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Fruit & Orchards

What/when to spray apples & cherries?

David Christopher

14 years ago

Hey guys -- I have a couple of semi-dwarf apple trees that are a couple of years old, and one self-pollinating sweet cherry tree (bing type). I do all my gardening organically, and had hoped to grow some apples and cherries organically -- but the last two years, both my apples and cherries have been overloaded with bugs and disease. The cherry was so bad last year it dropped all its leaves prematurely, then started growing some back by the end of summer.

Problem is, because I have little experience growing these fruits and had planned not to spray anything -- I don't really know what they need.

Can someone recommend what I can spray, and when -- that will help keep the trees healthy and lessen the bugs and diseases they've had in past years? Something organic would be great, but will consider non-organic also.

Thanks!

Dave NJ

P.S. I am in central NJ, zone 6.

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Comment (1)

donnieappleseed
14 years ago
There are people more expert than I on this....and particularly for your area and I hope they will answer...but a couple things as starters:

1. It would help if this year you could take some leaf samples in to a local State Extension agent that could tell you exactly what the problem is for your tree.....it sounds like you have two problems, one related to the tree and one related to the fruit.....no exacting identification makes advise on sprays problematic.

2. In the Northwest, many organic guys are finding some happiness with Spinosad (Entrust, Bullseye, etc. are trade names).....it is a fermenting bacteria......but again, this is only if you know you have worms in your fruit (you said "bugs" but we need to know more).....I think the odds are good that Spinosad would help and you need to learn more about it and how to apply it, in my opinion. Local nursery would help.
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