Diseases and harmful insects can attack any fruit tree. Apple trees, like other garden crops, are no exception. If you do not take serious measures, pests will destroy the crop in a matter of days. Processing apple pests and diseases necessary in the autumn season. It will help trees maintain health and bring healthy and strong fruits in the coming summer.
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Do you need autumn processing of apple trees
Harvesting an autumn crop does not mean that garden work is completed before next spring. Among inexperienced gardeners, there is an opinion that it is not necessary to process apple trees before the onset of cold weather. This is a big mistake. After picking the fruits, trees should be looked after. The reasons for the need for care are as follows:
- in the winter season, harmful insects and their larvae hide in the bark and in the soil. They are destroyed so that they do not harm the apple trees;
- trees need protection from mice, hares and other animals that gnaw bark and branches.
The complex of autumn measures to protect garden crops includes cleaning the trunks and main shoots of the old layer of bark and moss. All damage must be repaired. Apple trees protect from the cold so that they feel comfortable in winter. Gardeners also take care to prevent sunburn from trees.
Preparatory Activities
Before the autumn processing of apple trees, the gardener needs to take several steps. First, he examines all the trees and identifies sore spots. The remains of the old bark need to be cleaned. When cleaning the bark, they check how tightly it adheres to the branches. If she lags behind them, they carefully clean her. The cleaned places are carefully inspected so as not to miss the harmful insects and their larvae. Old bark can be used to light a bonfire or stove.
For sanitary purposes do autumn pruning. Sick and dry shoots are removed, and the wounds remaining after the cuts are treated with garden varieties. After pruning, trunks of apple trees are tidied up, removing fallen leaves, garbage and rotted fruits.
Before diluting the solution, you need to check whether the sprayer at the sprayer works well. The solution should have a uniform consistency. It is not necessary to increase its concentration so as not to harm itself and the trees.
Means for autumn processing of apple trees
Processing apples in the fall from pests and diseases is carried out with different drugs. They are biological and chemical. There are tools that can be combined with each other. Some drugs are used separately so that they do not enter into a dangerous chemical reaction with other substances.
inkstone
If sulfuric acid and ferrous iron react, a salt is formed, which is called iron sulfate. In solid state, it looks like crystals.The crystals can be greenish-blue or with a yellow tint. In horticulture, this substance is known as an effective contact fungicide. Contact fungicides are not absorbed deep into the tree structure. They can be easily washed off with water, so gardeners choose a dry and warm day for processing.
Processing apple trees with iron sulfate protects them from all types of fungus. The product effectively removes lichens from trees. When using this substance, the following should be considered:
- inkstone - not fertilizer;
- it should not be confused with Bordeaux liquid;
- does not affect yield indicators;
- Don't rejuvenate trees.
The substance does not destroy bacteria, so it can not be applied to growing horticultural crops. It is possible to process apples with iron vitriol only after all leaves have fallen. You can not apply the product to germinating buds and green foliage, so as not to destroy and burn them.
The concentration of the solution for the destruction of lichens is from 4 to 6%, for the treatment of tree trunks of trees - from 3 to 4%. With fungal infections, the apple trees are treated with a 3-4% solution.
The weather forecast before processing is of great importance. The drug will begin to work in the absence of precipitation within 6 hours after its application. You can not spray apples in the fall, using vitriol with karbofos.
Blue vitriol
If sulfuric acid chemically reacts with copper or copper oxide, copper sulfate. It is easy to recognize by the bright blue color of the solution. This is a topical contact fungicide, which is also easy to rinse with water.
- insecticide;
- anti-aging agent;
- growth stimulant;
- yield enhancing agent.
The air temperature during processing should be + 6C. If it is lower, the substance will cease to function. Like other local fungicides, copper sulfate is used after autumn leaf fall. It is necessary to spray not only the entire apple tree, but also the trunk circle to kill fungal spores. The concentration of the working solution is from 1 to 3%. It must be prepared in containers made of glass or plastic, dissolving in moderately warm water. Metal containers cannot be used: active iron will react with copper, and the solution will be spoiled.
