Farm I HATE leaf curl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BigFootsCousin]

Yep, I hate it! I want to spray my young trees with the 'real' copper stuff, but my wife is insisting on using only organic products.

Oy........my trees are important to me, and I've got a lot of time and money invested in them. I just hate seeing disease hit them like this.

Ok.....now that I'm done whining.....what organic products actually work?

We were looking at some products last night, and the service tech didn't know anything about tree diseases, so he couldn't recommend any products.

If I start to lose some of these trees, I'm going to sneak out there at night and fix'em the right way- with proven chemicals! Ha! (take that wife!)

Also, she's wanting to use organic fertilizers around the trees as well. I want to use the good stuff, like ammonium nitrate mixture, or something that will actually give these trees a good boost. I've put some crazy mixes (organic) around them already, but, I just don't see them benefiting from them very much.

The TB2K collective is very wise, so that's why I'm whining, er, exclaiming my predicament here. If I'm being out-voted by my wife, I've GOT to know which organic products REALLY work, and not spend my money foolishly on products that don't really do much.

 

[Thunderbird]

You kept those "Organic" containers right? The organics that work come in those containers that have refilled with the good stuff. I'll never tell.

 

[Publius]

The copper stuff is organic fungicide, yes its manmade but a natural substance. As for the fertilizer you can do it when she is not around, take a digging Iron or similar tool and you jam it in the ground at the drip-line (the outsize edges of the limbs) and look for where the main roots are running off for a clue as to where to put it and then add the fertilizer in the little hole you made and use your heel to cover the hole up.
You don't want to over do it, so only half a handful or a little less per hole for each and no more than two hole's for each main running root. 10-10-10 is good and commonly found.

 

[summerthyme]

ACtually, I agree with her in terms of the fertilizers. You start pouring ammonium nitrate around those trees, and at best, you're going to boost a bunch of growthy, weak branches; at worst you can burn the roots and kill them (or badly set them back)

For fruit trees, the best thing you can do for them is spread 1-2" of compost around them out to the "drip line" (basically, cover the same area the top covers, if you were looking down from above)

But for disease control, copper can't be beat- and yes, it IS an approved organic fungicide.

My rule of thumb is pretty simple: I'll use organic methods and products as long as I'm not at risk of losing plants or a crop. If I have insect or disease problems that may actually kill a tree, I'll use *whatever* I have to in order to save the tree. Ditto if I'm in danger of- say- losing an entire crop of potatoes to a massive infestation of potato beetles. I hand pick the few that show up most years, but on occasion, they move in en masse, and they can strip every plant in a large patch down to the stems in about 48 hours if left unchecked. The same goes for those verdammt giant gray squash bugs... the only thing that works on them is Sevin (DE doesn't touch them!), and they wipe out plants and patches all too quickly.

Back to the fertilizer... you won't SEE much in the way of visible effects... these aren't petunias!! If the trees are very young, the first couple of years are spent mostly establishing a healthy root system... the tops often don't grow a whole lot for the first couple years. After that, if you're providing lots of healthy compost and everything else is correct- drainage and soil pH being the two biggies- they'll really take off.

If the trees really aren't doing well, you're far better off taking some soil samples, getting an "official" (skip the "home garden tests" for something as important as this) soil test done at Cooperative Extension, and see what- if anything- is missing. THEN you can add commercial fertilizer in appropriate amounts IF needed, and you won't be overdoing some nutrients and underproviding others.

Summerthyme

 

[BigFootsCousin]

ACtually, I agree with her in terms of the fertilizers. You start pouring ammonium nitrate around those trees, and at best, you're going to boost a bunch of growthy, weak branches; at worst you can burn the roots and kill them (or badly set them back)

For fruit trees, the best thing you can do for them is spread 1-2" of compost around them out to the "drip line" (basically, cover the same area the top covers, if you were looking down from above)

But for disease control, copper can't be beat- and yes, it IS an approved organic fungicide.

My rule of thumb is pretty simple: I'll use organic methods and products as long as I'm not at risk of losing plants or a crop. If I have insect or disease problems that may actually kill a tree, I'll use *whatever* I have to in order to save the tree. Ditto if I'm in danger of- say- losing an entire crop of potatoes to a massive infestation of potato beetles. I hand pick the few that show up most years, but on occasion, they move in en masse, and they can strip every plant in a large patch down to the stems in about 48 hours if left unchecked. The same goes for those verdammt giant gray squash bugs... the only thing that works on them is Sevin (DE doesn't touch them!), and they wipe out plants and patches all too quickly.

Back to the fertilizer... you won't SEE much in the way of visible effects... these aren't petunias!! If the trees are very young, the first couple of years are spent mostly establishing a healthy root system... the tops often don't grow a whole lot for the first couple years. After that, if you're providing lots of healthy compost and everything else is correct- drainage and soil pH being the two biggies- they'll really take off.

If the trees really aren't doing well, you're far better off taking some soil samples, getting an "official" (skip the "home garden tests" for something as important as this) soil test done at Cooperative Extension, and see what- if anything- is missing. THEN you can add commercial fertilizer in appropriate amounts IF needed, and you won't be overdoing some nutrients and underproviding others.

Summerthyme

Thank you Summerthyme!

I've been reading and re-reading this post of yours for a week now, and you've got some good stuff/advice in there.

Thank you!

BFC

 

[cetansa]

In the past I've used a 10 to 1 ratio of water to Dr. Bronners Peppermint Soap sprayed on the leaves for both/either Peach Leaf Curl and Shothole with good results. The spray only affects the diseased leaves.

 

[BigFootsCousin]

I just Googled this, it seems like it's just for humans? Can you share who/what/why/where etc of this recipe of yours?

Thanks!

BFC

In the past I've used a 10 to 1 ratio of water to Dr. Bronners Peppermint Soap sprayed on the leaves for both/either Peach Leaf Curl and Shothole with good results. The spray only affects the diseased leaves.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I just Googled this, it seems like it's just for humans? Can you share who/what/why/where etc of this recipe of yours?

Thanks!

BFC

I haven't used it but a lot of local organic gardeners and orchards use the stuff so I imagine the recipe is online someplace. Good luck with your trees and if your rain season is sketchy at best put five gallon buckets out at the drip line with a very tiny hole drilled in the bottom and fill them with water. Relocate them daily around the drip line.