Homemade Fruit Tree Spray
A good natural homemade fruit tree spray is an excellent spray alternative . . .
. . . that can be used throughout the growing season even if you don’t yet have a problem with insects or fungi.
It’s easier to keep your plants disease-free than to try to cure them once they’re infected, and this is where a homemade fruit tree spray program using natural ingredients found in your cupboard can play a big part in keeping your trees (especially fruit trees) fungi and insect free. As a matter of fact, you might consider having a spraying routine and using natural or homemade fruit tree spray for your fruit trees from early spring right on through the summer months.
The norm is to treat every bearing fruit tree with at least one spraying of a mixture of garden sulfur and horticultural oil early in the spring BEFORE LEAFING OCCURS in order to kill any overwintering cocoons.
However, I have found the natural homemade fruit tree spray outlined below can work just as well. . . even better. It is safe to use, easy to make, and does not have the possibility of burning the trunk of the tree by mixing incorrectly as might be done with sulfur and oil mixture. (Unfortunately I have done so a few times when I first started to spray my fruit trees)
Whether you use the sulfur/oil mixture or this mixture for your spring spraying of fruit trees, throughout the summer you might want to continue using the natural homemade fruit tree spray recipe on a regular basis in order to keep insects and fungi away from your fruit trees. (The idea is to subtly change the smell and feel of the tree and fruit so that the insects do not recognize it and at the same time feed your tree.)
My favorite natural homemade fruit tree spray is the one suggested by horticulturist and organic gardener Howard Garrett. He says his Wash-Away-Fungi spray packs a punch because it contains four fungus-fighting ingredients, and he is right. I added the Murphy Soap because it helps the homemade fruit tree spray stick to the leaves and this soap is wood based.
Homemade Fruit Tree Spray: The Wash-Away-Fungi Recipe
In order to create this “Wash-Away-Fungi” recipe, you will need the following:
1-2 cups of compost tea
(Optional if you don’t have any compost which is completely finished)
(If you are spraying edible plants or fruit, do not use tea made from manure compost)
1 tablespoon liquid seaweed (found in plant nurseries)
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses (the kind you use for cooking)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of Murphy soap
1 gallon water
Backpack or pump sprayer
Special Explanations About The Ingredients:
The compost tea, the seaweed, and the molasses not only fight fungal disease in the garden, but all three feed the plant through the leaves (called foliar feeding) especially if you are spraying really early in the morning when the leaf pores are still open.
You needn’t worry about the molasses attracting bugs. I was until I saw how the plants absorb the molasses instantly. Boom it’s gone! The fruit trees just love it!
The acidity of the vinegar helps kill black spot on roses, powdery mildew, brown patch, and other nasty fungi.
Mixing The Ingredients:
It’s easy to do. Just measure and pour the ingredients in the sprayer and mix well.
Hint: I found that if I premix the tablespoon of molasses in a 1/2 cup of very hot water and then pour the whole thing into the sprayer, the molasses mixes better with the rest of the ingredients. I found out the hard way that cold water and molasses don’t mix so well!
If you want your spray to have even more “umph”, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda/ potassium bicarbonate or 1/4 cup garlic tea.
To make garlic tea, liquefy 3 bulbs of garlic in a blender and strain out the solids. Pour the garlic juice into a 1-gallon container and fill with water. Shake the garlic juice well before using.
When And How To Do Your Spraying:
1. When spraying this homemade fruit tree spray, do not blast away or you will damage the leaves. Rather, lightly mist the top and the underside of all the leaves and be sure not to drip vinegar on the soil.
2. Do your spraying VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING for two reasons:
a) If you spray when there’s little or no wind, you avoid back spraying yourself or spraying your neighbor’s plants. Yes, you must get up early in the morning to get your spraying done before the wind starts blowing.
(Certain people may argue that usually the wind dies down after 6 pm; however, your trees have just been through a hot day so need time to recuperate. Also the spray must dry before nightfall, and many times at night the humidity is high.)
b) By spraying early in the morning, you avoid damaging the leaves because you are allowing time for the spray to dry before the sun gets hot.
Once you have finished your spraying, CLEAN YOUR SPRAYER THOROUGHLY with hot water and soap.
If you have some kind of a spraying program using natural sprays such as this homemade fruit tree spray that both feed and protect your fruit trees, you should have a lot better luck at keeping your trees healthy and fungus free.
Technorati Tags: control fungus, control insect, fruit tree spray, fruit tree spray homemade, fruit tree spray schedule, fruit tree spraying, fruit tree spraying schedule, fungal control, homemade fruit tree spray, organic spray for fruit trees, spray fruit trees, spraying fruit treesPopularity: 100%
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May 2nd, 2010 16:29
I’m going to try this recipe on my peach, apricot & avocado trees.
