Backyard Orchard Management @ Royal Oak Farm Orchard

Using Neem Oil in the Home Orchard

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:05:58 GMT

The Best Use of Neem in the Home Orchard

For home apple growers, neem oil can be a useful “helper” product in your spray program, but it works best as a supplement to, not a replacement for, your main disease and insect controls. This post walks through what neem is, the three main types, and how to integrate it safely into a realistic home-orchard schedule.

What Is Neem Oil?

Neem oil is derived from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), a tropical tree whose seed compounds affect insects’ feeding, growth, and reproduction. In orcharding, neem products are used for:

· Suppressing soft-bodied insects like aphids, mites, and leafhoppers

· Providing some possible “soft” protection against powdery mildew and light scab

· Adding a lower-toxicity option into an integrated pest management (IPM) program

For most home apple growers, neem is best thought of as a finesse tool, something you layer on to reduce pest pressure and improve coverage, rather than your primary solution for scab, fire blight, or codling moth.

The Three Types of Neem Products

In garden centers and online, “neem oil” labels can be confusing. They’re not all the same product chemically or functionally. There are three main categories apple growers should recognize.

1. Cold-Pressed Neem Oil

Cold-pressed neem oil is mechanically pressed from neem seeds with little or no heat or chemical solvents. It contains:

· Azadirachtin (the primary insect growth regulator component)

· Other limonoids and bitter compounds

· Fatty acids and glycerides (the oil base)

Functional traits:

· Broad, relatively “complete” neem profile

· Repellent and antifeedant to many insects

· Some insect growth regulator (IGR) activity

· Light fungistatic effects (especially on powdery mildew)

On labels, this often appears as “100% cold-pressed neem oil” or “neem seed oil” and is sold as a concentrate that you emulsify and dilute before spraying.

2. Clarified Hydrophobic Extract of Neem Oil

Clarified hydrophobic extract is neem oil that has been further processed. The manufacturer removes most or all azadirachtin and related active limonoids, leaving primarily the non-polar oil fraction (fatty acids and glycerides).

Functional traits:

· Works mainly as a contact suffocant on soft-bodied insects and mites (similar to other horticultural oils)

· Some utility on powdery mildew and surface fungi

· Less IGR/repellent effect compared with cold-pressed neem

This is what many “neem oil” fruit and ornamental RTU sprays actually contain. The active ingredient line often reads “clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil (x%)”.

3. Azadirachtin (Neem Seed Extract)

Azadirachtin can also be isolated as a separate technical material. In that case, you get:

· A product that is essentially an insect growth regulator and feeding deterrent

· Very little of the oily carrier that gives suffocating/contact kill

These products are not usually sold simply as “neem oil.” They’re labeled by azadirachtin concentration and marketed for more professional or high-value uses (greenhouse, specialty crops). They shine against pests like fungus gnats, leafminers, and some whiteflies, but have limited usefulness alone against key apple pests such as codling moth or plum curculio.

Here is a concise reference table you can use when reading labels at the store or online:

For most backyard apple growers, the first two categories—cold-pressed neem oil and clarified hydrophobic extract—are the ones you’re likely to use and are the focus of our post here.

What Neem Can and Cannot Do on Apples

It’s crucial to match expectations to reality. Neem is helpful, but it has clear limits in an apple block.

Where Neem Helps

Neem products can:

· Suppress aphids, mites, leafhoppers, and other soft-bodied or exposed insects as a delayed doramnt spray

· Provide partial suppression of powdery mildew and light scab pressure

· Fit into an organic or reduced-synthetic IPM program as a lower-toxicity, broad-spectrum helper

· Add some repellent and feeding-deterrent effects that reduce pest pressure between more targeted sprays

Used correctly, neem can reduce flare-ups of secondary pests and help keep foliage cleaner in a light-pressure year.

Where Neem Falls Short

Neem alone is not a strong solution for the big, yield-threatening apple pests and diseases:

· Scab, rust, and serious powdery mildew under high pressure still require proper fungicide coverage (sulfur, captan, copper, or other labeled products).

· Fire blight requires a strategy built around resistant varieties, sanitation, and—when needed—specific bactericidal sprays, not neem.

· Key insect pests like codling moth, apple maggot, and plum curculio need more reliable materials (e.g., spinosad, carbaryl, or other regionally recommended options, or well-timed bagging/traps in low‑spray systems).

Think of neem as a supplementary layer of control for “small stuff,” not a stand-alone shield for your apples.

How to Fit Neem into a Home Orchard Spray Protocol

Below is a practical framework for using neem as a supplemental product in a realistic home-apple spray schedule. Always adjust to your local extension recommendations and label directions.

Dormant to Green-Tip

Main goals: reduce overwintering mite and aphid eggs, scale, and some early disease inoculum.

· Primary tools: conventional dormant oil (or a neem product labeled for “dormant” use) plus, where appropriate, lime sulfur or copper.

· Role of neem: you can use a neem-based “dormant” oil if the label allows apples and dormant-rate application. The value here is more about oil action than the neem chemistry itself.

Key notes:

· Apply on a mild day when trees are fully dormant and not stressed.

· Avoid mixing with sulfur unless the label and extension guidance explicitly permit it, and respect any waiting interval between sulfur and oil.

Pink and after Petal Fall

Main goals: protect blossoms and young fruitlets from scab, powdery mildew, rust, fire blight, and early-feeding insects like plum curculio.

· Primary tools: scab and mildew fungicides (e.g., sulfur, captan, or other labeled products), plus insecticides where needed for PC and early codling moth.

· Role of neem: limited. Oils (including neem) are generally avoided in full bloom to protect bees and pollinators, and they are weaker than dedicated fungicides and insecticides for the main threats in this window.

If you use neem here at all:

· Make sure your product is explicitly labeled for use during these stages and for bees, beneficials and pollinators (many labels advise against bloom-time use).

· Spray in the evening or at dusk, when bees are not foraging.

· Keep expectations modest; neem is not going to replace your main fungicide or insecticide in this critical window.

Cover Sprays After Petal Fall

Main goals: maintain disease control and manage foliar pests during shoot growth and early fruit development.

This is where neem can do its best work as a supplement.

How to integrate neem:

· Continue your core fungicide program for scab and mildew on the schedule recommended by your regional guide.

· Add neem (cold-pressed or clarified hydrophobic extract labeled for apples/fruit trees) on cover sprays when you specifically want extra pressure on:

Aphids and leafhoppers
Spider mites
Light powdery mildew on leaves and shoots
Japanese Beetle (Cold Pressed Neem w/Azadiractin)

· Use label rates and intervals (often 7–14 days), and avoid spraying during very hot, bright conditions to reduce risk of leaf burn or russeting.

· Apply at dusk or early evening for reduced stress on foliage and beneficials.

If your standard spray is, for example, sulfur + captan for scab and a periodic spinosad for insects, you might:

· Use neem on selected cover sprays when you notice rising aphid or mite activity, or when you’ve had enough dry weather that powdery mildew is creeping in.

· Skip neem on sprays closely following a sulfur application if your product or extension guidance warns against oil–sulfur combinations.

Preharvest and Late Season

As fruit approach maturity:

· Monitor labels for preharvest interval (PHI) on your neem product. Some require several days between last spray and harvest.

· Late-season neem can help keep late aphid colonies, mites, and superficial mildew in check, especially if you’re trying to keep fruit surfaces clean with softer materials.

Again, neem doesn’t replace your need to manage codling moth or apple maggot with appropriately timed measures earlier in the season. By the time you see wormy fruit, neem is not going to solve that problem.

Safety, Compatibility, and Practical Tips

Label First, Always

Before anything else, confirm that:

· Apples or “pome fruits” are explicitly listed on the label

· You understand the allowed spray interval and PHI

· The product specifies whether it can be mixed with other fungicides or insecticides you use

Every neem formulation is a little different, so don’t assume all neem products behave the same.

Avoid Oil–Sulfur Conflicts

A classic orchard rule of thumb:

· Do not apply sulfur and oil (including neem oil products) too close together, particularly in warm weather.

· Many labels and extension resources suggest waiting several days between sulfur and oil applications to reduce phytotoxicity and russeting risk.

If your main disease program is sulfur-heavy, plan your neem sprays so they don’t bump directly up against sulfur.

Heat and Sunlight

Neem, like other oils, can increase the risk of leaf burn and fruit russeting under hot, bright conditions.

· Avoid spraying during the hottest part of the day or when temperatures exceed label limits.

· Favor evening applications with good drying time ahead of any overnight dew or rain.

Bees and Beneficials

To protect pollinators and beneficial insects:

· Avoid spraying neem during bloom, especially when bees are actively foraging.

· Prefer dusk or late evening for in-season sprays.

· Use only when you have a defined need (identified pest or disease pressure), rather than on a rigid “just because” schedule.

Putting It All Together: Neem as a Supplemental Tool

For a typical home apple grower, a sensible way to use neem might look like this:

· Keep your established core program for scab, rust, powdery mildew, fire blight, codling moth, and apple maggot (following your state’s home-orchard guide).

· Use neem in-season to:

o Knock down aphids, mites, and leafhoppers when they start to build

o Add a little extra “soft” coverage against powdery mildew on leaves

o Integrate a low-toxicity option that supports a more IPM-oriented orchard

With that framing, neem becomes a flexible add-on that improves the health and appearance of your trees, rather than a miracle cure you’re relying on to do everything.

This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Due to constantly changing labels and product registration, some of the recommendations given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any information in these recommendations disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be disregarded. No endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not mentioned. The author assumes no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations.

Using Organic Based Nu-Film 17, Nu-Film P and Thermax 70

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 23:01:37 GMT

Organic Surfactants and Their Comparisons

Surfactants and stickers help organic sprays cover and cling to apple foliage, and products like Nu-Film 17, Nu-Film P, and Therm X-70 can significantly improve efficacy and rainfastness when used correctly and in line with organic certification rules. ^[1] ^[2] ^[3]

What surfactants and stickers do

Surfactants lower spray solution surface tension so droplets spread and wet waxy or hairy plant surfaces instead of beading and running off. Stickers create a thin film that binds the pesticide or nutrient to the leaf, improving rainfastness and protecting residues from UV degradation and mechanical wash-off. Many modern adjuvants combine both functions as “spreader-stickers,” which both improve initial coverage and extend field life of contact materials like sulfur, copper, kaolin clay, and biologicals. ^[2] ^[4] ^[5] ^[1]

Why they matter in organic apples

Organic programs often rely on protectant, contact materials that are only as good as their coverage and persistence. Studies and grower experience with organic apples show that pairing sulfur or other contact products with a spreader-sticker like Nu-Film can hold material on leaves longer and through light to moderate rains. This is especially valuable for sulfur, Bt, clay films like Surround, and biologicals that otherwise wash off quickly, forcing more frequent re-applications. ^[6] ^[5]

Nu-Film 17: pinene extender-sticker

Nu-Film 17 is a non-ionic spreader-sticker based on pinene (terpene) polymers that is labeled as a “sticking-extending/deposition aid” for agricultural chemicals. It forms a tacky, flexible film on foliage that encapsulates the spray deposit, markedly reducing erosion from rainfall or overhead irrigation and shielding residues from UV degradation. University work and grower reports indicate that this kind of pinene polymer technology can significantly lengthen the effective life of contact pesticides, which is why it appears in tree-fruit spray guides as a suggested adjuvant. ^[7] ^[4] ^[8] ^[3] ^[9]

Nu-Film P: organic-listed spreader-sticker

Nu-Film P is a closely related pinene-based spreader-sticker that is specifically sold and labeled for organic production and is OMRI listed for certified organic systems. It improves wetting and adhesion of foliar sprays and forms a soft, elastic film that tightly holds sprays on leaves while reducing wash-off by rain or irrigation and slowing UV breakdown. Organic suppliers note that Nu-Film P can significantly increase the duration and performance of biological insecticides such as Bt on foliage. ^[5] ^[1]

Therm X-70: yucca-based surfactant

Therm X-70 (also sold as ThermX 70) is a natural wetting agent and spreader-sticker derived from yucca (Yucca schidigera) containing about 20% saponins. Saponins act as natural surfactants that improve water penetration, act as a spreader-sticker for fertilizers and pesticides, and help plants cope with water and salt stress. Organic suppliers recommend Therm X-70 to improve foliar nutrient uptake and pesticide performance and to help hydrophobic media and heavy soils accept and move water more uniformly. ^[10] ^[11] ^[2]

Practical use on apple trees

On apples, Nu-Film-type products are typically added at low rates per 100 gallons of water (always follow the current label for tree fruits and specific tank-mix partners). Commercial descriptions emphasize adding Nu-Film products to improve adhesion and staying power of fungicides, insecticides, and biologicals, often extending intervals between sprays in conjunction with weather and disease pressure. Therm X-70 labels and product literature recommend it as the last ingredient in the tank mix to minimize foaming and note its dual role in improving foliar spray spread as well as water penetration into soil and plant tissues. ^[4] ^[11] ^[2] ^[5]

Fitting them into an organic program

For a certified organic program, Nu-Film P and yucca-based Therm X-70 are marketed specifically for organic systems, but actual use must be checked against the current OMRI listing and your certifier’s rules for each lot and label. For any spreader-sticker in an organic apple block, you would typically reserve them for key sprays—early-season scab/sulfur applications, primary infection periods, and critical insect or thinning sprays—where improved coverage and persistence yield the most benefit per added cost and residue. ^[12] ^[11] ^[6] ^[7] ^[1] ^[2]

How does Thermax70 compare to these?

ThermX‑70 is a different animal: it’s a yucca‑saponin nonionic wetting agent that behaves more like a classic surfactant and less like the long‑lasting film that Nu‑Film 17 / P create. ^[16] ^[17] ^[18] ^[19] ^[20]

Chemistry and mode of action

· ThermX‑70 is concentrated yucca (Yucca schidigera) extract with about 20% saponin, a natural nonionic surfactant that lowers surface tension and improves wetting and penetration. ^[17] ^[18] ^[19] ^[21] ^[20]

· Nu‑Film products are pinene/pinolene polymer “resin” adjuvants that polymerize to form a flexible film on the surface, functioning as a sticker/extender more than a penetrant. ^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[25] ^[26] ^[27]

Functional differences on apples

· ThermX‑70 will give you better initial wetting and spreading and can help get materials into rough or waxy canopies; it is also used to condition soils and media because of its effect on water infiltration. ^[18] ^[19] ^[28] ^[16] ^[17]

· Nu‑Film 17/P are about deposition and persistence: they reduce wash‑off and UV loss, effectively “locking” fungicides/biologicals on the surface and stretching intervals. ^[19] ^[23] ^[24] ^[25] ^[26] ^[29] ^[22]

Organic status and typical use

· ThermX‑70 is marketed as an OMRI‑listed natural wetting agent/spreader‑sticker, widely used in organic systems with foliar feeds and pesticides. ^[30] ^[31] ^[20] ^[17] ^[18] ^[19]

· Nu‑Film P fills the “organic‑friendly sticker” niche; Nu‑Film 17 is more often used where a stronger film/longer persistence is desired and a 30‑day PHI is acceptable. ^[24] ^[25] ^[26] ^[27] ^[29] ^[19]

Rates and practical program fit

· Typical ThermX‑70 foliar rates are in the ballpark of 4–8 oz per 100 gal as a wetting agent/spreader‑sticker, and much lower rates when used primarily as a soil wetter. ^[20] ^[17] ^[19] ^[30]

· Nu‑Film 17/P are usually run at similar low ounces‑per‑100‑gal, but the intent is to build a film that persists multiple days and through light rains, so you feel their effect more in interval length and residue “hang‑time” than in immediate wetting. ^[23] ^[25] ^[26] ^[29] ^[19] ^[22] ^[24]

^{Here at Royal Oak farm Orchard, we choose to use Thermax70 due to its versatility and its wetting agent ability. And since we use an Advanced Ecological Agriculture fertilization program, we tank mix our foliar fertilizers with fungicides and/or insecticides and Thermax70 is the better product for for use with foliar feeds and pesticides.}

References:

1. https://ohioearthfood.com/products/nu-film-p-spreader-sticker-omri-listed-gallon

2. https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/thermx-70-omri-listed-concentrate-natural-wetting-agent-spreader-sticker/natural-organic-plant-disease-control

3. https://www.millerchemical.com/products/adjuvants/nu-film-17

4. https://www.organicapproach.com/p-3809-nu-film-17-non-ionic-spreader-sticker-spray-adjuvant.aspx?CatID=104 5. https://www.7springsfarm.com/products/miller-nu-film-p-spreader-sticker-2-5-gallon

6. https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/686/Growing-Organic-Apples/

