Every year I get comments from people saying that they can’t seem to grow good fruit. I ask if they have done any spraying to control insects and diseases, some say “not really”, others say “a little” and others say “yes, quite a bit”. Digging deeper I find a common thread, they all missed the critical early spring sprays.
It’s too late to spray those dormant sprays of course and it’s past time to apply the early pre-blossom sprays thanks to the unusually warm weather we had in March. That leaves us with the early all purpose sprays.
Most of the damage to your tree fruit will occur at this time during their growth cycle while the fruit is just beginning to develop.
A tiny apple like this needs your help to fend off pests.
My suggestion is to select an all-purpose fruit tree spray and begin your spraying schedule immediately. The schedule is simple: spray every 7 to 10 days and after every time it rains. Mark it on your calendar if you have to.
You can be more lax about spraying later in the season. Some people even stop spraying all together later in the season and end up with acceptable fruit, but they are the gardeners who are very careful about their early sprays.
Those tiny little growing fruit on the tree need your help to fight off insects and diseases, they can’t do it on their own. You will be rewarded for your effort at harvest time.
Bob
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