Thanks,
Mark
May 5th, 2010 17:39
Sounds great to me. I love easy to make organic, healthy treatments for plants and people. I aim to try this one. I would like to know how much baking soda or potassium of soda to add to make the spray with “umph”. Please reply. What does the cider vinegar do to the earth? You say don’t let it touch the ground. Thanks.
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Hi Marta
You could use 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of soda or soda bicarbonate. When I would make this mixture, I would add just one somewhat heaping tablespoon of the soda. The other ingredients in this recipe help feed the tree and fight the insects. Soda specifically helps fight fungal diseases.
Why prevent vinegar from dripping on the soil? Vinegar can be strong and may cause root damage if too much lands on the soil below the tree. In some cases, some roots don’t have that much soil covering them. So just be careful.
Marcie
May 10th, 2010 18:10
Ditto the last comment. I’m looking to use something natural on our Cherry and Apple trees. The premixed stuff recommended by local stores last year was less than effective. I’m new to this. What is and how do you get “compost tea”? I also would like to know how much baking soda should be added to add more “umph” to the spray. Any idea on a ball park figure as to how much of the mixture would be needed to treat two large Cherry trees (15 ft.) and two medium (10 ft.) Apple trees? Thanks! God bless.
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Hi Victor
Compost tea is made by soaking “mature” compost in water for a few days. In other words, you take compost that has been in the making for at least a year, or that is thoroughly composted, put some in a piece of cloth that has been tied or a small bag made of material, and left in a container of water for a few days or until the water turns brown like weak tea. Then this coloured water is used to feed plants. The trick is that you must make sure your compost has gone through all cycles of composting so that it does not carry over any more fungi or disease remnants and transfer that to the water and then to your plants. I personally have not “made” compost tea because I simply used the compost directly in the ground.
You could use 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of soda or soda bicarbonate to create the “umph” to the spray. When I would make this mixture, I would add just one somewhat heaping tablespoon of the soda.
As for how much of the spray you would need, I can only go by my experience. I used a 1 1/2 gallon pump sprayer and one of those would do about two trees about 10 feet tall. It really depends on how much you spray each tree.
Marcie
May 13th, 2010 04:48
Such an enjoyable read, and fantastic comment
May 13th, 2010 09:12
Another question – You mention “(Optional if you don’t have any compost which is completely finished)”. What is optional? The liquid seaweed? Thanks again. God bless.
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Hi Victor,
In this case, “optional” means you don’t really need the compost tea because liquid seaweed is part of this recipe, and liquid seaweed provides excellent nourishment for plants.
I have used liquid seaweed especially when a plant was doing poorly, and it seemed to work miracles.
That’s why giving a plant double the nourishment with compost tea may be an option for some who have the aged compost but not absolutely necessary if you use liquid seaweed.
Marcie
May 18th, 2010 16:00
I’m all for natural. We just planted 13 fruit trees and I will try your natural spray.
Thanks for your recipe. Will the spray help with mites and insect free?
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Yes, the spray will help with getting rid of any insects.
Marcie
May 20th, 2010 10:52
So excited to try this! I live in Eastern Pennsylvania, and love my apple, peach, plum, cherry, and pear trees. However, I have no idea what it is exactly that ruins my fruit. We could salvage some of everything except the plums- they were ruined the moment they were ripe.
My question is this: could I also use this spray on my organic herb and vegetable gardens? Again, not sure what it is that gets to them, but many of the leaves, fruit, and vegetables often appear to have been munched on already.
Thanks for all your valuable information! Love your mother!
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Hi Lorelei
This natural fruit tree spray will definitely help your fruit trees. This spray will get rid of any insects or their “babies” which can be in the form of very small worms.
As for your organic herb and gardening problem, it sounds to me like you are having problems with slugs or snails. If so, have a look at my post (17 Non Toxic Ways To Control Slugs) which explains how you can get rid of slugs/snails. There’s even a picture to show you what snails look like. They work after dark, so you will never see them in the daytime unless you get a lot of rain weather. The sooner you do get rid of these (if that is the problem) the better for your garden.
I don’t think it would be wild rabbits because they eat everything and leave nothing but the stem.
As for your question, I never did try this spray on my organic herbs and vegetable gardens. I don’t think it would hurt, but if you try it, do first on a small patch out of sight
By the way if you have slugs, I am not sure the fruit tree spray would deter them. They will probably love it and come back for more. However, one never knows. I have not used this spray on herbs and vegetables, so I don’t know what would happen.