7. https://polk.extension.wisc.edu/files/2014/02/Tree-Spray-Guide-2014-A3314.pdf

8. https://www.fbn.com/direct/product/attach-non-ionic-spreader-sticker

9. http://fs1.agrian.com/pdfs/Pinene_S_Extender__Sticker_(022108)_Label.pdf

10. https://www.bghydro.com/therm-x-70-natural-wetting-agent.html

11. https://fedcoseeds.com/ogs/thermx-70-soil-conditioner-natural-wetting-agent-8714

12. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/pdf/integrated-orchard-management-gu/2025-02-07/AG-sible_250121.pdf

13. https://www.millerchemical.com/products/adjuvants/nu-film-p

14. https://growingfruit.org/t/need-help-developing-a-regiment-for-my-fruit-trees/62755

15. https://bluerooforchard.com/OrganicAppleProductionInHighTunnels.pdf

16. https://soundhorticulture.com/products/thermx-70

17. https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/thermx-70-omri-listed-concentrate-natural-wetting-agent-spreader-sticker/natural-organic-plant-disease-control

18. https://www.organicapproach.com/p-3702-yucca-schidigera-extract-thermx-70-wetting-agent-surfactant-and-biological-food.aspx?CatID=106

19. https://fedcoseeds.com/ogs/thermx-70-soil-conditioner-natural-wetting-agent-8714

20. https://hydrobuilder.com/products/american-extracts-therm-x-70-organic-yucca-extract-wetting-agent-1-gallon

21. https://www.bghydro.com/therm-x-70-natural-wetting-agent.html

22. https://www.solutionsstores.com/nu-film-17-spreader-sticker

23. https://www.millerchemical.com/products/adjuvants/nu-film-17

24. https://www.fertrell.com/nu-film

25. https://azelisaes-us.com/product/nu-film-17/

26. https://greenearthagandturf.com/products/nu-film-p

27. https://soundhorticulture.com/products/nu-film-p

28. https://growitnaturally.com/products/thermx-70-yucca-extract

29. https://www.store.harmonyfarm.com/nu-film-17-spreader-sticker-1-gal/

30. https://www.kisorganics.com/products/therm-x-70

31. https://www.organicapproach.com/c-106-de-foamers-water-conditioners-spreader-stickers-adjuvants-anti-transpirants-anti-desiccants.aspx

32. https://extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-198-W.pdf

33. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/pdf/integrated-orchard-management-gu/2024-05-20/AG-sible_240513.pdf

34. https://americanextracts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ThX70-Label.pdf

35. https://www.vacseal.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Outgassing-Data-for-Selecting-Spacecraft-Materials-REV3.pdf

36. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20030053424/downloads/20030053424.pdf

37. https://growitnaturally.com/collections/stickers-spreaders-sterilizers

38. https://www.griffins.com/pdf/catalogs/2023-Griffin-Grower-Supplies-Catalog.pdf

https://veseris.com/default/t-o-vegetation/deposition-aids-spreader-sticker?p=2

Mid-Winter Preparations for the Apple Growing Season

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:59:27 GMT

What should the backyard apple grower be doing in February to prepare for the growing season?

I n the Upper Midwest and New England states, February is mainly a time for planning, possible pruning, inspection, and getting your spray and IPM program staged, while holding off on oils and most sprays until closer to bud swell. Here's a checklist to get you started.

Pruning and structure

· Begin main dormant pruning late February if the long‑range forecast shows you past the worst arctic events but still well before bud swell.

· Focus on removing dead, diseased, damaged, and crossing branches, then thin for light penetration and fruiting wood renewal rather than heavy heading cuts.

· Avoid over‑pruning older, semi‑dwarf trees; taking too much wood at once can overstimulate vegetative growth and delay fruiting.

Dormant oil and other sprays

· Do not rush dormant/delayed‑dormant oil in February; oils are markedly more effective and safer when timed close to bud break (green tip to about ¼–½ inch green) rather than in deep winter.

· Plan your early‑season program now: decide whether you will apply a delayed‑dormant oil for mites/aphids/scale and possibly a copper for scab or canker, then watch phenology so you can spray once daytime highs and overnights are consistently above about the low‑40s with no freeze immediately after.

· Inventory materials (oil, copper, fungicide of choice, sprayer parts, calibration gear) and check labels for timing/PHI/REI so you are not improvising once buds move.

Sanitation and site prep

· Continue or finish winter sanitation: remove and dispose of any mummified fruit, cankered twigs, and remaining scabbed leaves or prunings from under the canopy to reduce disease and pest inoculum.

· If soil is workable during a thaw, verify drainage around the root zone; chronic wet spots in late winter/early spring predispose trees to root and collar issues.

· Confirm staking or structural support on any young or top‑heavy trees so late winter winds do not rock the root system.

Nutrition, soil, and planting plans

· Use February to review soil tests, plan any spring nutrient applications (especially N and possible boron or other micronutrients if you have documented deficiencies), and reconcile those rates with lawn fertilizer if trees sit in turf.

· Order any new trees, rootstocks, or replacement plantings so you are ready to plant in early spring (late March–April) once soil is thawed and workable.

· For new or young trees, plan training systems (central leader, tall spindle, etc.) so your late‑winter pruning and first‑year training are aligned.

Monitoring, records, and IPM planning

· Review last season’s notes on scab, codling moth, aphids, mites, and other pests to refine your threshold and spray/organic control plans for the coming season.

· Map out trap placement (e.g., codling moth, apple maggot) and phenology‑based actions on a calendar keyed to bud stages rather than fixed dates, especially for oils and first fungicide covers.

· Inspect bark and scaffold unions for borers, cankers, or mechanical damage now, when the framework is clearly visible, and flag any trouble spots to address during pruning or at the appropriate spray window.

In summary, keep apple trees dormant but not neglected by doing structural pruning, removing problem wood, and keeping trees at a manageable size. Apply dormant oil (and, if needed, fungicide) on suitable days in early spring to knock back overwintering pests and diseases before buds swell. Clean up old fruit and leaves, protect trunks from rodents, and line up your plans for fertilization, new plantings, and pest management so the orchard is ready to move when spring arrives. Consult the Apple Tree Growing Guide web page for any resources you may need as you prepare for the coming growing season.

Delayed Dormant Oil Sprays

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:07:38 GMT

Best Timing for Delayed Dormant Oil Sprays

Delayed dormant horticultural oil is a long‑established tool in apple IPM, but its effectiveness and crop safety depend almost entirely on precise phenological timing and temperature conditions, rather than on the calendar alone. The optimum window for application is late winter to very early spring, from green‑tip through roughly ¼–½ inch green, and not in late fall or early winter, because both insect physiology and host sensitivity make mid‑winter sprays largely ineffective and potentially risky.

Concept and mode of action of delayed dormant oil:

Delayed dormant horticultural oils are highly refined petroleum‑based or plant‑derived oils used at relatively high rates to suppress overwintering arthropod pests such as scale, aphids, and mites on apple trees. Their primary mode of action is physical: the oil forms a film that blocks spiracles, leading to suffocation of eggs and exposed stages, rather than acting as a conventional neurotoxic insecticide. Because of this mode of action, the physiological state of the pest at the time of application—especially its respiration rate—is critical to achieving lethal effects, which directly links efficacy to temperature and seasonal timing.

Optimum phenological timing: green‑tip to ½ inch green :

Across extension recommendations, the optimum timing for delayed dormant oil on apples is consistently defined by bud development stages rather than calendar dates. The commonly cited window is from first green‑tip (when leaf tissue just becomes visible as buds crack) through approximately ¼–½ inch of exposed green tissue, which aligns with late winter to very early spring in most temperate production regions. Within this interval, overwintering scales, aphids, and mites are beginning to resume metabolic activity as temperatures moderate, so respiration rates are sufficient for the suffocation mechanism of oil to be lethal, while the developing foliage and blossom tissue are still relatively tolerant of properly applied oil at labeled rates.

In practical terms, this means that in many continental climates (e.g., USDA zones 4–7) the effective window often falls sometime from late March to mid‑April, but this can be several weeks earlier in milder zones or later in colder sites; hence, phenology is the primary guide and the calendar is strictly secondary. The delayed dormant oil spray is often integrated with, or closely sequenced around, other early‑season treatments such as copper for fire blight or scab, with caution to avoid phytotoxic interactions where labels advise against tank‑mixing or close intervals between products.

Temperature constraints for efficacy and safety :

Temperature thresholds serve both efficacy and phytotoxicity considerations for delayed dormant oil applications. Most guidance recommends applying oil only when daytime temperatures are at least in the low‑ to mid‑40s °F and are expected to remain above freezing for a minimum of 24 hours following application, as cold conditions suppress pest respiration and increase stress on the host tree. Under these milder late‑winter conditions, overwintering pests are sufficiently physiologically active for the oil film to exert a lethal suffocation effect, while the risk of cold injury exacerbated by a wetted, oil‑coated surface is much lower than in mid‑winter.

Conversely, high temperatures and intense sunlight later in the season elevate the risk of phytotoxicity, especially when oil is applied near or above roughly 85–90 °F or in combination with certain fungicides or insecticides that are known to interact adversely with oil films. This further reinforces the notion that delayed dormant oil is a narrow‑window tool: it is intended for a specific range of cool but not freezing temperatures and for specific bud stages, rather than being a general‑purpose spray to be used whenever convenient.

Why late fall and early winter are inappropriate :

From an entomological standpoint, late fall and early winter are poor times for delayed dormant oil on apples because the target pests are in a low‑metabolic, overwintering state. As temperatures fall and daylength declines, scales, mites, and aphids reduce their respiration rates dramatically, which means that even if a film of oil coats eggs or resting stages, the organisms are not “breathing” enough for spiracle blockage to produce rapid mortality, leading to markedly reduced control relative to late‑winter applications. Multiple extension publications emphasize that dormant or delayed dormant oils are intended as late‑winter or early‑spring sprays, warning that mid‑winter applications (late fall through early winter in cold climates) are “not effective” in controlling the intended pest complex, thereby wasting materials, labor, and spray opportunities that could otherwise be optimally timed.

In addition to weak pest suppression, plant safety considerations argue against late fall and early winter oil use. An oil‑coated surface can interact with subsequent extreme cold, increasing the risk of cold injury to bark and buds if a hard freeze follows shortly after application, particularly on stressed or marginally hardy trees; this risk is inherently greater when spraying during the coldest part of the year. Because late fall and early winter weather are highly variable and often punctuated by freezes, freeze–thaw cycles, and desiccating winds, the probability of encountering injurious post‑spray conditions is higher than in the more predictable late‑winter window commonly recommended for delayed dormant sprays.

Practical implications for IPM in diverse climates:

For most temperate apple‑growing regions, the practical implication is that delayed dormant oil should be reserved for a relatively narrow window just prior to or shortly after bud swell, as buds move from tight dormant scales through green‑tip toward ½ inch green. This approach concentrates oil applications at the moment when overwintering pest populations are both physiologically vulnerable and still exposed on woody tissues, while host tissues are sufficiently tolerant and weather conditions can be selected to avoid both freezing and excessive heat. In contrast, using oil in late fall or early winter, simply because the trees are leafless and “dormant,” provides little pest control benefit and introduces unnecessary risk of cold‑related injury or wasted applications, making such timing inconsistent with both modern IPM and contemporary extension recommendations.

No More Fruit Tree Spray

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:01:03 GMT

Bonide Discontinues Its Fruit Tree Spray

Over the past several years, Bonide has made many product changes due to their being purchased by Adama, a member of the Syngenta Group, the world’s largest agricultural inputs company. At the same time, the EPA has been evaluating the largest consumer group of pesticide users, the residential customers. These changes have created a lot of confusion, especially among residential users of these products.

Since residential gardeners and growers use more chemicals per acre than farmers do, the EPA has been slowly removing certain products from the residential market, including Captan. These EPA changes have also forced companies to change their product lines, which is why Bonide has removed some products from the market like their Captan and Fruit Tree Spray.

At the same time, Bonide created a new "organic" line of products using the "Captain Jack's" name brand as the name of their organic line. So, the name "Captain Jack's" now appears on all of Bonide's organic product line, not just the old "Dead Bug Brew", which still exists in their catalog.

Bonide made two different Fruit tree sprays that are called MPFS products, Multi Purpose Fruit Sprays . Don't confuse these two products because their chemistry is completely different and it is the Fruit Tree Spray that was discontinued.

Fruit Tree Spray was discontinued, but it may still be on the shelves out there. It contains Captan, a fungicide protectant, Malathion, an organophosphate insecticide and Carbaryl, an insecticide. Carbaryl was the active ingredient in the old Sevin. Carbaryl also can act as a fruit thinner, so if the label is not followed, it can remove your fruit, especially if there is a temperature spike right after spraying. This product was discontinued several years ago , but product still remains on shelves out there. It was replaced by the new Fruit Tree and Plant Guard.

Fruit Tree & Plant Guard , on the other hand, cont ains two fungicides and an insecticide. The two fungicides are pyraclostrobin and boscalid, the same two chemistries in Pristine, and it contains llambda-cyhalothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid.

FTPG is a far better product due to the two fungicides being from different fungicide resistant groups so the diseases can't build up resistance to it. Fruit Tree and Plant Guard has two different fungicides in it which make up the active ingredients of Pristine, which are pyraclostrobin and boscalid, a premix of a FRAC Group 7 and a Group 11 fungicide. The FRAC code is a number and/or letter combination assigned by the fungicide resistance action committee (FRAC) to group together active ingredients which demonstrate potential for cross resistance. They are also translaminar in nature to penetrate leaf tissue rather than fruit tissue and don't wash off after spraying very easily like a protectant can.

When To Spray "Dormant" Oil

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 17:41:17 GMT

Timing for Spraying Dormant Oil

I'm not sure where the idea of spraying oil in winter came from, but it really is an incorrect recommendation. Maybe it comes from the term "dormant" oil spray. So if it's called a "dormant" spray then I have to do it when the apple trees are dormant, right? Well.........not exactly and I'll tell you why.

As apple trees go through the various stages of dormancy, insects go through stages of hibernation. The thing is, these insects don't breathe when in hibernation, or at least a very, very little. Aphid, mite, and lepidoptera (moth) pests lower their respiration during late fall as the temps drop below 50 degrees and do not increase respiration enough until the temps start to hit 43 to 50 degrees in early spring. So they will not be breathing enough to get smothered by any oil sprays until early spring.. So save your sprays for early spring and stay warm during winter!

"Proper timing is critical when using dormant oil sprays. Dormant oils should be applied in late March or early April before the plants show signs of breaking dormancy (before “bud break”). Dormant oils applied in February or early March are not effective as insects are not actively respiring at this time and, therefore, are not vulnerable to the oil’s suffocating effects. Dormant oil sprays should be applied as close to bud break as possible."

So when do I do my oil spray if not in winter? Both daytime and nighttime temperatures should ideally be above 40°F when applying dormant oil and copper sprays to apple trees. Daytime temperatures should be above 40°F for effective application and absorption of the spray and nighttime temperatures should remain above freezing (32°F), but preferably above 40°F for at least 24 hours after application to prevent damage to the trees.

Here's the clencher: The ideal temperature range for applying these sprays is between 50°F and 70°F. It's crucial to avoid applying the spray if temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing within 24 hours after the application. I recommend waiting for a 24-hour period with temperatures consistently above freezing before applying the dormant oil and copper spray. An oil spray will be of no benefit if the temps are too low and the insects overwinter on tree bark are not sufficiently breathing to be smothered by the oil spray.

Two Types of Dormancy in Apple Trees

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:41:43 GMT

Fruit Bud Dormancy VS Full Tree Dormancy

Apple trees experience different types of dormancy that affect both individual buds and the entire tree. While these dormancy processes are interconnected, there are some key differences between fruit bud dormancy and full tree dormancy.

Fruit Bud Dormancy

Fruit bud dormancy specifically refers to the dormant state of the mixed buds that will produce flowers and potentially fruit in the following season.

Timing : Fruit buds are initiated during the current growing season, typically in summer, for the following year's crop.

Composition : These are mixed buds containing both leaf and flower primordia.

Development : Fruit bud development occurs over two seasons, with floral components forming inside the buds during autumn and winter.

Chilling Requirement : Each fruit bud has its own chilling requirement that must be met to break dormancy.

Chilling Requirement : Each fruit bud has its own chilling requirement that must be met to break dormancy.

Full Tree Dormancy

Full tree dormancy, also known as winter dormancy or endodormancy, is a state that affects the entire tree. Timing : It begins in late autumn or early winter and lasts until sufficient chilling has accumulated.

Scope : This dormancy affects all parts of the tree, including vegetative and reproductive buds, as well as the vascular system.

