Posts Tagged "Spraying"
June 10th, 2009 at 4:00pm
How to’s and When to’s
Good day everyone! I have collected some valuable information from credible universities of the how to’s and when to’s of tree care. Any questions or suggestions? Feel free to e-mail us at info@affordabletrees.com … Enjoy!
Everything you need to know about Fertilizing:
- When can I Fertilize? : October through March are the best times to fertilize. Soil moisture and temperature conditions are best during these periods, and this will ensure that the fertilizer will be in place at the beginning of the growing season when maximum benefit will be realized. Root growth is best during this time also.
- Do I need to fertilize? : Fertilization can be beneficial if symptoms of a nutrient-deficient tree include a slow rate and low amount of annual growth on twigs and trunk, smaller than normal foliage, off-color foliage, increased amounts of dead branches, tip die-back in branches, and increased rates of disease and insect problems. Trees that possess these symptoms generally would respond to a fertilization treatment
- Be Aware: Too frequent or too heavy fertilization may cause nutrients to build up to toxic levels. This may be avoided by periodic soil testing which will show abnormally high or low nutrient levels.
- Recommended fertilization methods: www.affordabletrees.com/treecare or a granular fertilizer called 12-12-12
Sources: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-618.html
Everything you need to know about pruning:
- Why should I prune?: Reasons for pruning can be broken down into 4 categories: training , maintaining, improving the quality of your tree, and controlling growth.
- When should I prune?: Light pruning can be done any time of the year to remove die back. Extensive pruning should be done in late winter to early spring. This is the best time of the year to prune because wound closure is more rapid (before new shoots emerge), there are few insects/disease spores to infest pruning cuts, and deciduous trees have dropped their leaves so it’s easier to see what your pruning!
- How to Prune: Correct pruning means making a clean, angled cut at the point where a branch attaches, either to another branch or to the trunk of the tree. This is a “thinning” cut. Do not cut into the branch bark ridge or the collar — that darkened, rough bark tissue above and below the branch’s point of attachment. Below is an instructional video on how to properly prune.
Sources: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1730.html, http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columngw/grprune.html
Everything you need to know about spraying bagworms:
- About bagworms: Bagworms have a very wide host range but are usually associated with arborvitae or juniper. A single bagworm does relatively little harm as it feeds on leaves. Excessive defoliation may kill conifers within one or two seasons. They hatch in May and June. Upon reaching a suitable host, the worm begins to spin its bag and as it grows, it incorporates some of the host plant foliage into the bag for camouflage.
Picture of an Adult Bagworm
Spraying for bagworms:
- Option 1-Cultural Control-Mechanical Hand Picking If the bags are few in number and easily reached they may be picked off the plant and squashed. This can be done easily in the late fall when deciduous foliage has been dropped or the bits of plant material on the bags turn brown and can be easily located on evergreens. Be sure to cut the attachment silk band so that the branch will not be girdled in the future.
- Option 2-Biological Control-Use the Bacterial Spray Bt The bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), is effective against bagworms if it is used against young larvae. Applications should be made at the end of June after all the eggs have hatched and the larvae are through ballooning.
- Option 3-Chemical Control-Insecticide Sprays Stomach insecticides are very useful for control of bagworms. Remember that the plant foliage is to be thoroughly covered because the larvae are protected from contact by being in the silk bag. Again, early sprays in spring against young larvae are more effective than later applications
- Option 4- Preventative Control-Dormant Oil: In the winter spray with a dormant oil to smother overwintering insect eggs without damaging plants.
Sources: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2149.html, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/ort081e/ort081e.htm