If you get this answer on time, please let me know if you have solved the problem and what you found was eating your leaves.
Good luck.
Marcie
May 20th, 2010 23:11
I should have gotten back to earlier. Thank you Marcie! On with the recipe! Keep up the great work! God bless.
July 15th, 2010 11:24
found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
October 25th, 2010 18:03
Greetings from down under , we have tried the concoction on our fruit trees and also on the ornamentals with fantastic results . We have never had so much fruit on the trees and the roses and other plants just seem to love this mixture , it keeps the bugs away , helps against fungus and is environmentally sound . Thank you so much for this great advice !
Peter & Helga
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Hi Peter & Helga
I’m so glad you like this homemade fruit tree spray concoction. My trees just loved it too. Thank you for giving me some feedback.
Marcie
November 26th, 2010 10:39
Interesting website, that is what I’ve been looking for, it much helped me
December 18th, 2010 20:39
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I enjoy seeing websites that understand the value of providing a prime resource for free. I truly loved reading your post. Thanks!
February 9th, 2011 11:36
Last year for the first time I had black spots on my asian pears. I have never needed to spray them in the past so I did not know what it was or what to do. I allowed it to runs it’s course and the black spots eventually enveloped the whole pear. What is it and will your spray help this?
Thank you for your help.
Jamie
Hi Jamie
I think you have bitter rot pear fungus. And yes it can be remedied, but there are a few steps to be taken before you even spray. It is important to begin treating your tree as early as possible. If you live in an area with harsh cold winters, you will need to wait for the weather to warm up before you can spray. However, as soon as possible, begin cleaning up the area around your tree and dispose in the garbage..NOT in your compost pile.
You must 1. Clean the area 2. Add compost or some form of organic material to the soil around the tree to give your tree a chance to fight off disease. Like us, trees must deal with toxic air and water, so need help to fight off the toxins. 3. Spray the tree with horticultural oil early in the spring before it opens into leaf 4. Every two weeks until fall, feed/spray it with my Homemade Fruit Tree Spray. There’s a comment somewhere on this blog where a lady from Australia used this spray all summer last summer and had wonderful results with her fruit.
Note:
If you look at the different heading on the side bar, you will see the title Dealing With Bitter Rot Pear Disease. Another lady had that problem, and I have written what I would do step by step if I had that problem.
I would appreciate it if you would let me know how you made out with your pears.
Marcie
March 22nd, 2011 10:02
Hi,
I just came in from looking at my apple trees. The one has lilttle black worms on them. They are very tiny. What can I use now to get rid of them.
Thanks for your help.
Andrea
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Andrea
Did you spray at all in the early spring? I’m guessing you did not. Since you have very tiny apples, any strong spray will ruin them.
Personally I would try the homemade fruit tree spray and treat the trees every week until the worms are nowhere to be found. Then I would spray every two weeks, and then maybe once a month until your apples have been picked. The ingredients in this spray are all natural cooking ingredients which are eco-safe and friendly for people and surroundings.
This homemade spray should not cause any damage. I used it on cherry trees that had cherries on it, and I could almost see the tree straightening up with glee. OK, I’m exaggerating a bit, but I was amazed. I thought the molasses would make the fruit and tree sticky, but it didn’t. Molasses and garlic is a natural fungicide and, as I was told, if you change the smell of the tree a bit, the usual predatory flies who like the trees and lay their eggs on the fruit will fly on by for they will not be attracted by the “normal” smell.
Anyway, good luck. And if you use the homemade spray, would you mind coming back and telling us your results please?
Thanks
Marcie
If the worms are inside the apple, I’m not sure you will get rid of them. If they are outside the apple, the should disappear.
April 8th, 2011 22:29
It was my excitement locating your site the other day. I came here right now hoping to learn interesting things. And I was not dissatisfied. Your ideas in new strategies on this topic were insightful and a wonderful help to me personally. Thank you for having time to create these things along with sharing your mind.
April 13th, 2011 08:39
Nice blog…Thanks for sharing this very good blog. Very inspiring! (as always, btw)…
April 14th, 2011 12:07
Hi Marcie,
Thanks for a great recipe – we just planted fruit trees and wanted to go organic in caring for them. I am wondering if this recipe would also work well on grape vines. I just put two vines in and am hoping they will do well , but in our area for some reason there is a fungus that most people have trouble with on their grapes. I’m hoping if I start with the spray before there is a problem we may just get a decent crop in a few years. Also, you mention “garlic tea” and I was wondering do you add that to the homemade fruit tree spray or use it as a separate spray. If you add it to your spray what quantities do you use.
