Now is the right time: Here's what to do in the orchard to prevent diseases and pests
Fruit tree pruning is underway, and experts emphasize the importance of removing and destroying infected branches, as well as any remaining dried fruit on the trees.
TL;DR
- Pruning of fruit trees is ongoing; remove and destroy infected branches and dried fruit.
- With rising temperatures and the start of vegetation, preventative measures against pests and diseases are crucial.
- On smaller areas, collect fallen leaves; in larger orchards, use nutrients or products to speed up leaf decomposition.
- Inspect trees for scale insects, aphid eggs, and spider mite eggs when buds are closed.
- Critical thresholds for pests include 25 scale insects per meter of branch, 3-5 aphid eggs per meter, and 1,000 spider mite eggs.
- Use a magnifying glass for pest inspection due to their small size.
- If pest presence exceeds thresholds, use products based on mineral oils with copper or combined formulations.
- Apply oil treatments before vegetation starts, in the closed bud stage.
- Before rainfall, in the bud swelling stage for stone fruits, apply copper-based products to protect against diseases like peach leaf curl and bacterial canker.
- Copper products are effective and safe for plants when average daily temperatures are above 5°C.