now, use a high pressure blast of water on the trunk and branches, to displace any overwintering eggs.
Around April/May, or maybe later in your area, when it starts to warm up, inspect the leaves every day. As soon as you see any sign of aphid at all, get the hose pipe out, or backpack sprayer, and spray off with fairly high pressure jets of water. The trick is to get them early, as they are wingless then and can't get back onto the tree. (Others will arrive no doubt, but you are reducing the poplulation by doing this). Inspect regularly and repeat the water jets - it works. The other thing, is that if you over prune or over feed, and lots of leafy young growth is produced, they go for that first, as its softer and easier for them to get at. You can, if you've only one or two trees, nip out new leaves that are badly infested. Obviously, you can use some sort of pesticide like Savona (soft soap) which is approved for organic use (I don't use it as it kills beneficial insects too) or other pesticides.

Thanks Jenny: I'll give it a go once the rain, wind and sleet is no longer with us.  June maybe? ;D

Does anyone know of an organic way to protect peach trees from leaf curl? I have a peach tree in the garden that gets it every year. It's never produced any peaches, either, though I carefully protect it at blossom time. Little ones appear, then fall off.

Rowan, it depends what you mean by organic. Bordeaux mixture or Murphy Traditional Copper Fungicide both meet the Soil Association rules. These must be applied before the leaves emerge and according to the recommended timing instructions provided by the manufacturer. They are not effective once the fungus has attacked the leaves.

Cultural methods can help. This disease rarely occurs on peaches grown indoors. It is a fungus, which over-winters in cracks in the bark on peach and almond. As temperatures rise in spring, and the leaf buds start to open, rain washes the fungus spores onto the leaves. When temperatures are in the range 50-70oC the fungus enters the leaf and feeds on nutrients within the leaf.  A white spore bloom is produced in summer, and the spores are distributed in the wind, so at this point the fungus can freely travel to other trees in the vicinity.

Place a cover over the top of the tree during winter and spring to keep the branches dry. Check plants regularly for signs and symptoms of infestation. Pick off any distorted leaves and dispose of them before the white bloom appears. Apply organic matter as a mulch, water and fertilise to keep the tree healthy. Select cultivars with some resistance, for example Prunus persica 'Redhaven'.

Thanks, Jenny. I'll try covering the tree and give Bordeaux mixture a go.

Hi

I'm not sure whether its considered a tar Oil but I have always used Jeyes fluid @ the rate of 70ml/ 1litre of water for trees and 35ml/1litre for fruit bushes.

Has worked well for me.

regards

I know people will groan when I say this - but here goes:

Jeyes fluid is NOT registered for use as a plant protection agent, therefore you cannot use it as a spray for fruit trees.
Even if you have been trained in the use of pesticides by a certification body, and have gained a pesticide licence it is now illegal to use it.