Purpose : It allows the tree to survive unfavorable winter conditions. Full tree dormancy progresses through distinct phases:

Paradormancy (summer dormancy)
Endodormancy (deep dormancy)
Ecodormancy (spring dormancy)

Key Differences

Specificity : Fruit bud dormancy is specific to reproductive buds, while full tree dormancy affects the entire tree.

Initiation : Fruit buds begin forming in summer, whereas full tree dormancy is triggered by environmental cues like shorter days and colder temperatures in autumn.

Duration : Fruit bud development spans two seasons, while full tree dormancy is an annual cycle.

Breaking Dormancy : Fruit buds may have slightly different chilling requirements compared to vegetative buds 1 .
Full tree dormancy release requires the accumulation of sufficient chilling for the entire tree.
Physiological Processes : Fruit bud dormancy involves specific hormonal changes and gene expression related to flower development 1 5 .
Full tree dormancy encompasses broader physiological changes, including alterations in water content, hormone levels, and metabolic activity throughout the tree.
Impact on Growth : Breaking of fruit bud dormancy leads to blossom development and potential fruit set 3 .
Release from full tree dormancy allows for overall growth resumption, including leaf development and shoot elongation.

Understanding these differences is crucial for orchard management, as it affects pruning timing, application of dormancy-breaking agents, and prediction of bloom and harvest times. Proper management of both fruit bud and full tree dormancy is essential for optimal fruit production and tree health in apple orchards.

REFERENCES:

Anton Milyaev, Ute Born, Elke Sprich, Michael Hagemann, Henryk Flachowsky, Eike Luedeling, Identifying indicators of apple bud dormancy status by exposure to artificial forcing conditions, Tree Physiology, Volume 44, Issue 10, October 2024, tpae112, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpae112

Meg Becker, The Phases of Bud Dormancy, Horticultural Consultant , Posted By HBFA | August 12, 2022

Wei J, Yang Q, Ni J, Gao Y, Tang Y, Bai S, Teng Y. Early defoliation induces auxin redistribution, promoting paradormancy release in pear buds. Plant Physiol. 2022 Nov 28;190(4):2739-2756. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiac426. Erratum in: Plant Physiol. 2023 Mar 17;191(3):2066. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad039. PMID: 36200868; PMCID: PMC9706473.

Dealing with Fireblight

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 21:51:59 GMT

The Different Phases of Fireblight

Since fireblight is a bacterial disease that has 4 different entries into the apple tree, I wanted to review how to control the disease. It has to be approached before it sets in or it can kill your trees. There is a reason why they call it "Fireblight". It can move like wildfire and under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard in a single growing season. And you don't play with fire! That's why I always tell all home growers to spray copper at silver tip and strep at bloom. Those are two sprays that I would never bypass. I've seen what fireblight can do in a large orchard and how sat it can move. It's the one disease to respect and prevent.

Let me be the one to say that THERE ARE NO APPLE VARIETIES 100% RESISTANT TO FIREBLIGHT". Fireblight cannot be cured, only controlled. That being said, here's why I said it. 'Stayman Winesap', 'Liberty', and 'Golden Delicious' cultivars are said to be "moderately resistant", and all strains of 'Delicious' are said to be "highly resistant" to fire blight, EXCEPT when tissues are damaged by frost, hail, or high winds. There's the caveat....the exception . And when you factor in that exception, there are no varieties 100% resistant to fire blight. And tissue damage can also come from your lawn mower, pet, kids, or anything else that can damage your tree like breaking a leaf or twig by accident. Once a tree is opened up to the pathogen, it can get fireblight. (Kostick, S.A., Norelli, J.L., & Evans, K.M. 2019. Novel metrics to classify fire blight resistance of 94 apple cultivars. Plant Pathology 68, 985-996. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.13012)

The four different entries of fireblight are:

Blossom blight: Open blossoms are colonized via the flowers’ stigmas and from there they gain entry via natural openings in the nectaries. Infected flowers and peduncles wilt, shrivel and darken. Infected fruitlets wither, turning black or brown. The entire flower cluster may shrivel and die but remain firmly attached to the tree.

Shoot blight: Shoot tips wilt, turn black or brown, and bend down, forming the characteristic symptom called a shepherds crook . Infected leaves often turn black or purplish-brown along the mid-vein, as bacteria colonize the vascular tissue and move into the shoot. Young shoots are most susceptible and symptoms often stop at older, woody tissue. Apple leaves killed by fire blight turn dark orange-brown, whereas pear leaves will turn black.

Canker blight: As bacteria move into the tree from infected shoots, infected woody tissues may form cankers. Shoots infected by bacteria moving into them from cankers, often appear distinctly orange-brown. Cankers may girdle the trunk, leading to tree collapse and death. The bacteria in overwintered cankers become active in the spring and may move systemically to adjacent, new growth. Bacterial ooze may form on the edges of cankers in spring.

Rootstock blight: Bacteria can move systemically through vascular tissue from blighted blossoms or shoots to the rootstock, where a local canker forms. Sunken purple or orange cankers on infected rootstocks may girdle the trunk, leading to tree collapse and death.

Trauma Blight

Trauma blight is an unusual, very destructive phase of fire blight that develops as the result of infections following injuries associated with late frosts, hail storms or high winds that damage leaves, fruit and shoots. Injuries caused by these events provide an entrance for the pathogen and shock or traumatize trees, reducing their natural defense mechanisms.

Strong storms accompanied by high winds and/or hail can injure trees and deliver inoculum that can colonize and cause shoot blight infections. Shoots are susceptible to infection any time that they are actively growing. The only effective control measure for trauma blight available currently is streptomycin in the form of Fertilome Fireblight Spray. Streptomycin is best applied as early as possible after the trauma event has occurred to maximize control. This is especially important if there are active fire blight cankers or strikes in the trees or if the trauma event resulted in extensive foliage damage. The old rule indicated that there was up to a 24 hour window of time after the trauma event to get a spray on. But new data coming out suggests that the timing should be much sooner, within 4 to 12 hours. The sooner the material can be applied after the event enables targeting of bacteria prior to their internalization and establishment of infection.

Streptomycin should not be sprayed as a preventive measure for shoot blight. This is not an effective use of this material and only promotes the development of streptomycin-resistant strains.

Prune out infected plant material

Infected stems and branches should be pruned out of the tree. This is best done while the plants are dormant to avoid spreading the bacteria to healthy parts of the plant (or other plants). But, if fireblight strikes during the growing season, you need to prune it out during the growing season, and right away. Make sure to do it when conditions are dry to reduce the chance of spread. Prune 6 to 12 inches below visible symptoms, and make sure to sanitize pruners between each cut with Lysol spray. Infected branches with cankers should be pruned at least 6 to 8 inches below any infected cankers.

Because the pathogen that causes fire blight is a bacteria, fungicides won't work to control it. However, there are some bactericides that can be used to help manage fire blight.

Copper compounds can be sprayed during the dormant season and at green tip. This can help reduce the amount of bacteria that builds up on the surface of the trees. Bonide Copper, which is copper octanoate is one residential product that can be used.

Streptomycin, an antibiotic can be used during bloom to protect flowers. Streptomycin will kill the fire blight bacteria, preventing it from infecting the flowers. Fertilome Fireblight Spray is a residential product that can be used. It cannot be overstated that if Streptomycin is not used properly, there is a risk that the fire blight bacteria can develop resistance to it.

If you use an antibiotic spray, take steps to reduce the chances of resistance developing:

Only use the rate recommended on the label
Do not apply more than two times in a season when plants are blooming.
The most important thing to do to control fire blight during the summer is to control sucking insects like aphids and leafhoppers.
Applying streptomycin sprays within 24 hours after hail to prevent new infections is also a good practice to prevent trauma blight. This is the only time post-bloom streptomycin is recommended.

Serenade, Double Nickel, Regalia, and Oxidate have been tested for fire blight control, mostly by spraying during bloom. These products often provide control better than the untreated check, but they usually are not as effective as spraying streptomycin during bloom.

For further reading on this disease: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-30-w.pdf

The Health Benefits of Apples

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 21:40:09 GMT

An Apple a Day Is Good for You

(In So Many Ways It's Hard to Keep Count)

Eat an apple a day. Doing that could help you remember to eat an apple a day.

It might also help keep your skin from wrinkling.

And apple consumption appears to promote hair growth.

In addition, scientific research continues to build more and more evidence that antioxidants in apples are protective against cardiovascular disease and cancer development.

Apples just make sense as a daily part of the human diet.

Our forebears instinctively came to that same conclusion and adopted the maxim, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." They did not understand on a physiological basis why apple consumption was associated with health. Modern scientific studies are unraveling the reasons.

Some of the research is epidemiological. Large populations are studied for their dietary habits, and correlations between food intake and health consequences are identified. Researchers also have the tools now to study how particular constituents in foods react at the molecular level within our cells to do us ill or good.

Antioxidants

This line of research has led to the discovery of the benefits of antioxidants. Our cells can be harmed by free radicals-unavoidable substances in our bodies formed through natural living processes—but antioxidant compounds can reduce the damage and lessen the likelihood that disease will ensue. Fruits and vegetables as a whole contain a wide range of helpful antioxidants. Hence the advice to eat at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is so sound. Apples are not the only health-imparting food in that group, but they make a vital contribution. Wisdom based on up-to-date science says to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables—and include at least one apple within your daily intake.

Aging

We deteriorate with age. Our motor skills degenerate. We have trouble remembering things. Antioxidants to the rescue!

Studies at various research institutions around the world, particularly the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging based at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., have linked the consumption of diets high in antioxidants with reduction in aging-related mental and physical degeneration. Oxidative stress (high incidence of free radicals) has been associated with such diseases as diabetic polyneuropathy (nerve damage in diabetics) and cardiomyopathy (heart muscle damage), according to an article in the May 2002 issue of Journal of Neural Transmission. Researchers at the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tampa, Fla., reporting in the July 15, 2002 issue of Journal of Neuroscience, noted that diets containing selected high-antioxidant foods actually reversed declines in particular physiological functions associated with aging-related mental deterioration. The Tufts scientists in collaboration with colleagues from Colorado and Pennsylvania, publishing in Brain Research in the June 2, 2000 issue, documented evidence that "age-related deficits in motor learning and memory can be reversed with nutritional interventions." They pointed out the relevance of these findings to rehabilitative strategies for victims of strokes.

The foods that have been touted the most for these positive factors are blueberries, strawberries and spinach. Apples are ranked as "intermediate" in this respect. British analysis from King's College in London, published in the February 2002 issue of Free Radical Research, listed various antioxidant components within the phenolic families of compounds found in fruits and vegetables. Darker foods like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are rich in anthocyanins, which "demonstrated the highest antioxidant activities." Scientists at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition in Los Angeles, Calif., included most apples in this category, stating in the November 2001 Journal of Nutrition that "red-purple foods contain anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants found in red apples, grapes, berries and wine." Apples also have flavonoid antioxidants, including catechins and quercetin, to add to their beneficial potency. The Tampa study showed that apples "significantly downregulated" an age-related inflammatory response in the brain that is thought to contribute to deterioration in mental processes.

As the level of understanding of the human brain and neurological system advances, a tendency grows to hype "miracle foods" as quick fixes for whatever ails us. A more moderate position is simply to recommend greater consumption of all fruits and vegetables on a consistent basis, including plenty of apples. They can all contribute something worthwhile. Apples and some other fruits and vegetables appear to be brain food. Apples can be savored simply because they are so delicious, but you may also achieve a side benefit—making your brain work better!

Wrinkles

An article published by Australian researchers in the February 2001 issue of Journal of the American College of Nutrition was titled "Skin wrinkling: can food make a difference?" The answer was a conditional yes. Elderly populations were monitored in Australia, Greece and Sweden as part of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences "Food Habits in Later Life" study. Dietary intakes were recorded, and the subjects' skin wrinkles were measured "using a cutaneous microtopographic method." The findings were that "a high intake of vegetables, legumes and olive oil appeared to be protective against cutaneous actinic [sun-caused] skin damage." Meat and butter and other dairy products appeared to have adverse effects. An Anglo-Celtic group of subjects consumed more apples, prunes and tea than other ethnic subjects did, and those foods apparently contributed to favorable results. As usual, the scientists qualified their findings as less than definitive, since it was only one research project. Their official conclusion: "This study illustrates that skin wrinkling in a sun-exposed site in older people of various ethnic backgrounds may be influenced by the types of foods consumed." Eating apples and vegetables is certainly cheaper than a bill for cosmetic surgery!

Hair Growth

Japanese researchers extracted a particular chemical compound from apples named procyanidin B-2 and studied its effect on hair epithelial cells in lab animals. Their conclusion, published in the January 2002 issue of British Journal of Dermatology, was that the compound promotes hair growth. The topic of whether or not it could do so on portions of the human male cranium that formerly boasted hair but currently do not was not addressed.

Cholera

Cholera, a scourge in the U.S. during pioneer days, has not been a problem here for more than a century. But outbreaks still occur elsewhere around the world. It's good to know apples can help. Japanese researchers, reporting in Microbiology and Immunology this year, administered a polyphenol compound extracted from immature apples to laboratory animal subjects and found it inhibited the effects of the cholera toxin in a dose-dependent manner—the more of the extract the animals ingested, the greater the control against symptoms. Apples appear to be good medicine—or, to use a more modern terminology, "effective nutriceuticals" (substances in plant foods that have protective and therapeutic values).

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) leaves its victims gasping for breath. Dutch scientists studied whether the flavonoid class of food compounds, including catechins, could improve symptoms in COPD patients. Tea and apples were the primary sources of the flavonoids. Results showed a positive association with improved lung function, including lowered incidence of coughing and breathlessness. The researchers stated in the July 1, 2001 issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, "Solid fruit, but not tea, intake was beneficially associated with COPD. Our results suggest a beneficial effect of a high intake of catechins and solid fruits against COPD." That is, eating apples may very well help.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is a risk associated with the smoking of tobacco. French researchers, writing in the October 1996 issue of Carcinogenesis and the June 18, 1998 issue of Mutation Research, described their investigations into the inhibitory effects of dietary phenolics on the development of carcinogenic substances in the bladder. Their conclusion was that "overall, our study strongly suggests that smokers ingesting dietary phenolics, probably flavonoids, are partially protected against the harmful effects by tobacco carcinogens within their bladder mucosal cells." The foods cited as "important sources of dietary flavonoids which are probably responsible for the anti-mutagenicity associated with foods and beverages" were apples, onions, lettuce and red wine.

Lung Cancer

Scientists at the University of Hawaii's Cancer Research Center of Hawaii in Honolulu investigated possible relationships between flavonoid intake and lung cancer risk. They wrote in Journal of the National Cancer Institute in its January 19, 2000 issue that "we found statistically significant inverse associations between lung cancer risk and the main food sources of the flavonoids quercetin (onions and apples) and naringin (white grapefruit)." They concluded that "if replicated, particularly in prospective studies, these findings would suggest that foods rich in certain flavonoids may protect against certain forms of lung cancer." That is, quercetin may have a protective effect against lung cancer, and apples are among the richest foods in the beneficial quercetin.

Prostate

Belgian researchers from Antwerp, writing in European Urology in 1999, noted that the low-fat, high-fiber diets typical in Asia are associated with lower incidences of prostate cancer and prostate enlargement in comparison with rates in the U.S. and Europe. Phytoestrogens (estrogenic compounds in plants) have been proposed as the preventive agents. Flavonoids are among one class of phytoestrogens, and, the authors stated, "apples, onions and tea-leaves are excellent sources of flavonoids." Many plant compounds also help by inhibiting particular enzymes that are "crucial to cellular proliferation," which is a mechanism present in cancer.

Stroke

The U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists based at Tufts University noted in the September 15, 1999 Journal of Neuroscience that phytochemicals (chemicals found in plants) that are present in antioxidant-rich foods have for some time been known to have beneficial effects in relation to cancer and the cardiovascular system. Finnish researchers, writing in the May 2000 issue of European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, discussed a 28-year study of intake of the flavonoid quercetin by more than 9,000 Finnish men and women, about 9% of whom experienced cardiovascular disease during that period. Apples were the major source of quercetin for the study population. The researchers' conclusion was that "the results suggest that the intake of apples is related to a decreased risk of thrombotic stroke."

Heart Disease

Some of the same Finnish researchers conducted another long-term study on the association of dietary consumption of flavonoids and subsequent heart attack mortality. The primary sources of flavonoids were apples and onions. The scientists concluded, according to their report in the February 24, 1996 issue of British Medical Journal, that "the results suggest that people with very low intakes of flavonoids have higher risks of coronary disease." So eat apples for your heart's sake.