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Hi Shawn
Garlic tea is particularly good to fight fungus.
You add 1/4 cup garlic tea to your spray.
To make garlic tea, liquefy 3 bulbs of garlic in a blender and strain out the solids. Pour the garlic juice into a 1-gallon container and fill with water and let it stand for at least a few hours before using. I would always put my garlic liquid in the fridge to stand as I did not want it to go bad.
Shake the garlic juice well before using. When pouring out the 1/4 cup for your spray, be sure you strain with a cheese cloth so that you do not clog your sprayer.
Keep the unused portion in a fridge for it will get bad and be unusable in about 3 to 4 days in the heat.
Here’s another point to consider. Many times people plant fruit trees or plants and forget that plants, like humans, need to be fed. That is, the soil in which the plant is growing must be kept alive by adding compost or manure. Just adding commercial fertilizers will not work for more than a few years. Why?
Only good compost or natural materials contain all the microbes and macrobes and all the elements so needed for a plant to flourish.
Just like the body of a human being who eats mostly processed food will break down and be attacked by “dis-ease” much more quickly than that of a person who eats a lot of raw fruits and vegetables which are still “live”, plants which are in soil which is not regenerated or does not have the correct pH will succumb to disease or insect attacks very quickly.
So remember to supplement your soil ever year with compost or manure, forget synthetic fertilizers, and be sure to check the soil’s pH so that the plant is in soil they like so can absorb the nourishment needed to grow and flourish.
Shawn, I’ve used this recipe on cherries but not on grapes. Would you mind letting us know at the end of the summer how you fared out with your grapes? I would appreciate it if you did.
Happy gardening!
Marcie
April 18th, 2011 14:52
How often should I apply the fruit tree spray to my apple trees? Starting before the green bud stage.
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Whenever the temperature remains above zero at night and there are no heavy frosts, you can spray your trees before the leaves open. You can then spray once a month or every two weeks. This spray not only protects your trees against fungus and insects it also feeds the tree via the leaves (foliar feeding), so how often you spray will depend on you. I sprayed my trees every two weeks.
Please NOte: If the soil in which your tree is planted is not being nourished every spring with natural material (compost or composted manure), the nutrients in the soil will gradually get used up and the tree without good soil will not stay healthy. When that happens, fungus and insects hone in on the tree. So it’s important to keep the soil replenished (healthy) if you want delicious and good apples. Spraying can only help so much.
Marcie
April 21st, 2011 21:29
I’ll be back here more often, until then I’ll add you to the RSS feed
April 23rd, 2011 23:20
Very informative and useful content . You have good command on the topic and have explained in a very nice way. Thanks for sharing.Nice work,hope your blog be better!I just want to make a blog like this!
April 26th, 2011 11:09
Useful information and wonderful design you got here! I would like to thank you for sharing your ideas and putting the time into the articles you publish! Nice work!
April 26th, 2011 18:24
Hi! Great info! I am new to fruit trees (have a large apple, 2 medium peach, and 1 pear tree) and the idea of spraying with chemicals was just daunting to me. Love the homemade organic spray.
We missed the early spring bud spraying. The trees are now nearly in full bloom. When do I start the every 1-2 week spraying?
Thanks so much!!!
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Hi Anne
According to my gardening books, professional growers spray their trees every stage: dormant, green tip, 1/2 inch green, pink blooms beginning, full bloom, after the petals fall, and every 10 days thereafter until the harvest.
This homemade spray is certainly not as harmful as that captan or zineb or malathion or methoxychlor used by commercial growers. So I would say you can spray whenever you want, and since you’ve missed the prebud spray, the sooner you spray the better for your trees. In addition to protecting them from insects and fungus, it might even give the tree a boost in nutrition through foliar feeding. Try to use a soft spray so as not to disturb the blooming.
Every 10 days to 2 weeks should be often enough. You would spray every week if you had to deal with an infestation of insects or fungus.
As mentioned in one of the previous comments, well nourished soil is just as important as preventative spraying. Be sure you add good compost or even old/composted manure to your soil especially along the water drip area.
I would love to get your comments at the end of the growing season to let us know how well the spray worked.
The more people use this type of spray the better our food and environment will be; so the more success stories they read about the more likely they will use the spray.
Thank you
Marcie
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2011/04/29 at 1:29 am
Marci-
Thanks for the quick response and I will definitely let you know how it turns out!
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April 26th, 2011 20:29
how long can you keep the spray mixture in the bottle before you have to throw it away?
