Copper is phytotoxic so make sure to read the label if you are doing any application on leaves. Unless you have certain diseases giving you big problems (fireblight and bacterial spot in particular) there is not much of a reason to use it in the growing season - its not effective against brown rot or other summer rots.
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Yes, I’ve discovered my Naranjilla is very sensitive to it.
The directions on the Kocide 3000 label are thorough. When I treat with copper I also chemigate with it for soil drench.
Due to the intense insect pressure – particularly on Citrus, I rotate through these insecticides using one per month and each twice per year:
Assail 30SG
Admire Pro
Evergreen EC
Baythroid XL
Conserve SC
Malathion SEC
You drench the soil with copper? Isn’t that toxic to earthworms? Are you sure there might not be other soil effects? It’s not like boron but is a lot of copper safe for soil flora and trees?
That’s a potent mix of insecticides. Do the labels recommend that rapid of a rotation? I rotate three miticides on a three year basis. That is use the same one for a year, 1-2 applications, and then the same for two others the next two yrs.
Copper can combat fireblight? My D’Anjou has a mess of fireblight… can I really use copper on it? I thought the only solution was to remove infected branches.
Copper might reduce infection but once it’s inside the plant it won’t help. It needs to be cut out.
Copper can combat fire blight efficiently. But copper is a toxic and can be built up in the soil so need use it under conscious
Good to know. Thanks.
A number of experts on the subject would disagree with this statement.
My soil is healthy and the earthworms are doing well. Dosage is key.
Continuing the discussion from Too late for copper spray?:
Not much use in that statement. Which experts and what exactly do they say?
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Please check the peer reviewed literature and recent plant pathology textbooks.
Not much use in that either, If you are going to make the contradictory statement why not provide at least a single link? Seems like common courtesy to me.
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/articles/FB-MANAGE00.html
This is one of the best articles I’ve ever read about managing FB and it is very specific about copper being a preventive and not an eradicant. I would be interested if you have something specific that contradicts this because this is the literature consensus as I understand it.
I love learning something new so please illuminate, don’t just turn off the lights.
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Agree. I’d actually love to know more about this if it will help with my pears.
Richard - Can you give us more to go on? Your last couple comments have been lacking.
Alan, thank you on several levels for that link.
Somewhat off topic for this particular thread, but the section on Control and Management applied to me and what I tried to describe as my personal problem concerning general disease and pest management in this post.
The following quote which began that paragraph in your linked article is something I wish I’d gleaned years ago.
“One of the first things to understand about agriculture is that it is not natural. Agroecosystems, whether they involve annual or perennial crops, exist only with the continued input of energy by man. Should that input be withdrawn, the system quickly reverts to the prevailing natural ecosystem for the region. Thus, man’s aim in agriculture has really evolved into an approach designed to keep nature in abeyance. Such domination of nature is tenuous at best.”
I was not previously aware that copper even played a role in fireblight management, only of removal and antibiotic treatments. I especially appreciate when statements are backed up by reliable sources and scientific studies.
Thanks.
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Richard
I think that you need to “flesh out” and give some references when you make thelse short definitive statements.
Keep in mind that it is not just the petson you are directly responding to who is reading the post. The response that essentially says “look it up” makes it frustrating to us ( me at least)
Mike
It is almost as if I wrote that, because it has been my own belief or realization for years. Anyone who spends a great deal of time gardening should realize that the act resembles harmony with nature only in the manner that jujutsu represents harmonizing with an opponent.
As much as possible you try to know and respect nature, and as best as possible work with and around her power to achieve your goals- but much of it is just plain pushing back as long as you are able.
The starry eyed hippie I was when I began my life with soil and trees had a much more benign interpretation of our dear earth mother than the person I am now.
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This is pretty much the stage my peach tree is at now.
I didn’t get a chance to spray copper. If I spray at this stage will it damage the tree? I still have to wait out the next few days of cold weather and rain. It’s impossible to time this right it seems.
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That is still OK, a little bit further with a bit of pink showing is also OK. This has been a particularly rough year given all the ups and downs on the weather.
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That’s a good point! I wonder if Bay Laurel treats its trees before shipping them out
Answer from BL: they were sprayed at DW in December, before shipping to BL
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Probably a dumb question, but can you spray copper after bloom?
Does it do any good at that point?
Does it do any harm?