Dutch epidemiologists have made similar studies among their own populations, including a long-term monitoring of elderly residents in the city of Zutphen that began in 1985. Over the years a total of 11% of the men in the study died of ischemic heart disease. The key substance being studied was catechins, part of the flavonoid family, which were ingested mainly from apples, black tea and chocolate. The findings, reported in the August 2001 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, were that "catechin intake was inversely associated with ischemic heart disease." The conclusion: "Catechins, whether from tea or other sources, may reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease mortality." Eat apples, and wash them down with tea—sounds like a winning combination.

The Dutch researchers also did a study in 1998 to develop information on catechin intake by a representative population from very young to very old. Tea was the main source of catechins across all age groups, and apples and pears ran second for adults and the elderly. Smokers had lower catechin consumption than non-smokers, as did persons with lower socioeconomic status compared with those of higher socioeconomic status. The researchers noted in the February 2001 issue of European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that "catechins are quantitatively important bioactive components of the daily diet, which should be taken into account when studying the relation between diet and chronic diseases." And apples are rich in catechins.

Postmenopausal women would do well to eat plenty of apples, according to a Dutch-and-American study of nearly 35,000 Iowa residents from 1986 to 1998. A little over 2% of the subjects died from coronary heart disease during that period. An inverse association of catechin intake with risk of that disease was determined. The scientists wrote in the November 2001 Epidemiology that "of the major catechin sources, apples and wine were inversely associated with coronary heart disease death."

Cholesterol

Numerous studies over the past quarter century have shown that a diet rich in apples can help lower blood cholesterol. Pectin, a soluble fiber found in apples at a rate of .78 grams per 100 grams of edible fruit, is thought to play a significant role in that relationship. Other fruits and vegetables also contain pectin, but apples are a handy and excellent means toward cholesterol reduction.

How handy? Food scientists at the University of California at Davis studied the composition of apple juice, including phenols, anthocyanins and flavonols. They found that apple juice inhibits the oxidation of the harmful form of cholesterol (LDL, or low-density lipoprotein). That is, you can drink your apples, whether as cider or clarified apple juice, and help protect your circulatory system. The scientists wrote in Life Sciences in 1999, "Although the specific components in the apple juices and extracts that contributed to antioxidant activity have yet to be identified, this study found that both fresh apple and commercial apple juices inhibited copper-catalyzed LDL oxidation. The in-vitro antioxidant activity of apples supports the inclusion of this fruit and its juice in a healthy human diet." So drink up!

Cholesterol

And keep at it! Dutch scientists studied the bioavailability of quercetin—that is, how well the human body absorbs it and retains it. If it goes right through your system without getting into your crucial cells, you could ingest all the apples you want and not derive the full benefit. The news out of this study is good. As the researchers reported in the November 24, 1997 issue of FEBS Letters, peak levels of quercetin from apples were found 2 1/2 hours after ingestion. The half-life for apples was 23 hours. In other words, after that period the level was still at half the peak. The researchers wrote, "Because of the long half-lives of elimination, repeated consumption of quercetin-containing foods will cause accumulation of quercetin in blood."

Want to keep the levels of that beneficial antioxidant high in your circulatory system and your cells?

Eat (or drink) an apple a day!! Because science supports that flavorful advice!

Resource Links

Disease-Fighting Chemicals in Apples Could Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer, Cornell Study Suggests

UC-Davis Reports New Apple Heart Health Benefits

Apple Nutrition Source: Facts Worth Thinking About

Cornell Anti-Cancer Findings

An Apple a Day May Keep Lung Cancer Away

An Apple a Day May Keep Alzheimer's Away

Apple Fruiting Types

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:02:17 GMT

Spur, Semi-Spur and Tip Bearing Apple Varieties

When purchasing apple trees it is important to know that not all apples are produced the same way on certain apple varieties. And when pruning and training apple trees it is important to know where your fruit grows from on the tree so that you don't reduce your crop by incorrect pruning. If you are wanting, for example, an espallier or columnar trained tree, then you would select a spur bearing variety. There are basically three types of bearing on apple trees.

Spur-bearing

The majority of apple varieties falls into this category, including well-known cultivars such as Coxes Orange Pippin and Egremont Russet. Most varieties of spur-bearing fruit trees yield fruit on three year old wood. In the second year, as the tip of each shoot extends to produce that season's vegetative growth, buds towards its base develop into fruit buds. In the third year these buds will produce flowers which will go on to form fruit. In spur-bearing trees, fruit is produced on short, knobbly shoots called spurs that develop off the main branches. Over time spurs develop into spur systems. Spur-bearers have a compact tidy appearance and fruit is distributed fairly evenly along the branch. This makes them suitable for restricted forms such as cordons and espaliers.

Tip-bearing

True or pure tip-bearing fruit trees are uncommon. As the name suggests, fruit buds form on the tips of shoots. When these shoots extend to produce the next year's vegetative growth, the buds at the tip of the previous year's growth develop into fruit buds. The buds at the base of the new season's growth remain dormant or form leaves.

It is important when pruning tip bearers not to prune off next season's crop. The previous year's young shoots - maiden shoots - should be left to bear fruit the following year. However, shoots longer than 9 inches or so can be pruned back to a growth bud to stimulate the production of more short tip-bearing shoots that will produce fruit in two year's time.

Partial tip-bearing

In normal circumstances most trees thought of as tip-bearers actually produce fruit on the tips of young laterals as well as on spurs. Bramley's Seedling, Discovery and Worcester Pearmain all fall into this category. Partial tip-bearers can be pruned in the same way as spur-bearers, but this reduces the total yield.

What follows is a downloadable list from the Home Orchard Society (which no longer exists) of Spur and Semi-spur Apple Varieties. Over 1000 spur and semi-spur varieties are listed. There are also Tip and Partial-tip Bearing Apple Varieties with over 350 varieties listed.

SOURCES:

Apple Fruiting 37 12/8/06

Botner, Nick. Spearheart Farm, 4015 Eagle Valley Road, Yoncalla, OR 97499.
phone 541.849.2781

Crawford, Martin. 2001. Directory of apple cultivars. Agroforestry Research Trust,
46 hunters Moon, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JT. UK.

Morgan, J. and Alison Richards. 1993. The book of apples. Published in
Association with the Brogdale Horticultural Trust, Ebury Press, London.

Personnel Observations: Ted L. Swensen

Sanders, Rosanne, 1988. The apple book. Philosophical Library, Inc., New York,
New York.

USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources
Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm
Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. (05 November 2006)

*Listed in Fruit, berry and nut inventory, Second Edition, Seed Saver Publications,
3076 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101
--------------------------------------------
Compiled by:
Ted L. Swensen
Last Date Modified: December 8, 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 Home Orchard Society.
Visit our forum if you have questions or for information:
www.homeorchardsociety.org

Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost Damage

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 23:02:18 GMT

Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost or Freeze Damage

Early spring is the time of the year when apple trees are beginning to wake up from their winter sleep, and is also the time for colder night temperatures that we are sure to see. It's always a good idea to revisit the critical temperatures that can cause frost or freeze damage to fruit trees, specifically apple trees. We are currently at silver tip to green tip here in northern Illinois with a forecast of night temperatures in the low 20's later in the week. Fortunately, our trees haven't progressed to far this spring, but we could see green tip next week. This spring has marked another unprecedented weather pattern that raised our temperatures in early March and is dropping our temperatures the first few days of April again. The early warm temperatures accelerated bud swell, and the lower temperatures that are anticipated present the threat of frost or freeze damage to new green tip leaf tissue if it gets down into the teens. It seems that each spring since about 2012, we have been on the verge of critical temperatures for frost or freeze damage with our fruit t rees.

As the trees develop in the spring and buds start to swell, they lose the ability to withstand the cold winter temperatures that they could withstand in dormancy during the cold winter months. The young, actively growing tissue can then be damaged or even killed. Swollen fruit buds can better withstand temperatures in the teens without any damage. As the buds open, temperatures in the low 20s can cause harm, but sometimes leave other buds undamaged. As growth moves from green tip to 1/4” green to 1/2” green to tight cluster to pink in apple trees, temperatures in the upper 20s can cause considerable harm to an early blooming tree. Near bloom, the range between slight and severe damage can be very small. Freezing temperatures of 28 degrees F. for 30 minutes will result in about a 10 percent loss and 24 F for 30 minutes will result in a 90 percent loss, as indicated by the charts down below.

In a radiation freeze with clear, calm conditions, fruit at higher elevations or in the tops of trees will be less damaged than those at lower elevations, since colder air is more dense than warmer air and sinks to ground level, pushing the warmer air up. The percent of flowers killed in a frost may or may not relate directly to lost yield later in the season. With large-fruited fruits such as apples, peaches, plums and pears, the loss of 50 percent of the flower may not be devastating since we may only want a small percentage of the flowers to become fruit, meaning that fruit thinning may be totally unnecessary. So the stage of bud and bloom development determines how susceptible any given fruit crop is when freezes occur. For more information on what those critical temperatures are that can cause freeze damage to trees during development, I have added two charts on the Critical Temperatures For Frost Damage on Fruit Trees from Utah State University below that you can download by clicking on either chart below.

Given the weather patterns we have experienced so far this spring a spring frost could still be possible. Once the fruit has set, then the critical temperatures that can damage the fruit become lower. We will need to constantly assess the stage of development our trees are at over the next weeks and their susceptibility to possible freeze injury.

If we continue in a spell of colder weather, apple trees will continue to develop more slowly, but once they begin showing tight cluster, pink and bloom, the critical temperature rises from the low 20’s to the high 20s, to levels just below freezing at bloom time, which is the most critical time to get frost damage.

Our experience here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard and from scientific studies both in Australia and overseas have shown that regular application of seaweed (kelp) digests can increase frost resistance. Low concentration seaweed digest applications at about 10-12 day periods through out the frost danger period can give 2 to 3 degrees of extra frost tolerance for apples and stone
fruit. A suitably chosen seaweed extract can be the grower’s best defense against late frost at blossom time.

When choosing a seaweed digest several factors need to be considered:

• Seaweed digests are often tailored for use on a particular crop and are fortified with conventional fertilizers or organic sources of nitrogen. Those that have added nitrogen may well reduce rather than increase frost resistance because of the effect of the nitrogen producing sappy growth. They should be avoided when the aim is to increase frost tolerance. Foliar sprays of Fish /Kelp mixtures should be avoided for this reason. It's best to stick with a 0-0-1 Seaweed mix like Neptune's Harvest Seaweed Plant Food..

• Most of the scientific work showing increase frost tolerance by seaweed digest application has been based on alkaline digests but acidic digests also appear to work. It is not clear that fermentation produced extracts work as well. Further, it might be expected fermentation - produced extracts may be counter productive, as the spores present may well be ice nucleators.

• Digests that have a relatively high potassium level may be superior to those with low levels because of the effect of increase potassium uptake by the plant through the foliage.

• For foliar application of a seaweed digest, it needs to be applied as a fine spray. It should have been passed through a ne lter during the manufacturing process.

• The digestion process needs to be carried out carefully as it is desirable that the product once on the buds or foliage is slightly sticky and forms a very thin layer over the leaves.

Seaweed digests increase frost tolerance in several ways.

• They contain a number of plant growth regulators, two of them, (cytokinins and betaines) increasing turgidity of the cell wall.

• They contain sugars, such as mannitol, and also potassium both of which will lower the freezing point of the cell fluid and explain part of the observed effect.

• Extensive work by scientists in the UK seems to indicate that there is something in the digests that triggers a gene responsible for “hardening off” the plants.

Whatever the mechanisms involved numerous studies have shown that liquid seaweeds can reduce frost damage in a wide range of crops. Liquid seaweeds fortified with potash and/or other minerals are more effective than pure liquid seaweed.

Frost damage can be signicantly reduced in apple crops by developing a strategy. Liquid seaweed application every 8 to 12 days during the frost danger period should be an important part of that strategy. This would be expected to give an extra 2 to 3 degrees of extra frost tolerance. The first application should be made at least 36 hours before the expected frost. The total number of applications will depend on the location but typically up to two to six applications may be warranted, depending on predicted temperatures.

Scientific Studies Cited:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-015-0574-9

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24274985_Lipophilic_components_of_the_brown_seaweed_Ascophyllum_nodosum_enhance_freezing_tolerance_in_Arabidopsis_thaliana

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00655/full

Reference in this blog to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind by Royal Oak Farm, Inc. People using such products assume responsibility for their use in accordance with current label directions of the manufacturer.

The Use of Seaweed/Kelp for Frost Protection.

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:52:02 GMT

Seaweed Digests for Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost or Freeze Damage

Given the weather patterns we have experienced so far this late winter and early spring, a spring frost seems very possible. Once the fruit has set, then the critical temperatures that can damage the fruit become lower. We will need to constantly assess the stage of development our trees are at over the next weeks and their susceptibility to possible freeze injury.

If we continue in a spell of colder weather, apple trees will continue to develop more slowly, but once they begin showing tight cluster, pink and bloom, the critical temperature rises from the low 20’s to the high 20s, to levels just below freezing at bloom time, which is the most critical time to get frost damage.

Our experience here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard and from scientific studies both in Australia and other overseas locations have shown that regular application of seaweed (kelp) digests can increase frost resistance. Low concentration seaweed digest applications at about 10-12 day periods through out the frost danger period can give 2 to 3 degrees of extra frost tolerance for apples and stone fruit. A suitably chosen seaweed extract can be the grower’s best defense against late frost at blossom time.

When choosing a seaweed digest several factors need to be considered:

• Seaweed digests are often tailored for use on a particular crop and are fortified with conventional fertilizers or organic sources of nitrogen. Those that have added nitrogen may well reduce rather than increase frost resistance because of the effect of the nitrogen producing sappy growth. They should be avoided when the aim is to increase frost tolerance. Foliar sprays of Fish /Kelp mixtures should be avoided for this reason. It's best to stick with only a 0-0-1 Seaweed mix like Neptune's Harvest Seaweed Plant Food ..

• Digests that have a relatively high potassium level may be superior to those with low levels because of the effect of increase potassium uptake by the plant through the foliage.

• For foliar application of a seaweed digest, it needs to be applied as a fine spray. It should have been passed through a filter during the manufacturing process.

• The digestion process needs to be carried out carefully as it is desirable that the product, once on the buds or foliage, is slightly sticky and forms a very thin layer over the leaves.

Seaweed digests increase frost tolerance in several ways.

• They contain a number of plant growth regulators, two of them, (cytokinins and betaines) increasing turgidity of the cell wall.

• They contain sugars, such as mannitol, and also potassium both of which will lower the freezing point of the cell fluid and explain part of the observed effect.

• Extensive work by scientists in the UK seems to indicate that there is something in the digests that triggers a gene responsible for “hardening off” the plants.

Scientific Studies Cited:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-015-0574-9

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24274985_Lipophilic_components_of_the_brown_seaweed_Ascophyllum_nodosum_enhance_freezing_tolerance_in_Arabidopsis_thaliana

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00655/full

Simplified Training for Tall Spindle Apple Trees

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:18:25 GMT

Simplified Pruning and Training Plan for the Tall Spindle System

Spreading the scaffolds on young fruit trees can aid in bringing about improved tree form, earlier fruit production, and improved fruit quality. Branches growing in an upright position tend to be vegetative and unfruitful for a longer period of time than those growing in a more horizontal position. The reason for this is related to the natural growth regulators in the tree. Thus, spreading the scaffolds of a young fruit tree to a pendant position below horizontal favors initiation of spur growth and flowers.

First Leaf - First year of growing after planting

At Planting

Plant highly feathered (branched) trees (6 -15 feathers) at a spacing of 3-4’ X 11-12’ (90cm-

1.2m X 3.3m-3.6m). Adjust graft union to 6” (15 cm) above soil level. Remove all

feathers below 24” (60 cm) using a flush cut. Do not head leader or feathers.

Remove any feathers that are larger than 2/3 the diameter of the leader

3-4” Growth: Rub off 2nd and 3rd buds below the new leader bud to eliminate competitors to the

leader shoot.

May

Install a 3-4 wire tree support system or tree stakes that will allow tree to be supported to 3m.

Attach trees to support system with a permanent tree tie above 1st tier of scaffolds

leaving a 2 inch diameter loop to allow for trunk grow.

Early June

Tie down each feather that is longer than 10” (25 cm) to a pendant position below

horizontal with biodegradable rubberbands.

Second Leaf - Second year of growing after planting

Dormant

Do not head leader or prune trees.

10-15 cm growth Pinch lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last years leader growth removing about 5 cm of growth (the terminal bud and 4-5 young leaves).

Early June

Hand thin crop to single fruit four inches apart. (Target 15-20 fruits/tree)

Mid June

Re-pinch all lateral shoots in top 1/4 of last years growth. Tie developing leader to

support system with permanent tie.