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Believe me you will know when the spray mixture is no good.
It gets that fermented smell which you will spot right away I am sure.
The first time I made this concoction, I made too much and had some left over.
In about 3-4 days, it started smelling bad. That’s when I vowed that from that moment onward I would mix just enough for what I needed, and if I had any left over, I would have so little I could just refrigerate it for a few days or get rid of it somewhere. I had a big yard with many plants and a garden, so getting rid of it was no problem.
Marcie
April 28th, 2011 03:17
This actually answered my problem, thanks!
April 30th, 2011 15:57
woww.. your article is good. its helpful me.. keep posting buddy
May 2nd, 2011 03:46
Great job, Your post is an excellent example of why I keep coming back to read your excellent quality point of view…. All the best, Alma Hoock
May 2nd, 2011 18:10
I must say that overall I am really impressed with this blog.It is easy to see that you are passionate about your writing. If only I had your writing ability I look forward to more updates and will be returning.
May 4th, 2011 21:55
I just like the helpful info you provide for your articles. I will bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. I¡¯m somewhat sure I¡¯ll learn lots of new stuff right right here! Good luck for the following!
May 16th, 2011 20:00
What type/Brand of sprayer do you use. I have been using one of those long distance water jet type sprayers with a store bought pesticide to no avail. I can’t picture anything else being able to reach to the top of the tree, or don’t I need to?
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Hi Brooks
I would use a back sprayer, one which can be carried on your back or held with one hand and you spray with the other. I would buy my sprayer at Canadian Tire or hardware store.
To get my spraying done, I would use a sturdy 7-ft step ladder.
I would first spray the underleafs by standing under the branches and pointing the nozzle of my sprayer upward to spray under the leaves.
Then I would position my step ladder in different spots around the tree and spray from above the tree. Now my trees were either dwarf trees or I had cut down the tree to a manageable height. I have not used the jet type sprayers because I wanted a gentle spray which would not damage my tree leaves.
This sprayer might hold up to 10 litres of liquid. It was a rather smaller one because I had to go up the step ladder with it, so I did not want something that was too heavy for me to handle.
I could usually spray at least one whole tree with one filling of the sprayer…sometimes two trees depending on how tall they were.
To answer the very last question…yes you need to spray every part of the tree, top and bottom of the leaves and even the trunk where larvae might be lurking.
Hope this helps.
Marcie
May 17th, 2011 14:58
My one apple tree is over 30 years old and surrounded to the trunk with lawn. I get worms in the apples and want to control those. Are they coddling moths or what? Will this fruit tree spray control those?
Also, will the vinegar in the mixture damage the lawn beneath the tree?
How do I fertilized the tree naturally. Would turkey manure sprinkled into the lawn work well?
Does the garlic cause an odor in the area of the tree. It is right off our patio.
Thanks for your help.
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Hi Becky
I’ve answered each question separately to make it easier to follow.
My one apple tree is over 30 years old and surrounded to the trunk with lawn. I get worms in the apples and want to control those. Are they coddling moths or what?
It’s either codling moth (if the worm feeds on the heart of the apple or around it) or it may be apple maggot (Tunneling throughout the apple is obvious). Please see the new post explaining the codling moth and another explaining the apple maggot found under the headings “Insect Control”.
Will this fruit tree spray control those?
It would if you followed the spraying program explained in the post Homemade Fruit Tree Spray. If already infected, I don’t think the spray will save currently infected apples, but a spray program every two weeks or so would keep other fruit from being infected.
Also, will the vinegar in the mixture damage the lawn beneath the tree?
If you were the mixing of the ingredients on your lawn and you accidentally spilled vinegar on your lawn as you were doing your mixing, then any grass touched by the vinegar would be affected.
I don’t think the vinegar in the spray mixture would hurt as there is not very much in the spray. However, always take precautions and test a patch of grass which is out of sight.
How do I fertilized the tree naturally. Would turkey manure sprinkled into the lawn work well?
You should always use composted manure, be it turkey manure or other type of manure. So as long as the manure is well composted and not fresh, COMPOSTED turkey manure should work.
Does the garlic cause an odor in the area of the tree. It is right off our patio.
I could/did not detect any garlic odor after I sprayed, and I had five fruit trees which I would spray all on the same morning.
Thanks for your help.
You’re welcome.
Marcie
May 22nd, 2011 07:51
I look forward to trying your recipe.
My peach trees suffer from leaf curl and it appears to get worse every year. Does this recipe help leaf curl and are there specific times of the year that I should spray my trees in order to prevent the onset of leaf curl.
Thanks in advance for your help.
