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Fruit & Orchards

Fruit tree bud development stages and spraying

12 years ago

I am aware of the numerous stages and can easily ID them on the apple, pear and peach trees, however.

What do you consider an apple to be at when, say, 10% of the buds are at 1/4" green or even 25%? Basically, I'm just trying to determine how much of the tree's buds have to be at a given growth stage for the tree to be considered at that growth stage for fungicide spraying purposes.

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Comments (5)

Randy31513
12 years ago
This should do it for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit Stages
Michael
Original Author
12 years ago
thanks Randy, very familiar reading but it's always good to read material from different sources. Unfortunately it didn't say anything about what I can't yet figure out, is the tree said to be in a given stage when the first bud gets to say 1/4" green, when the last one does or somewhere in between? Maybe I'm just splitting hairs.
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Scott F Smith
12 years ago
Michael, a substantial majority of the buds should be at a given stage before you can view the tree as being at that stage.

More generally, the whole spray-this-at-that-stage is just an approximation, you never get it perfectly. I have hundreds of different apple varieties some of which are barely at silver tip now and some of which are about to bloom out; I don't have the time to target sprays at each tree's bud state and just do my best.

Scott
Michael
Original Author
12 years ago
I know what you mean Scott, my 11 different apple varieties are all over the map right now. Like you, I do the best I can.

Somewher in the literature that Randy posted it said something along the lines of spraying definitive stages isn't the way to go..... hmmmm. Wonder why sources like the Midwest Spray Guide indicate that it is. That guide certainly appears to be very thoroughly thought out, not a generic guide for homeowners for sure, rather for professionals from the looks of the spray materials it contains.
Randy31513
12 years ago
Michael, now I understand fully your original question. I too have a bunch of different variates all in different stages of budding. It can be a nightmare to keep the spray schedule straight. Here is what I do.

First a keep a Word file labeled spray schedule for 2012. I make an entry by spray date that list which tree is sprayed with what and a plan on how much per tree. Keeping up with it by tree is the only way I can keep it straight.

I keep notes on what sprays can do more harm than good like.

Ã¯Â¿Â½ Do not use Lime-Sulfur spray within 21 days of oil sprays or oil sprays 21 days following Lime-sulfur sprays.
Ã¯Â¿Â½ DO NOT USE CAPTAN WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AN OIL SPRAY.
Ã¯Â¿Â½ If drought stress exist consider not using Lime Sulfur sprays.
Ã¯Â¿Â½ Bordeaux mixture and cooper is generally unsafe to use on fruit crops after the 1/4 inch green leaf or more showing

There are more and these are open as you might guess to different time spacing.

After you square away the more harm than good sprays then if you squeeze in a spray too soon I figure that is better that too late.

Here is a link that might be useful: Georgia Home Orchard

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