Third Leaf - Third year of growing after planting

Dormant

Do not head leader. Remove overly vigorous limbs that are more than 2/3 the

diameter of the leader using a bevel cut.

Late May

Thin according to crop load, tree strength, and weather conditions, then

follow up with hand thinning to appropriate levels to ensure regular annual cropping

and adequate fruit size. (Target 50-60 fruits/tree)

June

Tie developing leader to support system with a permanent tie.

August

Lightly summer prune to encourage good light penetration and fruit color.

Fourth Leaf

Dormant

Do not head leader. Remove overly vigorous limbs that are more than 2/3 the

diameter of the leader using a bevel cut.

Late May

Thin then follow up with hand thinning to appropriate levels to ensure

regular annual cropping and adequate fruit size.(Target 100 fruits/tree)

June

Tie developing leader to support system with a permanent tie at the top of the pole.

August Lightly summer prune to encourage light penetration and fruit color.

Mature Tree Pruning (Fifth-Twentieth Leaf)

Dormant

Limit tree height to 10’ (3m) by cutting leader back to a fruitful side branch.

Annually , remove al least 2 limbs including lower tier scaffolds that are more than

2/3 the diameter of the leader using a bevel cut. Shorten bottom tier scaffolds where

needed back to side branch to facilitate movement of equipment and preserve fruit

quality on lower limbs. Remove any limbs larger than 1” diameter in the upper 2ft

(60cm) of the tree

Late May

Thin then follow up with hand thinning to appropriate levels to ensure

regular annual cropping and adequate fruit size. (Target 100-120 fruits/tree)

August

Lightly summer prune to encourage light penetration and maintain pyramidal tree

shape after terminal buds have set..

If you are interested in a more detailed outline of the Tall Spindle Training System, refer to the full all Spindle Planting System by Steve Hoying, Terence Robinson, and Mike Fargione at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Hudson Valley Lab and NYSAE.

When Apples Will Freeze on the Tree

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 23:18:28 GMT

When Apples Will Freeze on the Tree

Apple fruit will withstand up to 4 hours at 28°F before serious injury occurs, but it is difficult to give a hard and fast rule to predict injury based upon minimum temperatures and duration, as the recovery depends not only on the extent of freezing, but also the rate of thawing.

The fruit tissues of apples have sugar and other constituents that lower the freezing point of fruit below 32°F. The freezing point of fruit varies between varieties and fruit maturity (probably due to differences in sugar content); even so, apples begin to freeze at 28.5 to 28.0°F. The lower the air temperature and the longer the exposure, the greater is the risk of damage. A general rule is that apple fruit will withstand up to 4 hours at 28°F before serious injury occurs, but it is difficult to give a hard and fast rule to predict injury based upon minimum temperatures and duration, as the recovery depends not only on the extent of freezing, but also the rate of thawing.

During the time that the fruits are frozen, they should not be touched or moved. Handling frozen fruits invariably leads to fatal damage in the form of deep and lasting bruising. One must wait until the fruits have completely thawed before handing them. This likely means waiting several hours after the air temperature has risen above freezing. Slow thawing is actually beneficial for preserving fruit tissue integrity for apples that just had a near-death experience. A fast warming or exposure to direct sunlight will make the damage worse. Bins of fruit that must remain in the orchard overnight during potentially freezing weather should be left where they will be shaded from the morning sun (on the west side of a row, wood line or other tall structure).

While the method is destructive, and not very sophisticated, there is a way to determine if fruit are frozen. Sample some fruits and jab your thumbnail through the skin and into the fruit. Fruit that are not frozen will “pop” as the skin breaks, and the resulting wound will be juicy. Conversely, fruit that are frozen will give the sensation of sticking your thumbnail into a popsicle, and the wound won’t be juicy. The same test can be used to gain some confidence that the fruit have thawed long enough to be harvested or moved.

Fruit that experienced only a mild (~28°F or above) freeze of short duration (less than 4 hours) may recover and be perfectly salable, but should not be considered candidates for long-term storage. Such lots of fruit should be stored separately and pressure tested frequently during storage for evidence of fruit softening. Unacceptable fruit softening is a key indication that the damage is worse than predicted.

Fruit that were fatally frozen will exhibit flesh browning after thawing once the temperature has risen far enough for oxidation to take place. This browning can appear at the skin surface or below, and generally takes ~24 hours to appear, longer if temperatures remain cold. After the apples have warmed enough to exhibit flesh browning, cut fruit open and inspect them. If browning appears, the fruit is obviously unfit for use.

It is also possible for fruit that does not have obvious browning to have serious freeze damage. This fruit will rapidly soften in storage. It is good only for making juice and only if processed right away. Generally speaking in the apple business, your first loss is your best loss: If fruit have been in a freeze event that was too close for comfort, you should consider selling such fruit for juice (and tell your customer about the potential condition of the fruit). If you determine that the fruit are going to be held and sold as fresh, such freeze-event apples should be stored separately and be pressure tested over several days or weeks to assure if truly sound.

Fruit that were in the orchard during a cold spell with temperatures that dropped below 29°F for more than a brief time should be managed with caution. Don’t be in a hurry to harvest or transport this fruit. Leave the fruit undisturbed until it completely thaws. After the fruit thaws, be honest with yourself about the actual condition and potential value of this fruit. Cut lots of fruit, and if you do decide to keep it, monitor its firmness in storage.

To reference the effect late frosts in spring may have on bloom development, refer to " Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost Damage" at https://www.royaloak.farm/critical-spring-temperatures-for-frost-damage .

References: Dr. Jim Schupp, Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center Pomologist

Apple Maggot Soon to Arrive

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 23:51:33 GMT

Apple Maggot Arrival Time

It's time to set apple magott (AM) traps in your trees or orchard if you have not done so already. I usually do this around July 4, but with the extreme heat and drought we have experienced, I delayed a few days. We are at about 1290 DD from January 1 as of today, and I trapped our first fly July8, so if you have not done so, it is time to get out the apple maggot traps and get them set.

As always, be sure to follow all label directions on the bottle for proper application.

For additional information, see the following fact sheets and guides which are available from local university extension services:

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/43071/apple-maggot-FS-NYSIPM.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.extension.pur due.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-146-W.pdf

Fighting Japanese Beetle

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 22:54:34 GMT

Fighting Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetle emergence has begun here in Northern Illinois, and beetles have been spotted in other locations of the Midwest and elsewhere by home growers. Once Japanese Beetle have emerged in one location, it is only a matter of time before it emerges in another. They tend to gravitate to Honeycrisp trees first (Figure 1). Due to the large amount of carbohydrates produced by the Honeycrisp trees, which is what makes the variety so sweet, the Japanese Beetle is seemingly attracted to it just like we are! Honeycrisp seem to be the first leaves that attract them and then they move on to raspberries and several other berry and apple varieties.

Monitoring for Japanese Beetle

Adult Japanese beetles emerge from the soil and live from 30 to 45 days feeding on plants over a four-to-six-week period. The adults produce aggregation pheromones that attract individuals (both males and females) to the same feeding location. Adults can fly up to five miles to locate a feeding site; however, they tend to fly only short distances to feed and lay eggs. The adult beetles normally emerge during the last week of June through July. The first beetles out of the ground seek out that suitable food , like Honeycrisp, and begin to feed. These early arrivals then begin to release that aggregation pheromone (odor) that attracts additional adults. Newly emerged females also release a sex pheromone that attracts males. After feeding and mating for a day or two, the females burrow into the soil to lay eggs at a depth of 2 to 4 inches. Females lay 1 to 5 eggs before returning to plants to feed and mate. This cycle of feeding, mating and egg laying continues until the female has laid 40 to 60 eggs. Most of the eggs are laid by mid-August though adults may be found until the first frost. The eggs hatch in 8 to 14 days and the first instar larvae dig to the soil surface to feed on roots and organic material. The first instars shed their skin (molt) in 17 to 25 days. The second instars take 18 to 45 days to mature and molt again. Most of the grubs are in the third instar by late September and by October they dig deeper into the soil to overwinter. The grubs return to thesurface in the spring as the soil temperature warms, usually in mid-April. The grubs continue their development and form a pupa in an earthen cell 1 to 3 inches in the soil.

When you see those first few beetles, that is the time to begin your plan of attack. Those first few beetles are the food source scouts that will emit the aggregation pheromone letting other beetles know that a feast is on! The Japanese beetle adults feed through the upper leaf surface (epidermis) and leaf center (mesophyll), leaving the lower epidermis intact. Adults usually avoid feeding on tissue between leaf veins, resulting in leaves appearing lace-like or skeletonized (Figure 2). Controlling those first few beetles can give you a head start on stopping the feeding/mating cycle.

Control for Japanese Beetle

Japanese beetles generally emerge at temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit -- preferring much warmer temperatures of 85-95 degrees. They are most active on warm, sunny days between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Humidity of 60% or higher retards their flying and induces heavy feeding and destruction.

There are some control options for the adult life stage. One is physical removal and/or trapping of adults: Removing beetles by hand, or trapping, may provide adequate protection for small plantings when beetle numbers are low. However, Japanese beetle adults are capable of migrating from other areas, and the presence of beetles on or near a plant will attract more beetles. Consequently, use of Japanese beetle traps often attracts more beetles, and results in subsequent damage to plants.

The other alternative is chemical control of adults. Several insecticides are labeled for use against adult Japanese beetles. Always follow label directions. Typically, this may entail 2 treatments during the peak beetle flight. Homeowners should make their first application before damage becomes intolerable and beetles are still abundant. The need for repeated applications can be curtailed by inspecting plants for additional beetle damage prior to applying a second treatment. Neem products containing Azadirachtin can be effective repellents that can reduce defoliation when applied regularly (but no more than weekly) during beetle flight. Apply before defoliation becomes intolerable. In years when beetle populations are very high, noticeable defoliation may occur because adults will consume a small amount of insecticide tainted leaves before they are killed. Treat foliage and flowers thoroughly. For optimal control, apply in the late afternoon when beetles are most active.

Ortho has replaced this product with two new products, Ortho Tree & Shrub Fruit Tree Spray Concentrate and Ortho® Insect Killer Tree & Shrub Concentrate .

For further reading on Japanese Beetle, refer to this article by Rufus Isaacs and John Wise from Michigan Sate University: Managing Japanese Beetles in Fruit Crops.

Codling Moth Egg Hatch is Underway

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:58:17 GMT

Peak Egg Hatch for Codling Moth is Upon Us

To determine when flight begins for codling moth, commercial growers make use of pheromone traps. Once moths have been trapped for two consecutive days in a row, a biofix is set that initiates the beginning of growing-degree-day calculations. We know that at approximately 100 degree days after the biofix date codling moths begin to lay eggs and those eggs begin to hatch at approximately 250 degree days after biofix. And peak egg hatch is approximately 500 to 650 degree days (DD) after biofix. It is this information that aids in the timing of necessary sprays for codling moth so they do not damage fruit and as few sprays as possible are done. Growers wishing to time sprays based on egg development and hatch (larval stage) should make an application of an insecticide at 250 DD (base 50 degrees F) after the first sustained capture of males in the sex pheromone traps. And if that first spray was missed, then another spray can be done at the 500 top 650 DD mark, which is now in the upper Midwest. Here is a Detailed Growing Degree Day Model for Codling Moth . It is important to know that codling moths usually do not fly on nights when the temperature is below about 60 degrees, so if a biofix is set and then the nights turn colder, a new biofix may need to be set when nights warm up to above 60 degrees.

For the home orchardist who does not have the benefit of a weather station or other means to calculate degree days, a simple tree growth stage time table can be followed. Codling moths usually start flying at bloom time or just after bloom time at petal fall and at approximately the same time as plum curculio. Eggs laid by these moths begin to hatch about two weeks after petal fall, depending on the weather. You can apply the first codling moth spray at this time, about two weeks after petal fall, to prevent larvae from entering the fruit. Because most insecticide residues last 7 to 10 days and moths are continuously present throughout the summer, apply a spray every 7 to 10 days to prevent later broods of codling moth larvae from entering apple and pear fruits. If using a natural product like Spinosad or Bt, then spray after every rain due to wash off. Always follow the label directions of any spray you may use.

An all natural approach to spraying for codling moth larvae is available in the form of Bonide’s Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew® contains Spinosad (spin-OH-sid), a product first isolated from a naturally occurring soil dwelling bacterium that was collected on a Caribbean island from an abandoned rum distillery. Deadbug Brew® kills bagworms, borers, beetles, caterpillars, codling moth, gypsy moth, loopers, leaf miners, spider mites, tent caterpillars, thrips and more! Use on fruits, vegetables, berries, citrus, grapes, nuts and ornamentals and approved for organic gardening.

Several insecticides can be used for codling moth control including acetmaprid and/or spinosad. Acetamiprid is a soft, conventional control and is available as Ortho Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Insect Killer. This product has been discontinued by Ortho, but is still available in locations like eBay. This is a concentrated product that containing .5% acetamiprid. Acetamiprid is a synthetic organic compound of the family of chemicals that acts as neonicotinoid insecticides. Acetamiprid is a contact, translaminar insecticide for sucking-type insects and can be applied as a foliar spray. Translaminar insecticides are absorbed by leaves and can move through the leaf to the opposite surface they contact. They are not truly systemic and do not move throughout the entire plant. Acetamiprid acts on a broad spectrum of insects, including aphids, thrips, plum curculio, apple maggot, Japanese Beetle and Lepidoptera, especially codling moth. When sprayed in the evening at sunset, it will not harm bees or other beneficial insects once it is dry. Be sure to follow all label directions on the bottle for pr oper application.

Both of the above products will kill Codling Moth larvae and need to be sprayed just prior to the emergence of the larvae. Typically, after 1" of rain, these sprays will have been washed off and will need to be sprayed again to be effective.

For additional information, see the following fact sheets which are available from local university extension services:

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/43086/codling-moth-FS-NYSIPM.pdf

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/tree-fruit/insects-mites/factsheets/codling-mot h

Prepare for Plum Curculio

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Tue, 16 May 2023 20:37:29 GMT

Preparing for Plum Curculio

With apple scab season in our midst in the upper Midwest, and bloom coming soon, it is time to turn our attention to several insect pests. Plum curculio (PC) is one of the most difficult insect pests to contain. They enter the orchard from the perimeter after the adults pass the winter hidden under leaves, along fence rows, in brush piles, rock walls and in other protected places. In spring when the weather warms up at night (mean temperature 60°F. or maximum temperature above 75°F.), about the same time apple trees are blooming, the adults become active. The adult plum curculio beetles, pictured below, emerge right around or just after petal fall. They have only one purpose, to feed on apple buds, flowers, leaves and young fruit. The duration of full bloom to petal fall is usually about 5 to 10 days. From petal fall to fruit set is generally another 5 to 10 days, depending on temperatures. Once the fruit sets, female PC then cut holes in the young fruit and deposit one egg in each cavity.

These damage sites, seen above, are called oviposition stings. They are easily identified by their crescent shaped cuts. Unlike codling moth, the larvae of plum curculio rarely cause damage to the fruit. The fruit is primarily damaged superficially by the egg-laying and feeding by the adults. These "stings" will cork over and cause an indentation in the fruit as it matures making it look deformed and unsightly.

The question then becomes, how do we control them?? Pesticide application at this time is very important for plum curculio control. To prevent fruit drop, and due to toxicity to bees if there are still blooms on the trees, do not use carbaryl (Sevin®) or any pyrethrin based spray as these are highly toxic to honey bees and other pollinators as well as any beneficial insects. Any other pesticides should be applied in the evening when the honey bees have returned to their hives.

For home growers, an acetamiprid spray such as Ortho® Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer Ready-Spray is a deterrent. This product has been discontinued by Ortho, but may still be available in concentrated or Ready To Use (RTU) form on eBay or elsewhere online.

If no blooms are present on any trees, then a pyrethrin based spray may be used as a deterrent, even though there may be no fruit set. Picking up and disposing of any fallen fruit will reduce problems with plum curculio, other insects, and many plant diseases. For conventional growers, Avaunt or Assail are two choices you might use, based on your codling moth protocol and your apple maggot protocol.

A relatively new option for backyard growers is Bonide Fruit Tree and Plant Guard. This is a multi-purpose fruit spray that is a complete concentrate that contains insecticide, fungicide, miticide, aphicide, and scalicide. Designed specifically to protect home orchards from the ravages of listed insects and diseases. The active ingredients are Lambda-cyhalothrin: 0.5%, Pyraclostrobin: 3.06%, and Boscalid: 5.622%. Lambda‐cyhalothrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide that is similar to naturally occurring pyrethrin insecticide compounds found in chrysanthemum flowers. It also contains the same fungicide ingredients that are in Pristine, a fungicide used by commercial growers. It should only be used after petal fall and sprayed in the evening after bees and other pollinators have retired for the day. When using a multi-purpose fruit spray, no other insecticides need be used, but other fungicides can be rotated with the MPFS.

