When to spray fruit trees

How to spray fruit trees

In spring, many plants begin to wake up. A large part of the fruit trees are in flower, some already with fruits that are beginning to grow. The problem is that good weather also makes the dreaded pests appear. And these can kill your plants. Therefore, knowing when to spray fruit trees is very important.

If you have never considered it before and have seen, year after year, that insects and other bugs have "eaten" the fruits and even your tree, it is time to remedy it. Here we are going to give you the tips on how to spray fruit trees: when to do it, with what and when is the best time.

When should fruit trees be fumigated?

When should fruit trees be fumigated?

When you have fruit trees, it is very common for you to carry out a series of activities for their maintenance. Pruning, fertilizing or spraying are very important, because they help them to be healthy and, therefore, to provide good fruit and grow well.

We are not going to tell you that spraying is good, because it is not recommended that you have to subject the tree to many of them. But it does become necessary, especially in the spring and summer time, when diseases and insect pests can attack it the most.

In general, there are two situations in which you can find yourself:

  • When the fruit tree is healthy: In this case it is recommended that you do not fumigate, much less with chemical substances. What you can do is use some home or natural treatments that, in addition to keeping these problems at bay, will nourish the tree.
  • When the fruit tree is sick: May require fumigation; But sometimes, if you are very weak, it can backfire because the chemicals can affect you more and cause you not to recover.

Also, you should keep in mind that, to the question when to spray fruit trees, we cannot answer you with something direct. The reason is that each fruit tree has its time to be fumigated, and if it is fulfilled, then you can improve its health.

For example:

  • Apricot: it has to be fumigated before the rains start. It is important to remove all the dried or dead fruits and that there is nothing left on the ground that could rot.
  • Cherry: it is a fruit tree that must be fumigated in winter. In this case, spraying occurs when the plant is somehow hibernating (the sap slows down and the tree becomes dormant).
  • Citrus: they are fumigated in spring, before the temperatures get too high and it is advisable to do it in the late morning so that the sun does not act on the chemicals.
  • Pome fruit trees: pome fruit trees, such as a quince, a pear, an apple tree ... also require spraying. In this case, it is good that it is in early spring, or when symptoms of disease or plague appear.

When should orange trees be fumigated?

When should orange trees be fumigated?

In the case of orange trees, as well as with any citrus tree (lemon, mandarin ...) you have to take into account that must be sprayed much more than other trees, especially if you want to achieve a good result and that the fruits are of quality.

Orange trees are affected by many pests, and for each of them they must be fumigated as a prevention. Of course, depending on the area where you live there will be some pests or others, but in general, the most common are:

  • Aphid: This can be seen with the naked eye. If you see that it begins to appear and there are affected shoots, spray between March and June.
  • Fruitfly: the best time will be between April and September.
  • White fly: do the fumigation from June to September, as long as it affects the tree in a few percent. If it can be removed by hand, the better.
  • Red spider: spray from May.
  • Red mite: from March to August.

With this we are not saying that you have to continually spray it, because it would be counterproductive and would also damage the tree, but you would have to use broad spectrum products and then, if it is affected by different pests, use specific products.

So when to spray fruit trees like orange? Well you have to start doing it before the first shoots start to appear. We recommend that you do it that first time and see how the tree is developing. If diseases or pests appear, you can spray again, repeating that treatment after 5-7 days to improve the result. After that, you will have to wait a while to spray again.

How do you cure a fruit tree?

Imagine that you have a fruit tree that has been affected by a plague. You have sulfated it but what now? Obviously, it is not going to heal overnight; It will take a few days to know if the product you have put on it has killed the plague. But you should keep in mind that once you have fumigated it, after 5-7 days it is recommended to repeat the process to completely finish the treatment.

From that week on, the tree should react and look healthy again. If not, it may be because the product was not suitable or because it is a resistant pest. In this situation, you should ask experts for advice, especially on specific pest treatments (not broad spectrum).

Can flowering fruit trees be fumigated?

Can flowering fruit trees be fumigated?

One of the big questions that many fruit tree owners have is whether it is feasible to spray a tree when it is in flower. And the truth is that it is not recommended. Besides spraying, there are many other ways to eliminate pests and diseases without subjecting the tree to such treatment.

It is best not to do it. When you spray the fruit tree in flower, what you do is affect the insects that are "good", such as wasps or bees, and that affects the trees themselves. It is always advisable to do it, either when the buds are swollen, or when the petals have already fallen from the flowers. But in full bloom it is better to wait and use other remedies.

Treatment of fruit trees in spring-summer

Before finishing the topic, you should know what are the treatments of fruit trees in spring and summer. Not only do you have to fumigate them, but you also have to carry out some activities to maintain their health and, also, to avoid having to subject them to so many fumigations.

And what is there to do? Well:

  • Pruning time. Spring is the perfect season to prune fruit trees. That will help them pick up growth and make them stronger. Do not forget to remove everything you cut so that it does not rot.
  • Pad the floor. This action is carried out in autumn, since it is a way to protect the roots from low temperatures; but also in spring it must be done to help the fruit tree to keep moisture and the sun does not burn its roots. That is why a suitable soil is sought and that also avoids the appearance of weeds or that can take away the vigor of the plant.
  • Pest prevention. You already know that prevention is better than cure, and therefore anticipating pests and diseases will be much better. And how can you do it? Well, easily, with both natural and phytosanitary products.

In this way, you will ensure that your fruit trees are perfectly fine and you will spray them much less, which is always better, both for the tree and for the fruits.


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