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Hi Ivan
Your questions have been answered in the post called “Peach Leaf Curl” on this blog. Look under the heading “Fungal Diseases”
or click http://pestcontroloptions.com/.....-leaf-curl
June 10th, 2011 21:56
Hi Marcie. Greetings from Down Under!
I’ve been waiting for ages for my madarine tree to bear fruit but now that it has, they’re inedible. They look perfectly fine, but are very difficult to peel, are very dry and taste horrible. Not at all what I was expecting. I’m guessing it’s too late to do anything about this crop, but what can I do tö improve the chances of yummy fruit for next time?
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Hi Sandra
I have never worked with a mandarin tree; however, the following usually applies to any growing plant – tree or otherwise.
1. Check the pH of your soil. Testing your soil can be done by buying a pH kit or you can get it done. Get more information on
testing your soil at http://plantsandgardeningtips.com under the section “All About Soil”.
2. Mandarin trees prefer soil with a pH between 6.0 and 8.0. A good range is around 7. If the pH is too high or too low, the roots of your mandarin cannot absorb all the nutrients needed to make good fruit.
3. If you must amend the pH of your soil, purchase the required soil amendments. The pH should between 6 and 8. If the pH of your soil is below 6, then you will need to add agriculture lime. If the pH is above 8, you can add sulfur or peat moss.
(Important: Follow directions carefully. Too much lime or sulfur is no better than not enough. Add a little at a time, mix well, leave for a day and check your pH. If you need to add more, do so but carefully. When I first started gardening, I added too much lime, and my vegetables grew very poorly until the pH became more neutral.) All information about testing and soil problem solutions can be found at plantsandgardeningtips.com.
4. If your pH is OK, then you need to add compost or other natural nutrient such as manure to your soil and mix well. (Avoid fresh manure) Apparently adding mulch is not a good idea because it can cause root rot.
Now many people add synthetic fertilizer. I’m not in favor of these because only natural nutrients such as composted manure or true compost can add all the nutrients a tree or plant needs to produce good fruit.
5. If you add manure, use your pH probe to check the pH of the manure in the bag. Then you will know whether you’re making your soil more acidic or alkaline — if at all. Most times bagged manure is around 7 or a bit lower.
6. Finally, be sure your plant is getting plenty of watering and use my tree spray which not only protects from bugs and fungi but also feeds your tree through the leaves. The trees love it.
Good luck for next year.
June 15th, 2011 15:43
In answers to comments you say the mixture is no good and stinks in about 3 days. I have many friends and neighbors with apple trees and plum trees, and making this stuff sounds like a lot of work if you have to make a fresh batch every week. If there were a few things you could leave out and still have a great weekly spray, (so that I could develop a route in the area and sell this mixture), Would I be losing much in effectiveness if I left out the compost tea, for example? Fungus is the primary concern on the apple trees anyway, and the molasses feed might make the fruit much better in addition to fighting fungus. I can experiment some but if you had to guess, which ingredients are giving this such a short “shelf-life”, and how critical are those ingredients? (Also if a gallon were refrigerated do you have an estimated shelf-life for that? Could it be frozen without ruining it?)
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…and making this stuff sounds like a lot of work if you have to make a fresh batch every week.
Yes, I agree with you that making this stuff every week is work. That is why I made sure I did use it in early spring, and after the flowering season and only every two weeks or even less if I had no problems. Of course that would mean monitoring the trees.
Would I be losing much in effectiveness if I left out the compost tea, for example?
I never used compost tea because the compost pile must really be well composted in order to make tea from it. Since this spray was going onto the fruit and I was going to eat that fruit, I did not want it contaminated by anything that might still be lingering in the compost and transferred to the fruit via the tea. Contrary to the rest of the ingredients which are safe, if you’re using the compost tea, be sure the compost is totally finished.
...but if you had to guess, which ingredients are giving this such a short “shelf-life”, and how critical are those ingredients?
It seemed to be the garlic mixture which, if not refrigerated, would turn sour when left in the heat. I would make a large batch of garlic separately and keep it in the fridge. Both it and the apple cider vinegar was refrigerated until used and both are critical components to the mixture.
Fungus is the primary concern on the apple trees anyway, and the molasses feed might make the fruit much better in addition to fighting fungus.
Molasses not only fights fungus and keeps the insects away it also feeds the tree via the leaves. Molasses and garlic are the two top ingredients for fighting disease and insects.
(Also if a gallon were refrigerated do you have an estimated shelf-life for that? Could it be frozen without ruining it?)
I’ve never experimented with refrigerating the whole mixture or freezing it, so I cannot answer that question.
