I've got some young fruit trees that I'm not going to use the fruit from (too young still to have much). The birds are nesting in the trees so I would rather not spray the trees. Are there any spikes for systemic insect control or disease control that those in the know would recommend? Would appreciate advise to help keep the trees healthy.
I have apple, peach, plums and cherry.
Thanks,
Kim
Systemic poisons and food just seem to clash big time with me. It scares me frankly. Dormant oil comes to mind along with plenty of air flow and traps. Having a large commercial orchard near may attract more pest like Peach borers for example and peaches may have to be replaced by apples as just one alternative.
There was a new study released within the last few days concerning pesticides and Parkinson¹s disease. Please note that rotenone is a major player as well an Organic pesticide. Poison is Poison....Be careful!
Bill
Here's some interesting info......
Report Card: Pesticides in Produce
? Apples ? Bell Peppers ? Celery ? Cherries ? Imported Grapes ? Nectarines ? Peaches ? Pears ? Potatoes ? Red Raspberries ? Spinach ? Strawberries
"Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day...
"Peaches had the most pesticides overall with some combination of up to
45 pesticides found on the samples tested, followed by raspberries with 39 pesticides and apples and strawberries, both with 36."how long does something systemic stay in the tree's system? This is something I just want to do for this summer so that I don't have to spray the trees with the bird's nesting in them. I just have 6 fruit trees in my yard - not an orchard. No orchards close by that I know of. The apple, at least, gets rust. Don't really have that much trouble.
Kim
In article , snipped-for-privacy@hywaay.net says... :) I've got some young fruit trees that I'm not going to use the fruit from :) (too young still to have much). The birds are nesting in the trees so I :) would rather not spray the trees. Are there any spikes for systemic insect :) control or disease control that those in the know would recommend? Would :) appreciate advise to help keep the trees healthy. :) :) I have apple, peach, plums and cherry. :) :) Thanks, :) :) Kim :) I don't think I would chance any sort of systemic insecticide even though the fruit will be for future use....for what it's worth I am sure any number of products that I have used over the years professionally could be argued to be harsher than what you will get over the counter and I have yet to ever see hatchlings die from a service.
In article , snipped-for-privacy@hywaay.net says... :) So spray anyway and don't worry about the birds? :) Kim :) If you have a need to spray you should be able to do it with concern of the nesting birds and try to keep it away from the nest..if it is low enough you could use plastic from the dry cleaners or saran wrap and create a protective umbrella for the two to three minutes it takes to treat the tree.
Firstly, it seems strange that birds would nest in young fruit trees. Wouldn't pick a nice tall tree to really get protection?
I personally never heard of any such spikes you seek. The best suggestion so far, seems to be to temporarily cover the nest while you spray.
In answer to the organic aspects of fruit, there is a big difference between fruit grown commercially and that in your backyard. The former gives you no control over when the last spraying was done before picking. In your own orchard, you can time the spraying so that enough time has elapsed before picking. These chemicals will break down from exposure to the elements (sun, rain, and wind), given enough time. Of course, it is always wise to wash your fruit before consumption. I use traps and dormant oil, but without sprays, you can kiss goodbye to a large portion of your harvest.
Sherw> I've got some young fruit trees that I'm not going to use the fruit from
Ever hear the term 'bird brain?" I've got a maple tree that a pair are nesting in - the branch is only 5 feet off the ground. I can walk over and look right in the nest. Blue bird houses can be nailed to a 4 foot fence. Etc .....
Kim
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.