For a pure organic spray, the two most frequently used insecticides are Surround® and Pyganic®, both certified organic. Pyganic is a pyrethrum-based, quick-knockdown, short-residual, broad-spectrum insecticide that seems to be the pesticide of choice for organic plum curculio control. Note that it will also kill beneficials. It is highly toxic to bees and should never be sprayed during bloom. It is not specifically labeled for plum curculio control which means its use for plum curculio is "off-label," so it would be used for a pest that the manufacturer doesn't explicitly list on the label. However, many organic growers use it successfully.

The organic products may need to be sprayed multiple times for complete control at 7 to 10 day intervals or after any rain. And, as always, follow all label directions on any spray product.

For a complete Fact Sheet on Plum Curculio, consult the Cornell University Plum Curculio Fact Sheet for an in depth look at this pest

A Word About Apple Scab

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 20:00:25 GMT

The Word on Apple Scab

Apple scab is the most prevalent and most damaging disease to apples we have in the Midwest, and pretty much East of the Rocky Mountains. We are now officially emerging into the apple scab season as green tip and 1/4" green leaf tissue is seen on the apple trees. At green tip scab sprays should be applied according to a spray guide protocol (Fig. 1). In the spring, once temperatures rise above the 42 degree or so mark, apple scab fungal spores can germinate in water on the surface of apple tree leaves and eventually, on the fruit itself. The water or moisture that is on the leaves is termed "leaf wetness". The spores will germinate once the leaves are wet for a certain period of time at temperatures above 42 degrees On the leaves, olive green to brown spots appear on the site of the infection. If the leaves have not been protected from this "primary" scab infection, the spores will mature and produce more spores during "leaf wetness" periods and move onto the apples where they form a "scab" like lesion, if the fruit is not protected. We call the lesions on the apples "secondary" scab. With enough moisture (leaf wetness), the cycle continues throughout the growing season and destroys the crop. Each leaf wetness event at the proper temperature that occurs during the early growing season is called and infection period.

Managing Apple Scab

The apple scab fungus survives in dead leaves on the ground and over winters there on the leaves. A lack of spring rains can reduce its importance, but as a rule, apple scab requires yearly spray treatments. And, ornamental crab apple trees are also hosts. As plant parts mature and the weather gets warmer, susceptibility to this disease decreases, usually in June, but pinpoint scab can occur during extended periods of moisture during summer. The main objective in scab management is the reduction or prevention of primary infections in spring. Extensive primary infections result in poor fruit set and make scab control during the season more difficult. If primary infections are successfully controlled, secondary infections will not be serious. The key to success in scab control is exact timing and full spray coverage. Wet periods, temperature, and relative humidity are important factors. Because scab control often is part of a combination treatment aimed at other diseases and insect control, choice of materials and timing are also extremely important.

How Can an Infection Period be Determined?

Ascospores mature as spring progresses with a few ascospores usually maturing by bud break (green tip). The proportion of ascospores maturing progresses slowly until about the tight cluster stage of blossom development. From tight cluster through bloom the percentage of mature ascospores rapidly increases with most ascospores matured by the end of bloom. Unusual weather conditions may contribute to significant ascospore discharges earlier than or later than the model predicts.

Mature ascospores begin to discharge into the air within 30 minutes during periods of rain. When rainfall begins at night, discharge may be delayed until daybreak. Ascospore discharge usually peaks from pink through bloom, and nearly all ascospores have been discharged within 1 or 2 weeks after petal fall.

Apple scab infection periods ca n be predicted based on temperature and moisture (leaf wetness) conditions. The Mills Table (Fig. 2) below, derived from research by Mills and La Plante, gives hours needed at various temperatures under constantly wet conditions for primary spores (ascospores) to cause infection in spring. This system for forecasting scab and timing sprays has been validated for apple-growing regions in the Midwest.

To Spray or Not To Spray

Effective fungicide programs should be timed around infection events, inoculum availability, cultivar susceptibility, and specific characteristics of the available fungicides.

Season-long control is difficult if primary infections develop. Good control of primary infections allows use of fungicides to be reduced or omitted during the summer, once ascospores have been depleted and fruit become less susceptible. Control of primary infections has traditionally begun at or shortly after green tip, when the first ascospores become mature.

After ascospores are depleted, continue to monitor scab infection events and maintain spray coverage accordingly for at least two more weeks. Scout your trees for primary scab infections after this time. Both ascospores and conidia infect at similar rates when tested at equivalent temperatures and inoculum doses.

Standard apple cultivars vary widely in their susceptibility to scab, which will influence the intensity of the control program necessary for a particular variety.

Apple scab fungicides control disease in different ways. Protectants must be applied before infection occurs. Those with post-infection activity must be applied within a narrow time after the beginning of an infection event. Some fungicides can suppress production of conidia from recent infections or established lesions, pre-symptom and post-symptom activity, respectively. Understanding these activities and knowing which fungicides exhibit them is important for maximizing the efficiency of a fungicide program.

Monitoring for apple scab can be quite complicated for the home grower. But there is an alternative. Unless wetness periods are being monitored as outlined in the section above, you can simply apply protective or eradicant fungicides at regular intervals beginning with green tip . Spraying should be done every 7 to 10 days, depending on the number of rain events between sprays. If there are no rain events between sprays, a single protectant spray will last at least 10 days but not more than 14 days, based on the product's label directions. You will need to make sure that your trees and fruit are protected prior to any rain event if you are going to use only a protectant. A good protectant is Captan or Mancozeb. But, a protectant can lose its effectivness after 2" of rain, so you also want to keep an eradicant on hand like a myclobutanil, which is available as Spectracide Immunox.

A protectant like Captan (see below) has to be applied prior to a rain event. If no protection is available during the wetting event, then only an eradicant like Immunox can be applied that has a reach back of at least 48 hours. That means that it can still have an effect on the scab pathogen for up to 48 hours after a wetting event. A good option is to actually use both a protectant and an erdicant at the same time, like Captan mixed with Immunox, which will give you both protection and eradicant action after a wetting event. Be sure to monitor wetness periods throughout the spring to insure that trees are always adequately protected.

Immunox has a 72 to 96 hour reach back ability. That means that you have up to 72 to 96 hours to get a spray on which will still be effective against any scab infection event 72 to 96 hours previous. Immunox is a xylum m obile fungicide which means when applied to leaves it will move throughout the leaves it was deposited on but will not move out of that leaf ( McGrath, M.T. 2004. What are Fungicides. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2004-0825-01. Updated 2016 .).

For all natural spray options, refer to "Fungicide/Bactericide Options in Organic Apple Production" from the on-line New England Tree Fruit Management Guide found at https://netreefruit.org/organic/fungicidebactericide-options-organic-apple-production .

Do I Really Need To Spray?

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 00:36:21 GMT

Time To Start Thinking About Spraying

If you have a Home Orchard or just a few apple trees in your back yard, and if you have not thought about how to handle those pest problems you may have had last season, now is the time to actively examine the need of a spray protocol for your fruit trees! And start right away, before it is too late and any pests have a chance to establish themselves in your trees!

The question everyone needs to ask before spraying is “do I need to spray and if I do, do I want to spray or not?” The answer to those questions is predicated upon one thing.........how much pest pressure you had last season. Unfortunately, in northern Illinois where I am located, we have heavy pest pressure and that comes from four main pests that we almost always have to spray for. This is pretty much true for any area east of the Rocky Mountains, unless your specific location is in a buffer zone, meaning no real pest pressure.

So, the decision to spray or not depends on how much pest pressure you have and the amount of fruit loss you are willing to take. That is your threshold. If you can accept some fruit loss, then the need to spray diminishes greatly. But if you only have a few trees and some fruit damage may mean losing half your fruit, then spraying becomes more important. Let’s meet our top four pests in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and in most of the states east of the Rocky Mountains.

The four main pests that we face in apple orchards here in our climate zone of 5/5A are apple scab , plum curculio , codling moth and apple maggot , in that order. What isn't listed here is fire blight, which is a devastating disease that must be sprayed for because it can wipe out entire trees in a matter of days. For more information on these and other potential apple tree pests, visit our web site Growing Guide page.

But how do we know when to spray for them if it is a last resort to protecting our fruit? All tree fruit have several distinct growth stages as the fruit matures. Knowing and identifying those growth stages is very important for the home grower because recommendations and spray timing for spray applications are linked to these specific growth stages. The chart below shows the common growth stages for apple trees.

Since the average home grower does not have access to their own weather stations or degree day calculators, the fruit tree development stages play an ever greater role in pest management for the average grower. Most spray schedules (protocol) follow the tree development stages to aid in the timing of sprays so they are most effective. It is important to note that many diseases and some insects can only be controlled by spraying before they can be seen, like fire blight and apple scab. Spraying less frequently or at the wrong time will typically result in poor results. And, spraying more frequently will not necessarily give greater control. The key is to follow all label directions that are attached to the spray product.

The tree developmental stages or tree phenology give us a guide as to when to spray, but what do we spray if we have to spray? If we consult some of the various spray guides available to the home grower, we will find that most of the spray guides provide us with the tree’s development stages (phenology) and the insects or diseases that frequently occur during each of theses stages. So the tree phenology serves as timing guide when the application of a particular spray is recommended in order to control specific insects or diseases at the right time. The following spray guide for apple trees will give us the time to spray based on tree phenology, the pest to spray for and the product recommendation for that pest(s).

This particular spray guide is included in “ Managing Pests in Home Fruit Plantings ” from the Purdue University Extensions Publication web site or our web site as a free download. It goes into detail as to the various products available for spraying that include both conventional and organic alternatives. The publication includes apples, pears, peach, cherry, grape, strawberry and raspberry guides as well as the phenology charts for each fruit type.

A Word About Copper Compounds

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:09:10 GMT

Delayed Dormant Copper Sprays

A copper spray applied at the silver-tip bud stage has been recommended for more than 40 years as part of a fire blight control strategy for apples. Copper residues on the twigs and branches kill bacteria as they are released from over-wintering cankers. Cankers usually begin releasing bacteria when trees are at the pink or bloom stages. However, copper must be applied at silver tip to avoid the phytotoxicity that can occur with later applications once green leaf tissue is present. In years when more than three inches of rain occurs between the copper application and full bloom, the efficacy of the copper spray may be reduced because much of the copper residue will have been depleted before over-wintering cankers release bacteria.

In years when little or no rain occurs between the silver-tip copper application and bloom, fruit may develop copper-induced russetting because too much copper residue will still be present at bloom. To avoid the potential for phytotoxicity on apples, the copper rate should be reduced for any applications made after silver-tip, and no copper sprays should be applied to apples after half-inch green unless the block is intended for processing and fruit russetting is not a concern .

Copper Compounds are widely sold as fungicides for orchard use, but they have only minimal fungicidal properties. It may be necessary to apply dormant copper sprays on apples and pears for controlling fire blight and to aid in apple scab protection. Also, late dormancy is the time to apply oil for controlling certain insects. During dormant sprays, it is okay to mix oil and copper. Since minimal or no green tissue is present, the risk of phytotoxicity from the copper-oil mix is very low. Consequently, emergence of green tissue will want to be monitored when this combination spray is used. But, depending on the compound, they can be highly phytotoxic causing leaf burn or even death to many fruit crops and must be used with extreme care. It is extremely important to read the label of the product you intend to apply to determine the type of copper it is, the percentage of the active ingredient, and any cautions that accompany its use.

Copper ions release more readily under acidic conditions and copper pesticides, except copper sulfate pentahydrate, should not be used with acid forming products. Copper sulfate is readily soluble in water and can burn foliage and fruit (phytotoxicity). Fixed coppers have been developed that are relatively insoluble and therefore less toxic to plants, however, fixed coppers can also result in phytotoxicity under certain conditions. Copper phytotoxicity worsens under slow drying conditions and adding surfactants (stickers like molasses) with copper fungicides may increase injury to plant foliage. Common forms of fixed copper fungicides include copper sulfate, copper sulfate pentahydrate, copper hydroxide, copper oxychloride sulfate, cuprous oxide, copper diammonia diacetate and copper octanoate.

All of the different copper solutions can be confusing, so let me simplify it by taking a look at the copper present as copper octanoate, also known as copper soap. Earlier I stated that copper ions release more readily under acidic conditions and copper pesticides, except copper sulfate pentahydrate, should not be used with acid forming products. An exception to this is copper octanoate . Copper octanoate is a fatty acid salt (soap) that combines copper and octanoic acid. It is a contact fungicide and bactericide that can be applied to foliage to control or suppress various plant diseases on a broad range of agricultural and ornamental crops, based on label directions. Bonide Copper Fungicide is made up of copper octanoate and is generally the copper I usually recommend for home apple growers since it is one of the safer forms of copper to use. Cueva is also the same product with the same amount of copper octanoate. No matter what copper product you choose to use, ALWAYS follow the label directions .

The best time to spray the copper product you have chosen is at the delayed dormant stage of the tree development stages. This is just before the buds turn to silver tip. Spraying your copper too soon can have no effect at all if the tree has not started to come out of dormancy yet.

The effectiveness of a copper application is determined by several factors. Small particle size is best because these adhere better to plant surfaces and are more difficult to dislodge by water than large particles. Additionally, spray coverage will improve due to there being more particles per unit weight. Low solubility in water of fixed copper active ingredients contributes to residual activity. Copper ions are released over time from spray deposit when water is present. In contrast, copper sulfate pentahydrate is highly soluble. Acidity (low pH) increases solubility of fixed copper, which increases effectiveness initially but shortens residual activity and thus sustained control, and also increases potential for phytotoxicity.

Additional factors that can greatly affect efficacy of a copper application include: when applications started relative to disease onset (best is before first infection, which occurs at least 5 days before symptoms), length of drying time afterwards before rain or overhead irrigation (check rainfastness of product), amount of water and intensity (a 2-inch downpour can remove a lot of residue), timing of application relative to rain event (before with enough time to thoroughly dry is ideal because this will provide favorable conditions for infection), occurrence of dew (water enables more copper ions to be released), coverage achieved with the sprayer (copper fungicides do not move inside plants), rate (high label rate better than low), and frequency of application.

The specific directions on fungicide labels must be adhered to. They supersede these recommendations (above), if there is a conflict. Any reference to commercial products, trade or brand names is for information only; no endorsement is intended.

For a highly detailed explanation of copper sprays at green tip, download the following PDF from the Apple Talk Network of IPM Specialists: A Comprehensive Guide to Green Tip Sprays

Pruning for the Backyard Apple Grower

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 22:15:08 GMT

Proper Pruning

Spring will be here before you know it....or are ready for it. If you are a backyard apple grower, now is the time to think about pruning your apple trees. A properly pruned and trained tree lives longer and produces larger yields of better quality fruit. With just a few trees to prune, the better time to prune them is just before or at bud swell. As a general rule, pruning should be done before the tree blooms in early spring when all danger of frost is past. An exception is sweet cherry trees, which are usually pruned in August because there is less danger of bacterial infection.

Fruit trees can be trained to either an “open center” or to a “central leader” (see illustration on page 3). Fully dwarfed apples, standard and dwarf pear trees should be trained to a central leader. Semi-dwarf apple trees may be trained to either a central leader or an open-center crown. Standard apples, sweet cherries, peaches and plum trees should all be trained to the open-center system .

One-year-old apple trees are usually unbranched whips. You can prune the top at planting to the height at which the lowest limbs are wanted, usually about 30 inches. Pruning the top stimulates the growth of side branches. Your trees should be staked at planting, but if not, now is the time to add that stake. Six foot to eight foot T-Posts are best for home growers and are stable enough to keep you tree from blowing over in a strong wind.

Two-year-old apple trees often have several side branches. Prune them to a central leader and cut back the side branches to about one-half of their original length. Remove any broken branches and any that form an angel less than 45 degrees with the trunk. To increase production, keep the pruning as light as possible the first few years. Two-year-old trees often have large limbs growing low on the trunk. When these are removed, the tree is essentially girdled. Thus, it is a good procedure to reduce the branch to a 4-6 inch “stub”; remove the stubs a year or two later.