Urea
Urea, or urea, looks like white or colorless crystals that dissolve well in water. Urea is rich in nitrogen, so gardeners and gardeners appreciate it. A highly concentrated solution is used to treat fungal diseases and the effects of pest attacks. When processing urea apple trees increase their resistance to winter cold. It is also used to slow down vegetation so that frost does not destroy the kidneys.
If there are a lot of fallen leaves on the plot, they can not be removed from the plot and treated with urea. In this case, the concentration of the solution should be 10%. The foliage is sprayed and ted with a pitchfork or rake to destroy insects and fungal spores. With the onset of spring, the foliage will decay, and the trees will receive good nitrogen-containing fertilizer.
Urea effectively destroys harmful insects (aphids, weevils, apple trees). She fights spotting and monilial tree burns. The apple tree, which dropped 70% of the foliage, is treated with a working solution in a concentration of 5 to 7%. After the leaves fall completely, a 10% solution can be used. For young trees, the concentration of the composition is reduced to 5%.The air temperature during operation should not be lower than + 5C. A day chosen is calm and cloudy.
Fitosporin
The treatment of apple trees in the fall from diseases can be carried out with phytosporin. It is a fungicide of bacterial origin. Its basis is a hay stick. It destroys other bacteria and pathogenic species of fungi. Unlike contact fungicides, this drug is systemic. It is able to penetrate the tissues and cells of the tree and quickly destroy the manifestations of infection. Phytosporin does not require repeated use. It immediately acts inside the apple trees, so the rain will not wash it off.
The drug acts on all types of powdery mildew, rust and spotting. It destroys bacterial cancer and root rot. Before falling into the water, the hay stick is in a dormant state. In the aquatic environment, it multiplies rapidly and acts effectively. Fitosporin is used as an anti-stress substance. It accelerates the growth of trees and strengthens their immunity. The substance promotes the rapid maturation of compost, making it useful and nutritious. When using phytosporin together with another contact fungicide, it can be strengthened several times.
Karbofos
To treat apple trees in the fall from pests can be karbofos. This substance is still the subject of debate among gardeners. It is part of many insecticides - such as Anticlesch, Fufanon, Aliot, Profilactin and others.
Karbofos is toxic, has a pungent and heavy odor. Strong flavoring agents are added to the insecticides with karbofos. Due to toxicity, this substance copes with all kinds of pests, even with scab. When preparing the working solution, you need to follow the instructions so as not to harm yourself and the trees. For work, choose a dry, calm day. The air temperature should not exceed + 15C.
Karbofos is not mixed with other insecticides. You can use it no more than twice a year. Its action lasts from 10 to 14 days. After processing, the fruits can not be eaten for a month.
Bordeaux mixture
For spraying apple trees in the fall, use Bordeaux. It is obtained by combining two substances. This is quicklime and copper sulfate. The color of the liquid is pale blue. The Bordeaux mixture is used for defeating apple trees with scab and other fungal infections.
To prepare the mixture, 450 g of quicklime must be dissolved in 5 l of water. Pour some hot water into another container. 300 g of vitriol are added to it. Sulphate must be poured into the container with lime - in stages, with gentle stirring. It should turn out a sky blue liquid. It is tested by lowering a nail into the container, previously cleaned of grease and rust. If the mixture is not ready, the nail will turn reddish. The liquid is brought to readiness by the addition of milk of lime.
Before preparing the solution, you need to learn a few important points:
- vitriol is not poured with boiling water. Water should be moderately hot;
- metal dishes are not used, otherwise the composition will deteriorate;
- highly concentrated lime and vitriol are not mixed. They are pre-diluted with water;
- Do not work with these substances without protective equipment;
- vitriol is poured strictly into the lime, and not vice versa.
