Trying to determine why the fruit trees that get sprayed with surround first always seem to have the best coverage. I agitate the 3 gallon backpack sprayer constantly before I start and all during my spray. Am I unintentionally hitting the first trees a lot harder or is there some basis for why the coverage changes over the course of the tank? I would almost expect the last ones to be the whitest if the kaolin lies unmixed on the bottom of the tank.
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@scottfsmith uses a lot of surround and may have a good answer to this. Commercial sprayers sometimes have mixers to avoid the problem with settling you mentioned. Clay powder at times floats like powdered milk or sinks like sugar. I’m going to follow this thread to get the input on how to avoid it. By the way dairy farms mix milk or the cream separates to the top and the milk goes to the bottom. It’s possible there could be differences in the kaolin clay substance like that where some particles are heavier than others but I doubt it.
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I think somehow your Surround powder sank to the bottom of the tank. Not sure what type of agitating mechanics you have on your sprayer.
My agitator is built-in internally. I did not have the issue you had. The amount of cover was the similar on the first tree and the last tree.
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They do for me, too. I have a 20-gal tank on a dolly, and I mix about 2-gal of Surround with 10-gal of water and assorted insecticides and fungicides but without any sticker/spreaders. I don’t have an agitator, but I let the pump relief run back into the tank for a bit between trees. Obviously, this isn’t enough to keep all the clay in suspension. I should probably put only 1-gal of Surround in at first and put the second gal in at the half-way point.
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@Rosdonald Regina It is possible that you may not have the correct tip for spraying surround. Maybe the strainer isn’t right also. I haven’t used surround so I don’t know what is reccomended. Maybe some others here can advise. Also because of the viscosity of the surround maybe you have to blow out the tip and strainer mid tank.
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Do you set the sprayer nozzle on finest spray or more coarse spray? Mine is running off and not sticking even at 3 cups/gallon with a few drops of Dawn.
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Can’t remember but it was quite fine. Surround often runs off fruitlets but stays better on leaves. That’s my experience.
@scottfsmith has tons more experience.
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Thanks yes that’s my experience too.
Am all clayed up, finished thinning, now to cut more zip locks. LOL
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It should stick to apples. Plums maybe not but apples it should be sticking to.
Oh you asked a question awhile back I don’t think I answered… you were wondering what to do if only part of the blooms dropped. Often the bottom ones drop before the upper ones and you can just hit those lower ones. Or wait. I rarely get into a problem in that case, unless I am being negligent about spraying.
Speaking of which, I really need to get out and re-coat. It was rainy then it was windy then I was tool busy. Tomorrow…
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Lots of good suggestions. This is likely the case of not knowing what I dont know. I dont have an agitator on my sprayer. Shaking back and forth between trees is the best I can do. I see where you can purchase and install an agitator. I’m wondering if I should just upgrade to a better sprayer. I have about 50 trees in a mixed fruit design. I have use of a riding ATV but generally dont mix enough to use a really large sprayer. I can manage a 3 gallon backpack but physically I’m at my limit. Mine uses a hand pump. I’m anxious to hear your recommendations!
Scott I don’t see moth granulosis in your Petal Fall spray but it is in your next followup spray. Is that correct?
Hmm, it is usually in my petal fall spray. I put it in a few days ago. I’m not sure my granulosis is any good any more, it has been in the freezer for about 10 years now. But I still add to tank…
@scottfsmith I think it’s missing from your 2019 spray schedule update for the petal fall spray- you might want to add it.
I put it in, but I really should edit that to update it. I am currently using Madex HP, a virus that targets both CM and OFM. I am also experimenting with Grandevo and Venerate; they are supposed to have some efficacy against PC. See e.g.
where the efficacy of Grandevo on PC in a study is mentioned a ways down the page.
Speaking of which, I need to go smack some curcs! The wind finally has died down and warming up so time for another spray round.
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