Most people use any horticultural oil. I prefer a dormant-only oil, those are thicker and I expect they smother pests better. Golden pest spray oil is one such dormant-only oil. I'm not sure why they are recommending spinosad in dormant season, its a waste for us since the bugs are all hibernating but maybe in California there is a reason. It can be combined with the oil. Make sure to also look into if you need copper (shot hole) or lime-sulphur (peach leaf curl). Scott

You only need to spray dormant oil if you have some kind of problem like scale or spider mites. Some of these problems are more likely in a long season area like central TX or CA than in CO. I've grown fruit in west TX for 34 yrs and have never seen the need for dormant oil. I've never had scale. Only had spider mites when I sprayed the wrong codling moth control, Sevin killed the mite predators and caused an outbreak. Chances are high you don't need dormant oil in CO. If you have a problem down the line that dormant oil might help, then spray. The Fruitnut

I actually make my living managing home and estate orchards so maybe my opinion will carry some weight here. No, I don't completely agree with your approach. Using herbicides to speed establishment and increase productivity is acceptable to me, although it is not something I do in managing home and estate orchards as a general rule. Mulching accomplishes the same thing and more- although the extra work is a negative from an efficiency stand point. Your expressed reason of eliminating pests by eliminating all other plants in the vicinity of your trees is what I disagree with, because all major pests will have no trouble finding your trees from longer distances. I don't understand the fall application of herbicide- I should think mid-summer would be the time to end such applications or maybe late summer for latest ripening fruit. Mid winter oil would be a waste of time for me as the only reason I have to apply it is to help control mites, scale and pear psyla and they are much more vulnerable when trees first start growing in early spring. Immunox is only useful in spring. It is not affective for summer fungus on apples or brown rot on stone fruit- use Monterey Fungus Fighter for brown rot and maybe Captan for fly speck and sooty blotch if those are your summer apple fungus pests. I don't know what the Bayer product is but I'd stick with Triazide if I was you. Your program seems arbitrary and not based on a complete understanding of the pests you are trying to control or the efficacy of the material you are using to control them. You need to monitor your pests and figure out what they are specific to your site. Perhaps you can get some help from your cooperative extension or a nearby experienced grower on this. I can't speak for your pests and I know you need much later insect control where you are than where I am in southeastern NY, but I doubt you need to spray until a couple of weeks before harvest. I usually don't need any insect control during summer as worst pests have finished their cycle by then.

yeah... I don't know why I said the word WILT... DOH! It's CURL. The leafe is all tortured looking and this year, the affected leaves up and died, then the tree started weeping... thought it was bugs, but someone said, no, that's the effect of really bad "peach leaf curl". So this year, I thought I'd do something about it. The fallen leaves are gone, so I can try the cornmeal... I have used non-fat milk with great results for mildew on roses, so I will definitely be willing to try that. I do happen to have some Neem, it just stinks so! :o) Thanks!