Colloidal sulfur
To process an apple tree in the fall you can use colloidal sulfur. This is a ground powder of a fine fraction. Sometimes sulfur is produced in granules. It is used for all fungal infections, as well as against ticks. Processing is carried out in the first months of autumn, in warm, dry weather. In the absence of precipitation, the substance is valid for 12 days. To prepare the composition, you need to dilute 80-100 g of sulfur in a large bucket of water. Do not mix it with other components.
Salt
Salt is often used to spray apple trees in the fall. It is effective in combating all types of lichens. Processing is carried out after the leaves fall. To do this, 1 kg of table salt must be diluted in a large bucket of water (10 l) and sprinkled with an apple tree.
Sitrel
If the leaves do not fall from the trees for a long time, you can use Sitrel. When Sitrell releases ethylene, the foliage quickly falls off. Among gardeners, there are different opinions about this substance. Some use it regularly, while others believe that leaves should fall off only in a natural way.
Processing apple trees with garden var
This is a putty, which is used to process the places of cuts remaining after the autumn pruning. There are many garden var recipes. It performs the following tasks:
- does not allow moisture to enter the cut. If the cut is wet, it may rot;
- prevents infection of the wound with dangerous fungal spores;
- stimulates the healing of sections and the formation of new shoots.
To process apple trees in autumn at low temperature, melt lard and rosin in a ratio of 1:16 and cook, stirring, until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. When the mass becomes homogeneous, it is removed from the fire and 8 parts of wood alcohol are poured into a saucepan. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and stored in an airtight container. Before use, it must be heated.
To process large sections, you need to take a little nigrol, paraffin and rosin, in equal proportions. They must be placed in separate containers and heated. Powdered wood ash is poured into heated nigrol, then mixed by pouring melted paraffin and rosin. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, the mixture is ready for use. Until the var has frozen, heteroauxin can be added to it. To do this, grind one tablet of the substance per 1 kg of var. This will speed up wound healing.
Copper sulfate disinfects wounds. After disinfection, you need to wait 3 hours. Warm var is applied to the cleaned places of the slices. It should not freeze, therefore it is better to put it in an inside pocket. After treatment, the wounds are regularly examined. If necessary, repeat the manipulation.
Lime
Lime is obtained by processing carbonate compounds. Its basis is limestone and chalk. The composition of lime includes calcium and dolomite. They are especially appreciated by gardeners. If you whitewash the trunks of apple trees, you can protect the trees from harmful insects. To whitewash the trunks, the quicklime is poured with water, mixed and insisted for two hours. Water should not be hot, otherwise useful substances will quickly evaporate. Before whitewashing, the trunk is cleaned of old bark and larvae. Lime provides:
- barrel protection against temperature extremes;
- disinfection
- the destruction of pests that are clogged under the bark;
- protecting the tree from sunburn, which is dangerous in winter. Snow has the ability to enhance light exposure.
You can make a simple mixture of lime and water, but there is a good recipe that includes several useful ingredients. Have to take:
- 10 liters of water;
- 1 kg of slaked lime;
- 0.2 kg of copper sulfate;
- 1 kg of dry cow manure;
- 0.3 kg of clay.
All ingredients are thoroughly mixed and left for 3 hours, after which the mixture is ready for use.
Complex preparations
The action of complex compounds extends into the depths of tree trunks, and valuable substances are inside the cells.Systemic insecticides begin to work after a few days, but their effect persists for a long time: from 2 weeks or more. If it will not rain for several days, this is the most suitable time for processing.
Systemic preparations will not be washed away by rain. They will not erode and will not lose effectiveness when exposed to light. Their action extends to the root system and young shoots. There are diseases that cannot be cured using contact agents. In this case, it is precisely the systemic drugs that are used less often.
When buying systemic compounds, you need to know about which pests they affect. There are drugs that kill insects at a certain stage of their development. An insecticide intended for adults will not be able to destroy their larvae.
Safety precautions
When working with any drugs, you must observe the following precautions:
- wear safety glasses;
- Wear clothes with long sleeves;
- keep hair under a scarf or cap;
- to prevent the ingress of solutions on the skin and mucous membranes;
- work in rubber gloves;
- wear a respirator (gauze bandage is ineffective).
