Smith’s provides fruit tree pruning, soil nutrient management, and applies dormant spray each winter for its Bay Area customers.
Applying dormant spray on fruit trees in winter helps reduce diseases such as peach leaf curl and peach twig borer, wooly apple aphid, and other diseases. It reduces insect/mite pest eggs. Proper application fo dormant spray can prevent need for treatment later in the season.
Treatments are made before bud-swell and should be made to healthy, well hydrated trees to prevent adverse effects from the spray (such as right after it has rained). It is important to note that we do not want to spray during fog or rain because the product may wash off. It is also important to avoid spraying during or prior to hot or freezing weather or the buds may sustain damage. Though uncommon, we sometimes so see such sever weather in the Bay Area in the dormant season.
Typically on deciduous trees, horticultural oils should not be applied within 30 days of an application of sulfur or certain other fungicides to avoid damage to trees.
Citrus & avocado do not share the same “dormant season issues” because these trees do not enter a winter dormancy. They are subtropical species that stay green year round. These trees have their own pests issues in the Bay Area which we can help you diagnose an treat.
Fruit Tree Pruning:
We prune apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, apricots and pears each winter. Carful attention is placed on leaving an appropriate amount of fruiting wood and spurs (on spur forming trees) so that next season brings a healthy but not over-burdensome crop. It is important that the customer allow for adequate thinning of fruit after fruit-set also to reduce the weight and increase the quality of the crop. Fruit trees can be pruned again mid season to help control vigor and build good structure.
Call today for a quote and to get on our pruning schedule! 408-384-8808
More information, check out the UC IPM website http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/CONTROLS/dormant.html