Orchard Spray Schedule

Blue Seal and Bonide© products make caring for a winning Orchard easy.

While Trees Are Dormant
(late winter – early spring)
Disease Management
Remove all dead and diseased wood as well as any remaining dried or mummified fruit.
To control fire blight, remove any visible cankers and blight-infected wood. Spray the trees with a mixture of Bonide Liquid Copper©.

Pest Management
Spray with Bonide All Season Spray Oil© to control overwintering mite and aphid eggs and scale insects. Early emergence of aphids can be controlled with spot spraying of insecticidal soap
or dilute concentrations of Bonide All Season Spray Oil©.

While Trees Are In Green Tip
Disease Management
Outbreaks can be prevented by successive applications of Bonide Liquid Copper©, Sulfer Plant Fungicide or Bonide Orchard Spray©. Repeat if necessary after very wet, rainy periods.

Pest Management
Dilute applications of a Bonide All Season Spray Oil© at green tip to ½” green are highly effective against scale, European red mite and rosy apple aphid eggs. Do not apply diluted spray in conjunction with sulfur applications. Rely instead on insecticidal soap or Bonide Pyrethrin© for early season insect control.

While Trees Are In Tight Cluster to Pink Tip
Disease Management
For scab and powdery mildew, use same fungicides as mentioned above for disease management during green tip.

Pest Management
Use Bonide All Season Spray Oil© for codling moth, leafrollers, tentiform leafminers and tufted apple bud moth. When insect pests reach threshold limits, spray with Bonide Pyrethrin© and/or Neem Oil.
Be on the lookout for early season tent caterpillars and other lepidopteron (moths) larvae. Spray with Bonide Thuricide© to eliminate these pests.

When Trees Are In Bloom
Disease Management
Continue monitoring for fungal diseases (scab, mildew, rusts, etc.) Use the recommended fungicidal sprays as previously mentioned, but try to avoid spraying any fungicides at full bloom to lessen disturbance to pollinating insects if at all possible.
Now is the time to move against fire blight. A combination of cultural practices and spray programs can control this devastating bacteria but diligence and perseverance are a key. Examine all trees closely for signs of fresh outbreaks, old infected tissue and dead twigs or branches.

Pest Management
DO NOT spray insecticides of any kind during bloom but continue to monitor and note species of insects and the number of individuals.

During Petal Fall
Disease Management
If not controlled effectively in the orchard earlier, secondary outbreaks of apple scab can occur now and should be treated with Bonide Copper or Sulfer.
To control summer diseases (scab, powdery mildew, fruit spot, sooty blotch, flyspeck) dilute applications of mixed Bonide Copper or Sulfer can provide some control, but require repeated sprays at two to three week intervals.

Pest Management
Many of the common soft-bodied insects and many other pests (European red mite, rosy apple aphid, tentiform leafminer, potato leafhopper and white apple leafhopper) are emerging in numbers now and can be controlled with a dilute application of Bonide All Season Spray Oil©. Apply either early morning or late afternoon and do not apply when temperature is over 85º.
Fruitworms, canker worms and tent caterpillars can be effectively controlled with Bonide Thuricide©.

Summer Sprays
Disease Management
Continue to observe for outbreaks of scab and fire blight and treat accordingly. For summer fungal diseases such as sooty blotch and flyspeck, limited control can be obtained with Bonide Copper©.

Pest Management
There are numerous insect pests which reach their height of activity in the summer months. Many emerge in April to late May and can be controlled with Pyrethrin©/Neem Oil combination sprays or spot applications of insecticidal soaps. White apple leafhoppers and potato leafhoppers are somewhat difficult to control and may require full strength applications of Bonide Pyrethrin© and Neem Oil combination sprays but apply sparingly with caution. Tentiform leafminers usually do not reach levels where severe damage can be inflicted but Dogwood borers are a sporadic but extremely troublesome pest. If left unchecked they can easily destroy a young tree in a couple of seasons.

Post Harvest
After the growing season is over and the harvest is completed, it is advisable to conduct a thorough clean-up in the orchard. Remove any dead branches and other debris which may have fallen and accumulated around the trees. Collect all dead and mummified fruit and remove from the orchard. It is very important to remove all litter and debris where insects may overwinter or in which disease pathogens may lie dormant ready to emerge the following season.

* Please Note: This suggested spray schedule, is solely intended to provide a basic guideline for a sound spray program for the care and maintenance of apple trees. It is not meant to address all the potential pest and disease problems you may encounter as a grower. For more information relevant to your region, consult your local agricultural office.