Hello all.
I’m looking for advice on dormancy sprays. What should I use and is it sprayed only on the foliage?
Living up here in NW Montana we have harsh winters and very long wet springs. I’m realizing fungal issues affect so much of my property from apples to flowering perennials to my zucchinis
I have several Apline Firs and they are suffering from a fungal attack on new growth that browns the tips. All my trees are heeled into my vegetable garden over the winter before they are covered with snow. (I need a greenhouse)
I will also be following Ryan’s advice by applying Mancozeb in the spring. Thanks for reading.
I am outside Spokane, WA so I have a similar climate although not as cold in the winter and perhaps a bit hotter in the summer. I don’t seem to have too many fungal problems although some of my fellow club members do. The traditional fall spray for fungus is diluted lime sulfur once the trees are fully dormant. Not sure if that is the best for you, but I think spraying in both the late fall and very early spring will be good. You might also want to build a simple hoop house over the winter storage area to help prevent the buds from being damaged due to the winter cold which may be part of your tip die off.
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Thanks Marty! I have been brainstorming on some kind of house and where to locate it in my backyard. Those late winter storms and soggy days are a challenge.
My first ones were 1 inch schedule 40 pipe and 4-way fittings like these - Formufit 1 in. Furniture Grade PVC 4-Way Tee in White (4-Pack) F0014WT-WH-4 - The Home Depot along the ridge with a 3-way at each end. Drive a piece of rebar in the ground, place the pipe over it, and bend it to meet the fitting at the ridge. Cover with 6 mil (0.006 inch, 0.15 mm) plastic sheet and if exposed to sun shade cloth over the top half. If you cut 10 foot PVC to 8 foot, you have pieces for along the ridge, and a 20 foot wide sheet of plastic will cover it and provide the ridge pieces. Roll a piece of lumber up in flap at on either side a place the blocks you us to support your benches on the roll. Takes a full day to put up the first time, a half day the second time, and less than a half day to take down and store for the summer (not counting the time for the plastic dry before you roll it up.
My current version uses thin wall EMT and fittings designed to create various types of canopies like these Canopy Fittings, Canopy Parts 3/4" Inch or perhaps these Modular Pipe Fittings & Accessories | Maker Pipe. It is a bit stronger than the PVC version and I borrowed an EMT bender so I have vertical side walls and a ceiling at a 45 degree angle.
You can heat this simple poly tunnel, but it will take a lot of heat to do much in your climate. In either case, the shelter is temporary and easily taken down for the summer.
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