There are two types of pruning cuts you can make, thinning and heading. Thinning is removing an entire shoot, branch, or limb, back to the point where it originated. Thinning cuts are the ones you should use most of the time, because they tend to open up light channels throughout the tree. Heading is removing part of a shoot, branch, or limb, up to 1/3 to 1/2 of its length. Heading cuts encourage growth of side branches at the point of the cut, from the part of the branch that remains. Heading should be used primarily for establishing branches in young trees. Leaders or future scaffold branches can be headed to cause laterals to branch out. In most cases heading should be avoided, as it can result in a tree overcrowded with shoots that close off light channels and reduce productivity. When heading is necessary, such as to shorten and stiffen up a long bare branch, make the heading cut into older wood, as this results in less regrowth.

Maintenance the first few years after planting includes the removal of diseased, broken, or insect-injured branches and any “water sprouts” not needed to replace other limbs.

Remove branches which make very narrow angles with the main trunk while the tree is young. If allowed to grow to a productive age, such limbs usually break out, often splitting the entire tree. (WSU Extension Bulletin)

Pruning for Central Leader

To train trees to a central leader, choose a vigorous shoot high on the tree the first late winter or early spring, before bud swell, after planting. Cut off the top inch to stimulate branching if it is 2 feet long or longer. Head all other vigorous shoots more severely. Repeat the process in the following two seasons so that no side branches become vigorous enough to compete with the central leader. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

When large limbs are to be removed, first reduce them to a 6-8 inch stub and then remove the stub. Make the first cut about one-half way through the underside of the limb and approximately 8 inches from the main trunk. Complete the cut from the top side (about 6 inches from the trunk) and then remove the stub by sawing it flush with the trunk from the top side. It is not necessary to use wound dressings on any size wounds. In fact, recent research indicates that such dressings are often more harmful than beneficial.

Thin out more shoots toward the end of a well-pruned branch in a mature tree. This will increase fruit size and quality on the remaining shoots. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

To maintain fruitfulness of lower limbs, cut upper limbs back to more upright branches. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

Pruning any fruit trees is really as much an art as it is a science. If it6's your first time, don't worry....if you make a mistake, odds are it will grow back and you can correct it the next season. The worst mistake you might make is not pruning at all! And if in doubt, prune it out.

For a more detailed illustration of pruning techniques and a year by year diagram, you can download " Pruning Open Center and Central Leader Trees " in PDF format.

For detailed instructions on the concept of Renewal pruning, you can download this instructional article " The 1-2-3 Rule for Renewal Pruning " by Bas van den Ende who was a research scientist with th e Victorian Department of Agriculture, Australia, for 30 years, specializing in the management and production of fruit trees.

Using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Approach to Managing Pests

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 21:07:26 GMT

What Is Integrated Pest Management?

Many homeowners enjoy raising their own fruit, but as many find out, anyone who has attempted to grow fruit in their backyard knows that fruit crops can be attacked by a wide variety of insect and disease pests and are prone to environmental damage, especially east of the Rocky Mountains. The majority of posts in this blog underline this fact and are based on fairly heavy pest pressure (the amount of pests attacking fruit) .

Depending on your pest pressure (the amount of pests attacking fruit), for your Backyard Home Orchard, I recommend the use of an approach to managing pests called Bio-Intensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to minimize the insect and disease damage to your fruit.

Organic pesticides are often promoted as more environmentally friendly than synthetic pesticides. In fact, some organics can be quite toxic to mammals or harmful to beneficial organisms than some conventional products. For this reason, at Royal Oak Farm we use an entirely new approach of pest management called Bio-intensive Integrated Pest management (Bio-IPM) to minimize the insect and disease damage to our fruit.

Integrated Pest Management is a term first used in agriculture beginning in the 1970's in response to growing knowledge about the negative side-effects of pesticide overuse. The IPM approach emphasized the integration of pest biology and cultural practices in controlling insect pests in crops. Today, Bio-intensive IPM utilizes a systems approach to pest management based on that understanding of pest ecology and tree physiology. It begins with steps to accurately diagnose the nature and source of pest problems, and then relies on a range of preventive tactics and biological controls to keep pest populations within acceptable limits. Our preventative tactics include a combination of ecological, biological, natural, and cultural controls to keep applications of chemical controls to a minimum.

The foundations of Bio-intensive IPM practices are as follows:

Identify/Monitor - Determine the problem, if there is one, and its abundance (you can contact your local extension agent for help).
Evaluate - The results from monitoring will help to answer the questions: Is the pest causing damage? Do we need to act? As pest numbers increase toward the economic threshold, further treatments may be necessary
Prevent - Some pest problems can be prevented by using cultural practices such as sanitation and beneficial insects to manage pests..
Action - IPM uses multiple tools to reduce pests below an economically damaging level. A careful selection of preventative and curative treatments will reduce reliance on any one tactic and increase likelihood of success.
Monitor: Continue to monitor the pest population. If it remains low or decreases, further treatments may not be necessary, but if it increases and exceeds the action threshold, another IPM tool should be used.

Bio-intensive IPM begins with steps to accurately diagnose the nature and source of pest pressure, if or as they exist, and then relies on a range of preventive tactics and biological controls to keep pest populations within acceptable limits. The preventative tactics include a combination of ecological, biological, natural, and cultural controls to keep applications of conventional and/or organic controls to a minimum. The goal is only to spray conventional and/or organic controls as a last resort for the control of pest and disease.

The benefits of implementing Bio-intensive IPM in your home orchard include reduced chemical input and costs, reduced environmental impacts, and more effective and sustainable pest management. An ecology-based IPM has the potential of decreasing inputs of natural chemicals and synthetic chemicals - all of which are energy intensive and increasingly costly in terms of financial and environmental impact. All these efforts in using IPM make it possible for you to apply chemical controls only a few times each season when they are truly required.

At Royal Oak Farm we are proud of the quality of the fruit we grow, and equally proud that through our monitoring efforts and the use of Integrated Pest Management procedures we only need to apply a few sprays to grow excellent products. I am happy to pass this information on to you, the Home Orchard grower through my Grower Guide web page at https://www.royaloak.farm/growing-guide .

Getting Ready for Apple Magott

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 23:07:21 GMT

Apple Maggot Arrival Time

It's time to set apple magott (AM) traps in your trees or orchard. We usually do this around July 4, but with the extreme heat we have experienced, I decided it best to set them a few days early. We are at about 970 DD from January 1 as of today at 5:07 PM, so if you have not done so, it is time to get out the apple maggot traps and get them set.

Monitoring For Apple Maggot

Control for Apple Maggot

As always, be sure to follow all label directions on the bottle for proper application.

For additional information, see the following fact sheets and guides which are available from local university extension services:

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/43071/apple-maggot-FS-NYSIPM.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/45c0e18f/files/uploaded/apple_maggot_fact_sheet.pdf

Time to Prepare for Japanese Beetle

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 23:55:35 GMT

Preparing for Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetle emergence has not quite begun here in Northern Illinois, but beetles have been spotted in other locations of the Midwest. Once Japanese Beetle have emerged in one location, it is only a matter of time before it emerges in another. They tend to gravitate to Honeycrisp trees first (Figure 1). Due to the large amount of carbohydrates produced by the Honeycrisp trees, which is what makes the variety so sweet, the Japanese Beetle is seemingly attracted to it just like we are! Honeycrisp seem to be the first leaves that attract them and then they move on to raspberries and several other berry and apple varieties.

Monitoring for Japanese Beetle

Control for Japanese Beetle

I have been informed by Ortho that their Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Spray has been discontinued, as have all their products containing acetamiprid, although there may be several retailers that have inventory on hand on eBay. Ortho has replaced this product with two new products, Ortho Tree & Shrub Fruit Tree SprayConcentrate and Ortho® Insect Killer Tree & Shrub Concentrate .

For further reading on Japanese Beetle, refer to this article by Rufus Isaacs and John Wise from Michigan Sate University: Managing Japanese Beetles in Fruit Crops.

Getting Ready for Codling Moth

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Fri, 20 May 2022 21:07:58 GMT

Codling Moth Arrival After Petal Fall

To determine when flight begins for codling moth, commercial growers make use of pheromone traps. Once moths have been trapped for two consecutive days in a row, a biofix is set that initiates the beginning of growing-degree-day calculations. We know that at approximately 100 degree days after the biofix date codling moths begin to lay eggs and those eggs begin to hatch at approximately 250 degree days after biofix. It is this information that aids in the timing of necessary sprays for codling moth so they do not damage fruit and as few sprays as possible are done. Growers wishing to time sprays based on egg development and hatch (larval stage) should make an application of an insecticide at 250 DD (base 50 degrees F) after the first sustained capture of males in the sex pheromone traps. Here is a Detailed Growing Degree Day Model for Codling Moth . It is important to know that codling moths usually do not fly on nights when the temperature is below about 60 degrees, so if a biofix is set and then the nights turn colder, a new biofix may need to be set when nights warm up to above 60 degrees.

You may apply insecticides that need to be present before egg laying at about 50-75 DD after biofix or you may apply insecticides that target early egg laying period at 100-200 DD after biofix. You will have to keep a close eye on the degree days for the first application of an ovicide.

An all natural approach is also available in the form of Bonide’s Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew® contains Spinosad (spin-OH-sid), a product first isolated from a naturally occurring soil dwelling bacterium that was collected on a Caribbean island from an abandoned rum distillery. Deadbug Brew® kills bagworms, borers, beetles, caterpillars, codling moth, gypsy moth, loopers, leaf miners, spider mites, tent caterpillars, thrips and more! Use on fruits, vegetables, berries, citrus, grapes, nuts and ornamentals and approved for organic gardening.

Several insecticides can be used for codling moth control including acetmaprid and/or spinosad. Acetamiprid is a soft, conventional control and may still be available as Ortho Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Insect Killer. This product has been discontinued by Ortho, but is still available in some locations like eBay. This is a concentrated product that containing .5% acetamiprid. Acetamiprid is a synthetic organic compound of the family of chemicals that acts as neonicotinoid insecticides. Acetamiprid is a contact, translaminar insecticide for sucking-type insects and can be applied as a foliar spray. Translaminar insecticides are absorbed by leaves and can move through the leaf to the opposite surface they contact. They are not truly systemic and do not move throughout the entire plant. Acetamiprid acts on a broad spectrum of insects, including aphids, thrips, plum curculio, apple maggot and Lepidoptera, especially codling moth. When sprayed in the evening at sunset, it will not harm bees or other beneficial insects once it is dry. Be sure to follow all label directions on the bottle for proper application.

Both of the above products will kill Codling Moth larvae and need to be sprayed just prior to the emergence of the larvae Typically after 1" of rain, these sprays will have been washed off and will need to be sprayed again to be effective.

For additional information, see the following fact sheets which are available from local university extension services:

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/43086/codling-moth-FS-NYSIPM.pdf

Time to Plan For Plum Curculio

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Wed, 18 May 2022 23:36:04 GMT

Planning For Plum Curculio

With apple scab season in our midst, and petal fall coming to an end, it is time to turn our attention to several insect pests. Plum curculio (PC) is one of the most difficult insect pests to contain. They enter the orchard from the perimeter after the adults pass the winter hidden under leaves, along fence rows, in brush piles, rock walls and in other protected places. In spring when the weather warms up at night (mean temperature 60°F. or maximum temperature above 75°F.), about the same time apples are blooming, the adults become active. The adult plum curculio beetles, pictured below, emerge right around or just after petal fall, to feed on apple buds, flowers, leaves and young fruit. The duration of full bloom to petal fall is usually about 5 to 10 days. From petal fall to fruit set is generally another 5 to 10 days, depending on temperatures. Once the fruit sets, female beetles cut holes in the young fruit and deposit one egg in each cavity.

These sites, called oviposition stings, are easily identified by their crescent shaped cuts. Unlike codling moth, the larvae of plum curculio rarely cause damage to the fruit. The fruit is primarily damaged superficially by the egg-laying and feeding by the adults. These "stings" will cork over and cause an indentation in the fruit as it matures making it look deformed and unsightly.

For home growers, an acetamiprid spray such as Ortho® Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer Ready-Spray is a deterrent. This product has been discontinued by Ortho, but is still available in concentrated form on eBay. If no blooms are present on any trees, a pyrethrin based spray can be used as a deterrent, even though there may be no fruit set. Picking up and disposing of any fallen fruit will reduce problems with plum curculio, other insects, and many plant diseases. For conventional growers, Avaunt or Assail are two choices you might use, based on your codling moth protocol and your apple maggot protocol.

For a pure organic spray, the two most frequently used insecticides are Surround® and Pyganic®, both certified organic. The organic products may need to be sprayed multiple times for complete control at 7 to 10 day intervals or after any rain. And, as always, follow all label directions on any spray product.

For a complete Fact Sheet on Plum Curculio, consult the Cornell University Plum Curculio Fact Sheet and for an in depth look at this pest.

Apple Scab Season Is Beginning

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 23:03:13 GMT

Managing Apple Scab

How Can an Infection Period be Determined?

Apple scab infection periods can be predicted based on temperature and moisture (leaf wetness) conditions. The Mills Table (Fig. 2) below, derived from research by Mills and La Plante, gives hours needed at various temperatures under constantly wet conditions for primary spores (ascospores) to cause infection in spring. This system for forecasting scab and timing sprays has been validated for apple-growing regions in the Midwest.

To Spray or Not To Spray

Effective fungicide programs should be timed around infection events, inoculum availability, cultivar susceptibility, and specific characteristics of the available fungicides.

Standard apple cultivars vary widely in their susceptibility to scab, which will influence the intensity of the control program necessary for a particular variety.

Monitoring for apple scab can be quite complicated for the home grower. But there is an alternative. Unless wetness periods are being monitored as outlined in the section above, you can simply apply protective or eradicant fungicides at regular intervals beginning with green tip. Spraying should be done every 7 to 10 days, depending on the number of rain events between sprays. If there are no rain events between sprays, a single protectant spray will last at least 10 days but not more than 14 days, based on the product's label directions. You will need to make sure that your trees and fruit are protected prior to any rain event if you are going to use only a protectant. A good protectant is Captan or Mancozeb. But, a protectant can lose its effectivness after 2" of rain, so you also want to keep an eradicant on hand like a myclobutanil, which is available as Spectracide Immunox.

A protectant like Captan has to be applied prior to a rain event. If no protection is available during the wetting event, then only an eradicant like Immunox can be applied that has a reach back of at least 48 hours. That means that it can still have an effect on the scab pathogen for up to 48 hours after a wetting event. A good option is to actually use both a protectant and an erdicant at the same time, like Captan mixed with Immunox, which will give you both protection and eradicant action after a wetting event. Be sure to monitor wetness periods throughout the spring to insure that trees are always adequately protected.

Immunox has a 72 to 96 hour reach back ability. That means that you have up to 72 to 96 hours to get a spray on which will still be effective against any scab infection event 72 to 96 hours previous. Immunox is a xylum mobile fungicide which means when applied to leaves it will move throughout the leaves it was deposited on but will not move out of that leaf (McGrath, M.T. 2004. What are Fungicides. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2004-0825-01. Updated 2016.)

Spring Spraying Protocol Begins

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 23:18:45 GMT

Spring Spraying Protocol Begin s

Ever wonder how the fruit trees know when it's time to come out of dormancy? Well, the trees won't come out of dormancy until they have endured a certain amount of time with temperatures between 33 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range is used to calculate chill hours. A chill hour is the amount of chilling received by a plant at 45 degrees F. The chilling requirement is the total number of hours required during the winter for a particular cultivar to induce the tree to break dormancy and produce flowers. Once the number of chill hours they need is achieved and temperatures warm in the spring, the trees come out of dormancy and resume their normal growth. The number of hours required at cooler temperatures is known as the chill requirement or chill hours. Most apple varieties require 400-1000 chill hours, so most of the trees in our area have met their requirement and will come out of dormancy just as soon as temperatures warm. Growth resumption can be predicted by tracking what we call growth units. Growth units are the number of degree hours above 41 F. For example, if the temperature averages 51 F for and hour, then 10 growth units are accumulated. Bud break initiates after approx 3710 F growth units accumulate, and progresses depending on the temperature. We do our dormant oil and copper spray generally around the last week of March or the first week of April. The best time to spray is at silver tip....when the buds have that silvery/gray tinted fuzz on them. You can use the development chart below to determine the growth stage your trees.

If your trees are still dormant or at silver tip, it's time to begin spraying a dormant oil and copper spray for your fruit trees! Our apple trees are at silver tip in the orchard here at Royal Oak Farm Orchard in northern Illinois. We may green tip fully in the next day or so with the daytime temperatures, but any night projections in the 50's will push the tree growth to full green tip and 1/4" green by the time we reach next week. It also indicates that just as soon as the nights stay above freezing, the trees will pop and we will be moving into apple scab season. So it is not too late to do a dormant oil and copper spray if you have not already. Once you jit green tip it is getting a bit late for copper and oil, but if you use Bonide Copper Fungicide and Bonide Horticultural Oil and follow the label directions to the letter, you can still spray both the copper and oil on into 1/4" green.

