Going to spray for first time when they arrive. Already have sticker and horticulture oil to mix with the Kocide 3000.
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Sprayed this morning. 47 degrees right now and no rain until tonite
Planning on spraying on Sunday. This weather is terrible.
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I’m wanting to spray soon too. Have lows in the 20s however starting Monday. Low of 30 Sunday. Ok to spray in that freezing cold?
Best to spray not below 40’s.
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I’d neglected to spray dormant oil when the weather was right for it, but yesterday I twisted my arm and kicked my tail and snuck it in- the temp was in the low 40’s for the rest of the afternoon and I think the spray dried OK … but right now there’s four inches of fresh snow on the ground!
I think next year I might try to be a little more disciplined.
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What are you guys concerned about? I only worry about oil at low temps, but I don’t know much about fall applications. In spring applications of oil 40 degrees is not my danger point. I worry about freezing temps, but this is because I’m putting oil on green tissue that I want to continue growing. I don’t do many fully dormant apps but I don’t worry about freezing temps when I do, which is in the spring with Kocide.
We tend to have a few frosts after trees start growing, but before there is growth I wouldn’t even worry about frosts for oil apps.
Are you worried about efficacy or tissue damage?
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I wondered about efficacy. Mainly, though, I figure there’s a reason the instructions say not to apply below 40 F and until I know otherwise I’d best listen to them. So I found your comments reassuring- thanks!
I still need to be more disciplined, though- I hate spraying.
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Wait, what label says to make sure temps are above 40? I’m not suggesting to follow my advice over any label.
I just read a Kocide label and found nothing specific about freeze warning. Just above specific instructions for crops there is a statement that it provides some frost protection. Mysteriously, it concludes this para with the statement “Not recommended for those geographical areas where weather conditions favor severe frost”.
I also wonder why someone would apply Captan as part of a fall app.
Alan, I may have not been too clear- all I sprayed was oil. The brand was Bonide All-Season Horticultural and Dormant Oil, and I used five tablespoons/gallon.
I wouldn’t worry about frost for that. Much heavier oil used to be used here as Volck oil for dormant sprays when we still got extremely heavy frost. That stuff stayed on the bark for a long time.
The label mentions frost because they are assuming spray when green tissue is present. As I said earlier, if you spray green tissue in the fall near dormancy, I doubt there would be a problem.
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FWIW, I use “Damoil Summer and Dormant Spray Oil” in my orchard. Like the Bonide oil it is listed at 98% mineral oil. Here is what their label says regarding temperature…
Do not use this product when temperatures are above 95°F. When temperatures drop
below 32°F (usually nighttime lows), do not spray trees and vine crops until daytime
temperatures have warmed to a point above 32°F and are free from moisture due to
melting frost or heavy dews. Application to trees weakened by disease, drought, drying
winds or high nitrogen applications may result in oil injury.
These oils are expensive because they are distilled to evaporate rapidly so they can be used on green tissue. I believe this is why the label stresses the importance of avoiding frost.
I once was managing but not spraying an orchard of very old apple trees that were sprayed with hort oil during hard frost. A few of the trees lost entire scaffolds because the growing shoots could not regenerate. The trees were at about half inch green at the time.
All the trees did survive. Thank you Sav-a-tree (now a division of Davey Tree Care Inc.)
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I was able to get my spray in yesterday. Horticultural oil, copper, sulfur, and a sticker on all the apples, pears, plums, and peaches. Took about two hours. I am glad I got it in.
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Seems I see some growers using sulfur and copper. This I imagine is just personal preference and makes them feel a bit better? Other people on here suggest Lime Sulfur and Copper both are not needed. Its one or the other from what I understand. Just looking for a bit more feedback I guess is what I am saying. Thanks
Copper is easier to find. Both work very well:
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Finally sprayed today. Clear and sunny 60 degrees with no rain expected. I have a 4 gallon spray wand backpack type. Works fairly well. I seemed to struggle reaching those higher branches though. Put on a sticker, horticulture oil and copper.
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Spray question:
I have about a gallon of the mixture left from this morning spraying. Best way to dispose of or can I keep it for early spring and mix it in with a new mixture?
Zack,
If you are just spraying copper and oil, it should be fine till spring. Inorganic substances don’t break down. Although the oil would be organic, I’ve never seen any separation from oil sitting around. Just shake the mixture up real good before using it again, and make sure nothing has coagulated.
Where you generally get problems are with compounds like captan, organophosphates, or various herbicides. Those tend to start breaking down once you mix them.
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Clean the nozzle .
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