West, warm citrus growers: how often do you spray horticultural oil?
8 years ago
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- 8 years ago
- 8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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How often do I Fertilize my Musas?
Comments (26)JoeReal, did your research include the effects of such products in mulch-specific biodynamic mound plantings? I have a large garden and only used it on the raised bed tomatoes. All was mulched, however, with wood chips and straw. The mulch under the tomatoes is "moldy" and you can pick up "chunks". To me, this shows at least one of the positive factors of the product: decomp. The rest does not have this consistency. It is also more broken down in the under-layers. Just an observation. I don't really agree that it doesn't work in most soils, but I would agree that different strains found in the products would act / react differently to different soils (re: successive growth, spore germination, dominant species). Which would lead to be more successful in certain locales. I also agree that competition is a strong factor, but again there are many strains of fungi / bacteria in each product and if one has a foothold it would be strong. Plus I think there is a lot of good to adding products at the seed level. This is how they inoculate trees for truffles- so why not myco products for vege's, flowers, and landscapes? I think your points are highly salient when considering agriculture as a business. But considering you can now get these products included in fertilizers (rainbow bloom is one I have used) or as a 5 dollar stand alone product, it is my opinion that it would be a good investment for the hobby soil gardener or anyone who uses sterilized / pasteurized balanced soils- like most potting soils. I really like what you say about Organics vs. organics. Just to point out how confusing some of my posts were, i actually refer mostly to organic material based products and not certified Organic products. But I do believe that in the future the certified products will take up a significantly greater market share, especially as more and more people find out how well it works over time. And (if this happens) as the use of chems decrease, manufacturers will find them more expensive to process, package, and supply- seeking financially favorable alternatives (total organic approach, in bulk). This would all be positive because regardless of any soil capabilities, chems are still more likely to burn fauna and flora and wash out into our rivers and streams (and into the natural world where it is not welcome). Amending your soil only with certified products after a few years (unless it's virgin) IS organic growing. Which is really just semantics unless your growing a product for sale to the pubic (it is a legal business term for a specific product), you are a results oriented grower (competition or public display) or if you garden from a moralistic / ethical perspective (it is an environmental reform term). The latter describes the most common "organic" grower- who is usually happy with "better" products as opposed to "best". At this time, when certified products are few and far between (and priced as such) for the average person who doesn't fit any description, the distinction is essentially moot. To All: Fertilizing is a hot topic to us in cooler climates. Yep, if you just water them they will grow. They are pretty awesome that way. BUT if you live in zone 5 like myself, and you really want to see your banana back next year, you want as much growth as possible- particularly in the roots- each season. Not to say it should be obsessed over, but it is more important in the cold areas for bananas. We don't have to worry so much about them taking anything over....See MoreHorticultural Oil & beneficial insects
Comments (8)kquat, Horticultural oil is the broad term to include oils that are sprayed on plants and trees no matter what time of year it's used. There is a difference in the sprays that are used after the bud begins to emerge in the spring and the oil sprays that are used when a tree goes dormant. The insect has to be covered with the oil to do any good, and the oil does not remain on the tree as a protectant. I believe that a label would precaution using an oil on a tree if freezing temperatures are a possibilty. You know not to spray oil on your trees if the temperatures will get to 80 degrees F. I mixed canola oil with water and soap on some trees (including citrus)and even though it was in the cool of the morning, the temperatures went up and one of my citrus ended up loosing all its leaves. I only sprayed the one that had Cottony Cushion scale on it. The leaves grew back and the tree was prettier than ever. Maybe I should do that to all my trees -- think? At least the Leafminers would take off. Neem oil is not the same at all. Brass...See MoreHorticultural/insecticide oils
Comments (11)The bottle states it can be used in greenhouses as well as outdoor/indoor plants. The main ingredient is mineral oil. Trust me, I'm very cautious with products as I have a child and 2 dogs in the house. My husband also works for Bayer in the Environmental Science division (I used too as well, that's how we met - more info than needed, lol) and knows about all the Bayer Advanced items. He looked at the stuff and while it only states mineral oil and nothing else, he said just make sure not to touch it until it dries. He said oil is used to smother/suffocate pests. He's always skeptical of organic products as to their efficacy. I always wear gloves when working with all my plants (my citrus trees make me itchy). I'll just make sure to spray this stuff when I'm the only one home. Not sure if this stuff even works although I did buy it at a nursery store. Thanks for the concern as it made me look at the label a lot closer. it does make the leaves look nice :-)...See MoreFungicide, pesticide spray before putting citrus in greenhouse?
Comments (19)I have taken a vacation from using horticultural oils for quite a few years. I just haven't had any problems. This year is different! I have bookoos of scale so I will be treating when the temps cool down a bit. My trees are all in-ground and some are 10-12 ft tall so it's going to be a job. I have a few questions I would appreciate some input on. redneckgirl mentioned olive oil. I have some that has been in the cabinet for several years. It isn't rancid....don't really think olive oil goes bad....but it would be perfect for treating trees unless someone knows it isn't a good choice for some reason. I think we use certain oils so they are non-toxic to us, are biodegradable so they don't gunk up the leaves over time. My calamondin is going to be a trick to treat since it's tall and bushy but it also usually has a mix of blooms, green fruit, and ripe fruit. Will the treatment keep the flowers from producing fruit? My ponderosas, satsumas, and the tangerine will probably still have fruit on them when I treat. No big deal since I'm using non-toxic oil and detergent, right? I plan to treat once this fall and again in early spring before the first growth flush....See MoreRelated Professionals
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