The oil (mineral oil) is sprayed for mites, scale and aphids because spring is the time to cover those eggs at the base of the buds before they begin to hatch. The oil smothers the eggs and they suffocate before hatching. Below you can see aphid eggs that were laid last fall.

Copper is also sprayed at this time for control of fire blight control, since copper is both a fungicide and bactericide, and to aid in the suppression of apple scab pathogens. Apple scab is a a severe diseases that can destroy a crop, and fire blight even more severe, which can destroy trees.

A dormant oil and copper spray should not be done until we get at least a 24 hour period that is above freezing at night. The oil cannot freeze on the trees, but it pretty much dries within about 24 hours. Once dry, there is no chance of it freezing. We usually get at least one 24 hour period above freezing at night before the trees get to 1/4" green.

This “window of opportunity” for dormant sprays for fruit trees depends on the bud stage of your target fruit tree. You can follow these guidelines:

Apples: swollen bud to 1/4” green
Pears: swollen bud to cluster bud
Peaches/Nectarines: swollen bud to pre-bloom
Apricot: before bloom

When applying, spray trees just until they are dripping to get good application on all the stems and crevices at the buds. If you are using horticultural oil alone, use a rate of 2% (mixed in water) for best results or follow your chosen product’s label rate. For situations where aphids have been real problems in the past, consider adding an insecticide (such as acetamiprid, etc.) to 1.5 - 2% oil or use a neem oil per the labelled rate for the stage your trees are at.

For get our Growing Guide on maintaining your trees and Resources for the Home Orchard Grower of the above charts, visit our Nursery Growing Guide web page!

A Word (or a Few) About Fungicides

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:56:26 GMT

Contact, Systemic and Translaminar: How Fungicides Move Through Trees

Mobility refers to how a fungicide or insecticide moves (or does not move) on and within plant tissues after application. Fungicides can be either contact fungicides or penetrant fungicides and non-systemic, locally systemic or fully systemic. Mobility describes fungicide movement after it is applied to a plant. To understand differences in mobility, it’s important to know the difference between absorption and adsorption. It is also important to know a little about the plants vascular system.

A plants vascular system is made up of phloem and xylem. These are complex tissues that perform transportation of food and water in a plant. They are the vascular tissues of the plant and together form vascular bundles. They work together as a unit to bring about effective transportation of food, nutrients, m inerals and water. The vascular system can also transport fungicides, depending on the mobility of that fungicide, whether it is xylem mobile or phloem mobile. But, the xylem becomes dysfunctional at an early stage of fruit development, which means that xylem mobile mobile fungicides do not get into the fruit or vegetable.

Fungicides that can be taken up by the plant are absorbed. Fungicides that adhere in an extremely thin layer to plant surfaces are adsorbed. Because fungicides are either adsorbed or absorbed, they have two basic forms of mobility: contact and penetrant . Regardless of the type of mobility that a fungicide possesses, no fungicide is effective after the development of visible disease symptoms. For that reason, timely fungicide application before establishment of the disease is important for optimal disease management.

Contact fungicides are adsorbed and considered non-systemic. They are susceptible to being washed away by rain or irrigation, and most (but not all) do not protect parts that grow and develop after the product is applied. Captan is one such contact fungicide.

Penetrant fungicides are absorbed, so they move into plant tissues, and penetrate beyond the cuticle and into the treated leaf tissue itself. There are various kinds of penetrants, characterized by their ability to spread when absorbed by the plant. They can be locally systemic , penetrating leaf tissue only or fully systemic , moving beyond the leaf tissue. Systemic fungicides can be further subdivided based on the direction and degree of movement once they have been absorbed and translocated inside the plant. Immunox is a penetrant that is xylem mobile , therefore, not totally systemic or amphimobile .

Amphimobile fungicides (also called true systemic penetrants) move throughout the plant through its xylem and phloem.

Xylem-mobile fungicides (also called acropetal penetrants ) move upward from the point of entry through the plant’s xylem, but not into the fruit or vegetable. Xylem-mobile systemics applied to leaves move throughout the leaf where deposited, but cannot be redistributed out of that leaf.

Locally systemic fungicides have limited translocation from the application site.

Translaminar fungicides are absorbed by leaves and can move through the leaf to the opposite surface they contact, but are not truly systemic and do not move throughout the plant.

In summary, systemic fungicides work by becoming absorbed into the plant tissues and protecting the plant from fungal diseases as well as ridding the plant of any existing diseases. Some systemic fungicides are locally systemic, meaning that the chemicals aren't transmitted very far from the application site on the plant. Other systemic fungicides are applied to and absorbed up through the roots, moving throughout the rest of the plant. Eradicant fungicides can have systemic action, depending on which chemistry is chosen. Some are translocated within the host tissue and are able to kill the scab fungus up to a certain length of time after infection occurs. This is called the kickback or reachback period. Because kickback periods may change, always check the label for the most recent information. Kickback is calculated from the beginning of an infection period, as determined by the Mills and La Plante table.

It is best to choose fungicides that are not Phloem mobile to avoid any products getting into the fruit. Choose only Xylem mobile or contact fungicides to keep you fruit and vegetabels safe from chemicals. Click here for a fairly complete list of the most commonly used fungicides and their mobility and characteristics .

Fruit Tree Planting Instructions

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:58:05 GMT

Fruit Tree Planting Instructions

Seasonal Information: Apple trees are quite tolerant, withstanding most conditions, including wind and cold. It is recommended that bare root apple trees be planted in early spring or late fall. Container trees can be planted in the spring through fall.

Location: Full sunlight and good air circulation are the most important concerns to think about when selecting your planting location. While apple trees can tolerate a wide range of soil types, they will not thrive in areas with poor drainage or high acid levels. Be sure to space your trees according to the size rootstock your tree has.

Pollination: Apple trees benefit greatly from cross-pollination, as they are not self-fertile trees. If you do not have a flowering crab apple tree within 50 feet of your apple tree location, you will need to plant at least one other variety that blooms at the same time as your apple tree nearby to get proper pollination.

Planting Instructions: Potted Tree: Begin by digging your planting hole about 6” wider than the container of your tree. If the tree is in a root pouch, cut the container up from the bottom towards the top about 10” and spaced about every 6” apart. If the roots have filled the container or are winding around, use your fingers to gently pull the roots apart a bit through the slices, or poke into the root ball with a pointed instrument and wiggle about a bit to loosen the roots and compacted soil. Be sure to leave the soil intact around the roots. Then fill in the hole with the loose topsoil being sure to keep the soil level the same as the planting mix in the pouch.

Bare Root Tree: Set bare root trees on top of a small mound of soil in the middle of the hole. Spread the roots out evenly. The roots should be directed out and downward when you plant. The very top of the roots (crown of the plant) should be at or just below the soil surface when you are done planting. Keep the graft union 2”- 4” above the soil line. Fill the hole in with soil and pack firmly. Be sure to water the tree, as this will permit the roots to make good contact with the soil right away. Add a tree stake to maintain the proper growing angle the tree.

Watering: Before planting a bare root tree, set it in a bucket of water for 24 hours. This will give the roots. This will give the roots the equivalent of 30 days of watering. Your apple tree will need to be watered regularly to make certain that the root system becomes well established. The soil surrounding your tree should be moist, but never saturated. Light green leaves can be a sign of over watering, while drooping leaves can be a sign of both over or under watering.

Fertilization: Add one cup of a good 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 fertilizer mixed thoroughly with the soil while planting your tree. Liquid fertilizer is preferable. Your apple tree will benefit from being fertilized with a foliar spray once the leaves have reached 1/2" to 3/4" green with a Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer 2 – 3 – 1. We recommend Neptune’s Harvest available direct or at Amazon or Walmart.

Weed Control: Any weeds that are present around the area of your tree should be removed immediately. You can insulate the tree with 3-4 inches of mulch, being sure to keep mulch away from the trunk by 6” all around.

Pests & Disease: The best defense is a healthy tree. Good soil, proper feeding and adequate water are vital to its prosperity. Consult Royal Oak Farm Orchard’s Apple Tree Guide , Home Orchard Blog or web site for proper pest and disease control for your tree.

Pruning: Your apple tree will need very little pruning during its first year. In year two you can consult Royal Oak Farm Orchard’s Apple Tree Guide or web site for proper pruning techniques. Mature apple trees will require annual pruning.

Time to Think About a Spray Protocol

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:41:31 GMT

Time To Plan A Spray Protocol

If you have a Home Orchard or just a few apple trees in your back yard, and if you have pest pressure and have not thought about how to handle those pest problems you had last season yet, now is the time to actively examine a spray protocol for your fruit trees! And start right away, before it is too late and the pests have a chance to establish themselves in your trees! The question everyone needs to ask before spraying is “Do I want to spray or not?” Well, unfortunately, in northern Illinois, and pretty much East of the Rockies, we have four main pests that we will almost always have to spray for. This is pretty much true for any area east of the Rocky Mountains. Not included in these four main pests is fireblight, which is a bacterial disease that will be covered in another post.

The decision to spray or not depends on how much fruit loss you are willing to take. That is your threshold. If you can accept some fruit loss, then the need to spray diminishes greatly. But if you only have a few trees and some fruit damage may mean losing half your fruit, then spraying becomes more important. Let’s meet our top four pests in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and in most of the states east of the Rocky Mountains.

The Four Main Pests

All tree fruit have several distinct growth stages as the fruit matures. Knowing and identifying those growth stages is very important for the home grower because recommendations and spray timing for spray applications are linked to these specific growth stages. The chart below shows the common growth stages for apple trees.

Tree Growth Stages (Phenology)

Since the average home grower does not have access to their own weather stations or degree day calculators, the fruit tree development stages play an ever greater role in pest management for the average grower. Most spray schedules (protocol) follow the tree development stages to aid in the timing of sprays so they are most effective. It is important to note that many diseases and some insects can only be controlled by spraying before they can be seen like apple scab. Spraying less frequently or at the wrong time will typically result in poor results. And, spraying more frequently will not necessarily give greater control.

The tree developmental stages or tree phenology gives us a guide as to when to spray, but what do we spray if we have to spray? If we consult some of the various spray guides available to the home grower, we will find that most of the spray guides provide us with the tree’s development stages (phenology) and the insects or diseases that frequently occur during each of theses stages. So the tree phenology serves as timing guide when the application of a particular spray is recommended in order to control specific insects or diseases at the right time. The following spray guide for apple trees will give us the time to spray based on tree phenology, the pest to spray for and the product recommendation for that pest(s). But remember, if you don't have the pest pressure, it may not be necessary to spray for that particular pest listed in the guide.

Apple Spray Guide

Reference in this publication to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or certification of any kind by Royal Oak Farm.

People using spray products assume responsibility for their use in accordance with current label directions of the manufacturer.

Pruning the Home Apple Orchard

webmaster@royaloakfarm.net (Dennis Norton) — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 23:44:59 GMT

Proper Pruning

A properly pruned and trained tree lives longer and produces larger yields

of better quality fruit. As a general rule, pruning should be done before the tree

blooms in early spring when all danger of frost is past. An exception is sweet

cherry trees, which are usually prune d in August because there is less danger of

bacterial infection.

Fruit trees can be trained to either an “open center” or to a “central leader”

(see illustration on page 3). Fully dwarfed apples, standard and dwarf

pear trees should be trained to a central leader. Semi-dwarf apple trees may be

trained to either a central leader or an open-center crown. Standard apples,

sweet cherries, peaches and plum trees should all be trained to the open-center

system.

One-year-old apple trees are usually unbranched whips. Prune the top at

planting to the height at which the lowest limbs are wanted, usually about 30 inches. Pruning the top stimulates the growth of side branches.

Two-year-old apple trees often have several side branches. Prune them to

a central leader and cut back the side branches to about one-half of their original

length. Remove any broken branches and any that form an angel less than

45 degrees with the trunk. To increase production, keep the pruning as light as

possible the first few years. Two-year-old trees often have large limbs growing low on the trunk. When these are removed, the tree is essentially girdled. Thus, it is a good procedure to reduce the branch to a 4-6 inch “stub”; remove the stubs a year or two later.

Maintenance the first few years after planting includes the removal of

diseased, broken, or insect-injured branches and any “water sprouts” not

needed to replace other limbs.

OPEN CENTER

To train trees to an open center, choose two, three, or four shoots to form main scaffold branches the first winter. Remove or severely head all others. Choose one or two more the second season. Scaffold branches should be at least 8 inches apart on the trunk for a strong tree structure. Four main scaffold limbs evenly distributed around the trunk are enough; a fifth limb crowds. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

CENTRAL LEADER

To train trees to a central leader, choose a vigorous shoot high on the tree the first winter after planting. Cut off the top inch to stimulate branching if it is 2 feet long or longer. Head all other vigorous shoots more severely. Repeat the process in the following two seasons so that no side branches become vigorous enough to compete with the central leader. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

Thin out more shoots toward the end of a well-pruned branch in a mature tree. This will increase fruit size and quality on the remaining shoots. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

To maintain fruitfulness of lower limbs, cut upper limbs back to more upright branches. (Washington State University Extension Bulletin)

For a more detailed illustration of pruning techniques and a year by year diagram, you can download " Pruning Open Center and Central Leader Trees " in PDF format.

For detailed instructions on the concept of Renewal pruning, you can download this instructional article " The 1-2-3 Rule for Renewal Pruning " by Bas van den Ende who was a research scientist with the Victorian Department of Agriculture, Australia, for 30 years, specializing in the management and production of fruit trees.

Backyard Orchard Management @ Royal Oak Farm Orchard

Using Neem Oil in the Home Orchard

The Best Use of Neem in the Home Orchard

Using Organic Based Nu-Film 17, Nu-Film P and Thermax 70

Organic Surfactants and Their Comparisons

Mid-Winter Preparations for the Apple Growing Season

What should the backyard apple grower be doing in February to prepare for the growing season?

Delayed Dormant Oil Sprays

Best Timing for Delayed Dormant Oil Sprays

No More Fruit Tree Spray

Bonide Discontinues Its Fruit Tree Spray

When To Spray "Dormant" Oil

Timing for Spraying Dormant Oil

Two Types of Dormancy in Apple Trees

Fruit Bud Dormancy VS Full Tree Dormancy

Fruit Bud Dormancy

Full Tree Dormancy

Key Differences

Dealing with Fireblight

The Different Phases of Fireblight

The Health Benefits of Apples

An Apple a Day Is Good for You

(In So Many Ways It's Hard to Keep Count)

Apple Fruiting Types

Spur, Semi-Spur and Tip Bearing Apple Varieties

Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost Damage

Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost or Freeze Damage

The Use of Seaweed/Kelp for Frost Protection.

Seaweed Digests for Critical Spring Temperatures for Frost or Freeze Damage

Simplified Training for Tall Spindle Apple Trees

Simplified Pruning and Training Plan for the Tall Spindle System

When Apples Will Freeze on the Tree

Apple Maggot Soon to Arrive

Apple Maggot Arrival Time

Fighting Japanese Beetle

Fighting Japanese Beetle

Codling Moth Egg Hatch is Underway

Peak Egg Hatch for Codling Moth is Upon Us

Prepare for Plum Curculio

Preparing for Plum Curculio

A Word About Apple Scab

The Word on Apple Scab

﻿ Managing Apple Scab

How Can an Infection Period be Determined?

To Spray or Not To Spray

Do I Really Need To Spray?

Time To Start Thinking About Spraying

A Word About Copper Compounds

Delayed Dormant Copper Sprays

Pruning for the Backyard Apple Grower

Proper Pruning

Pruning for Central Leader

Using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Approach to Managing Pests

What Is Integrated Pest Management?

Getting Ready for Apple Magott

Apple Maggot Arrival Time

Time to Prepare for Japanese Beetle

Preparing for Japanese Beetle

Monitoring for Japanese Beetle

Control for Japanese Beetle

Getting Ready for Codling Moth

Codling Moth Arrival After Petal Fall

Time to Plan For Plum Curculio

Planning For Plum Curculio

Apple Scab Season Is Beginning

Managing Apple Scab

How Can an Infection Period be Determined?

To Spray or Not To Spray

Spring Spraying Protocol Begins

Spring Spraying Protocol Begin s

A Word (or a Few) About Fungicides

Contact, Systemic and Translaminar: How Fungicides Move Through Trees ﻿

Fruit Tree Planting Instructions

Fruit Tree Planting Instructions

Time to Think About a Spray Protocol

Time To Plan A Spray Protocol

Pruning the Home Apple Orchard

Proper Pruning

Managing Apple Scab

Contact, Systemic and Translaminar: How Fungicides Move Through Trees