However, if I were to create the mixture and then refrigerate it, I don’t know if the molasses would cause problems. Molasses is less porous when cold. You would have to test that.
I would love to hear what you have come up with regarding commercializing this recipe.
Would you mind emailing me at marsnyder@gmail.com to let me know what you have decided to do?
Thank you.
Marcie
July 2nd, 2011 08:31
I have been trying your recipe for the first time this year, the leaves on my apple trees seem to be growing more than ever, but I am still having trouble with some apple magot , any ideas what I can do for them, I added baking soda for a extra punch but didn’t add any garlic to my spray?
Thanks
Mike Frank
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Hi Mike
I think you should retry the spray with the garlic added to it. Garlic is the most potent ingredient of all and is good for many reasons. Soda helps you get rid of fungi.
1. There is so little garlic in the spray that YOU will not have any leftover smell of garlic in the air. As you know, flying insects will go to trees which has a certain smell or feel. If the smell or feel is different, the insect will not bother with the fruit. the maggot fly is looking for the “APPLE” smell. The garlic might just help in that area in that it will temporarily change the smell enough for the fly to not want to deal with this “NEW” smell on the apples and just pass on by.
2. You may want to experiment with using the spray with all given ingredients and spray especially the affected apples. Leave out the compost tea since you are spraying edible fruit. That little bit of garlic will not harm or tarnish the apple; however, there might be enough smell to choke/kill the maggot or make it want to drop out of the apple. Look for that little hole on the skin of the apple made by the maggot fly when it was laying its egg and spray especially that area of the apple.
I know from experience that insects hate the garlic scent; as a matter of fact, I used to grow garlic among my roses to deter flying insects which might want to use my rose shrubs to lay their eggs. I couldn’t smell the garlic, but they could detect the difference so stayed away from my rose bushes.
The same goes for any fruit; change the smell by spraying the tree and fruit, and the flying insects bypass the tree.
Please note: This weekend (July 9-10, 2011), I will create two posts: one post dealing with apple maggot and another one about coddling moth. Just keep checking back at this blog pestcontroloptions.com as I will give you ideas/methods on how your can control and/or stop infestation of codling moth and/or apple maggot. Once a fruit is infected, it is difficult to get rid of the maggot already hiding inside the apple, but you can learn what to do to avoid more infestation.
Marcie
July 11th, 2011 19:59
Thanks a lot for this info! I’ll get my mom to try out this solution if needed. Its sounds like a great alternative!
July 16th, 2011 16:14
Could you please tell me exactly what sprayer you use. I haven’t had any luck with the smaller ones that fit a hose. My apple tress are pretty big (about 20 feet) so even on a step ladder will need a long spray. Thanks very much for all this useful info…I didn’t manage to get dormant oil on in time and sprayer only sprayed a few feet. Looking forward to trying the natural spray and maybe save a few apples this year and many next. The trees are old and mature fruit usually rots before it falls possibly codling moth or apple maggot.
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Hi Patricia
Please check my new post Garden Sprayer I Used where I have given you a step-by-step explanation in answer to your questions. I hope you will be able to save some of the fruit.
By the way, you may also want to check the post Apple Maggot Controlled. You may get an idea as to which insect is affecting your apples.
Good luck.
Marcie
August 6th, 2011 12:21
Hi,
Having the worst time keeping strawberries alive. Got garden soil from Home Depot, put in small plastic kids swim pool (gopher problem), planted the full grown plants and the bugs from the garden soil overwhelmed them. I have one plant left, can I use this spray on it?
Thanks,
Linda
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Hi Linda
I am very surprised that the soil from Home Depot is filled with bugs. Was this soil in a bag or was it loose soil on the ground?
You’re asking if the fruit tree spray can be used on your plant that is left. I have not used this spray in the garden; however, before using the spray on the whole plant, try using it on a little bit of the plant. I personally think it would be OK to use it. I suppose if you don’t do something, you will not have any plant left. So why not try it.
Something else which is good for crawling insects is diatomaceous earth which is made from silicon dioxide and some kind of attractant.I have bought it under the name Crawling Insect Killer, a chemical free powder. This amorphous earth is an odorless and non-staining powder which can be used without fear of damage to pets, fish, birds, or wildlife. Unless it is inhaled, it is harmless to humans and pets while to soft-bodied insects it is razor sharp and tears their exterior casing. I’ve used this product in my cupboards with great success.(When one lives in an apartment building, one can inherit unwanted critters carried in by other tenants)
There are two drawbacks to using this powder:
1. If it rains, the powder gets washed away, so you must add more to your soil (However, if the insect population diminishes, you can probably dispense with using it after a while).
