Spraying for disease and insects for container vegs.

14 years ago

I was wondering if anyone here sprays disease or insect spray or both on their container vegetables or fruit trees, even other plants for the matter?

Do you spray when a problem exists or as a preventive?

Do you just leave them alone till a problem crops up?

Someone told me I should be spraying my apple trees, citrus, and my peach trees with a disease, mold, fungus and insect spray. Is this true?

In fact, I was told to start spraying my azeleas for spidermites asap, even though I never really checked for them.

It was said that they can kill next years buds.

Do you spray all season for those kepted outside all year, and for the ones that are going to come back indoors, only before bringing plants back inside for insects?

Do you spray all season to avoid diseases?

What would you use and when would you start?

Thanks!

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Comments (3)

tn_veggie_gardner
14 years ago
meyermike:

Do you spray when a problem exists or as a preventive?

I always keep a close eye out for problems, so 95% of the time I only spray when a problem exists or is starting. If you feel you must spray as a preventative measure, use something organic & use it sparingly.

Do you just leave them alone till a problem crops up?

Same question as last, really...so same answer.

Do you spray all season for those kepted outside all year, and for the ones that are going to come back indoors, only before bringing plants back inside for insects?

Indoor & outdoor spraying are two totally completely different items, as far as i'm concerned. Outdoors, I only spray after I notice a problem, almost always organic and usually every day until the problem goes away. Indoors, we'll find out as this will be my first Winter coming up where I really have more than just a handful of plants indoors, being overwintered (except my elephant garlic & garlic chives, which will stay outside).

Do you spray all season to avoid diseases?

No...in my experience, i've run into very very few diseases with my container gardens.

What would you use and when would you start?

Anything made by GardenSafe (100% organic). I use what the situation calls for...miticide, fungicide, pest spray, etc..

Hope this helps. - Steve
justaguy2
14 years ago
I don't spray for anything unless there is a problem in which case I choose the least toxic methods first to see if they work.

Over the years I have come to realize certain plants in my yard stand no chance without protection such as curcubits. Stink bugs, cuke beetles and squash vine borers all want to decimate them.

Most every other plant type I grow does fine with no protection.

Every gardener's yard/experience is different.

My personal advice is this: Do nothing for anything until/unless there is a problem.

Just because someone else has pest/disease problems with a particular plant type doesn't mean you will.

On the other hand if you have grown a plant type for years and each year the same pest/disease bothers it greatly then a preventative control is probably justified. I certainly won't judge you for using one.

If you must use harsh, broad spectrum killers so be it, but please try to start with the least toxic remedy and work your way to more toxic if it doesn't offer enough control rather than start with the nuclear option ;)

As a side note, before you go the nuclear route, consider the fate of the young, the pets, the pregnant etc. who are much more susceptible to health problems from these things than healthy adults are. Sometimes a plant is just so prone to problems in a particular area it's worth asking oneself if it's really all that important to grow that plant instead of something else.

I love corn, but don't grow any. I can't without the pesticides because I live in the corn belt and therefore corn pests like the corn rootworm are massively present. Therefore I choose to not grow corn.

I used to think a weed free lawn was uber important. I hired a service to nuke the weeds in my lawn. At the age of 7 my golden retriever who loved to eat grass died of cancer. I later learned one of the herbicides used on my lawn was virtually non toxic to everything except dogs. With dogs it dramatically increased the rate of cancer. I will never forgive myself. Don't find yourself in my shoes.

Not being judgmental, just giving an example.
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tn_veggie_gardner
14 years ago
Wow...damn, dude...that sucks. :(

Spraying for disease and insects for container vegs.

Comments (3)

tn_veggie_gardner

justaguy2

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