2. It also kills the good bugs along with the bad ones.
By the way, do you have toads in your garden? Toads eat many of those crawling insects. I always found them most helpful in a garden.
If all your plants are gone but you would like to replant, I would suggest using diatomaceous earth on the soil a few days or even a week before planting anything else.
Please let me know what method you have decided to use and your success with the product.
Marcie
August 15th, 2011 23:59
very intrigued by the idea. I now have 3 apple trees and would love to have some fruit. Would I apply the spray up until I pick the apples? or stop long before? Thanks,
Paul
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Hi Paul
The most important time to spray is early spring before the leaves come out.
You want to kill any overwintering egg, larvae, bug that might still be somewhere in the bark of the trunk or branches.
Then keep spraying at intervals: more often if you have a problem with either insect or fungus. Then as time goes on, you can stretch the in-between time to three weeks or even a month. Growers spray every ten days or so.
This spray will do both: feed your plant through the leaves, and safe guard your apples against insects and/or fungus. So spraying won’t hurt and you can spray till you pick your apples. I would probably do my last spraying at least one week before harvesting; however,
the spray is made with natural ingredients so cannot hurt humans.
In one of the comments, one lady said she had used the recipe from the beginning to the end of the harvest, and she got the nicest, biggest, best crop ever. So if it worked for her, it will also work for you if you’re willing to do the work.
I would love your feedback.
Marcie
October 12th, 2011 10:26
Hi,
Thanks for your informative site.
Do you have a Spray schedule?
We have baby trees- planted in the spring- we never sprayed them all summer long- oh my!
It is now October 12th. Is it too late to spray before “winter” comes? (Iowa).
Do you have any articles on composting? We are urban but have chickens and tons of their waste! Not sure what to do with it all. If we could learn how to compost, I would assume this would be good for the trees and etc.
Thanks so much for your time and great info-
From a newbie to all of this! Jane
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Hi Jane
Question: Is it too late to spray before “winter” comes?
If you have had problems with insects, then you should probably spray them — but not with anything harsh.
The best spray at this point would be the homemade fruit tree spray found on this blog under the heading Insects.
If you have had no problems with insects, don’t bother spraying.
The time to begin worrying about spraying is when the trees produce fruit. At that time you need to follow some type of schedule beginning early in the spring.
I have just put up a posting on this blog under “Insects” called When to Spray Fruit Trees. I hope this article answers your spraying questions.
If you go to SuperCompostingTips.com, you will see all kinds of information on how to compost. In addition, if you wish to download the “How To Compost In Your Backyard”, an ebook which covers 4 methods of composting, it’s available on each blog in the right hand column.
Yes your chicken waste would make great composting. You can add it to the compost bin with the rest of the ingredients and allow it to change into compost.
Chicken manure can also make good manure on its own. However, it must be composted (aged) for at least one year. For example, this summer’s manure would be left somewhere in a pile to age and be used in the soil next year.
If you want to add fresh chicken manure at the beginning of the growing season, it must be added to your soil at least two to three months before you plant so that it can decompose and be usable.
Again, fresh manure is a great innoculant to put in your compost bin to make it heat up and make compost faster. Check the articles dealing with hot composting which can be found on the http://supercompostingtips.com blog.
Good luck.
Marcie
October 15th, 2011 20:42
[...] sprays which can be bought at hardware stores or at nurseries or you can mix and use the homemade fruit tree spray found in the listing to your [...]
October 16th, 2011 16:40
[...]Homemade Fruit Tree Spray | Pest Control Options[...]…
November 21st, 2011 16:30
I just came upon your site and find it very interesting. I am wondering if I can spray my apple trees in December to rid my trees of overwintering bugs. Thanks Peter
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Hi Peter
You do not mention where you live. However, if you live in areas such as in Canada where we are now transitioning into harsh winter weather, no it is too late to spray your trees. The bugs cannot hurt the trees in subzero weather as they too are frozen.
Trees are sprayed whenever the temperature is above the freezing point and remains above the freezing point even at night. That’s when the insect community comes to life so must be destroyed.
Please read the article when to spray fruit trees which you will find under the heading Insect Control.
The article explains in detail the best time to do your spraying and in it is a link to another article about the different types of natural spray you can use. Of course I’m biased as I prefer the homemade spray detailed in the article “Homemade Fruit Tree Spray”.
If you are not getting any rough winter as we are having in Canada, and you are having mild weather, you can spray any time – especially if you are using the homemade spray. Read the articles mentioned above for more information.
Marcie