After work, you need to take a shower, and clothes should be washed.
Pest Control
In the autumn processing of apple trees from pests, ovicides are used. Closer to winter, larvae and eggs of insects settle under the bark of trees. In severe cases, preparations based on kalbofos are used. At work, carefully examine cracks, bifurcations, kidneys and old bark.
Moth
Moth looks like a small butterfly of gray-brown color. Pest eggs fall on foliage. When larvae hatch from them, they eat apples. If the apple is wormy, a small codling moth has visited it. The tree trunk is treated with urea. The concentration of the solution is 7%. Before processing, the carrion and fallen leaves are removed. Usually, two sprayings are carried out: the first after the apple tree has blossomed, and the second after 14 days after the first.
Aphid
The aphid habitat in winter is the basal branches of a tree. They need to be cut and burned together with the larvae. Aphids breed at tremendous speed. An individual becomes an adult 14 days after birth and begins to lay eggs. If there is an anthill near the apple trees, it will have to be destroyed so that the ants do not spread the eggs of the pest. A good tool for fighting aphids is a sulfur checker. It kills aphids, but does no harm to ladybirds.
Mite
A sign of the appearance of a tick is cocoons from a sticky web in which the caterpillars are located. A tick builds cocoons on the leaves. Such foliage is torn off and burned at a safe distance from the apple trees. Systemic insecticides can be used to combat the spider mite, but the best preventive measure is the timely collection of garbage and the burning of dry branches.
Bark beetle and silkworm
Bark beetle - a small bug of black color, with a brilliant little body. He feeds on tree bark and likes to live on old apple trees. Before treatment with insecticides, gardeners pierce insect passages with wire. After this manipulation, a suitable preparation is administered in each turn.
Silkworms spend wintering in creases on the bark, in cracks on tree trunks. They are killed manually by burning.
Animal protection
To protect against animals, a metal network is used. She is called a chain link. Net-chain-link you need to carefully wrap the trunks of apple trees and dig into the soil. Also, the trunk is wrapped in spruce branches. You can use roofing material or other strong material that can not eat a hare or mouse.
To scare small animals on the trees hang cans connected with each other. In windy weather, the banks will rattle. Animals are afraid of such sounds.
Symptoms of diseases and drugs for treatment
There are several dangerous diseases that fruit trees are prone to. Their symptoms need to be known in order to distinguish them from other pathologies and take action in time. An apple tree can get scab, fruit rot, powdery mildew, spotting, cytosporosis and black cancer.
Scab and moniliosis
If a brown coating appears on the foliage - this scab. If you do not take measures, the fungus will pass to the fruits. In advanced cases, you need to carry out several treatments to completely destroy the infection. The scab is treated with Oxychoma, Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur and iron sulfate.
Moniliosis is a putrefactive infection that affects the fetus. This is an insidious disease. Its early stages proceed unnoticed. The disease develops at lightning speed. Multiple brown spots appear on apples.
All affected apples and shoots are removed and burned. After that, the tree is treated with preparations based on copper sulfate. Bordeaux can be used. After the first treatment, you need to spend a few more sessions.
Black cancer
Black spots appear on the foliage and apples, which subsequently affect the bark of trees. With black cancer, the bark is turned out. It is deformed, and the tree looks messy. All affected areas must be excised and burned. Together with them, about 2 cm of healthy wood tissue is excised. The wounds are cleaned, and then treated with iron or copper sulfate. Copper oxychloride is also used. Treated wounds are treated with a garden var and putty.
Cytosporosis
Fungal disease, which manifests itself in the form of black ulceration. After they penetrate deep into the trunk, it becomes red. If untreated, the tree dies quickly. It is necessary to remove all diseased branches and clean the wounds. After cleaning, the tree is treated with fungicide and the stem is whitened.
Phyllosticosis or Brown Spotting
It appears in the form of brown spots, framed by a dark rim. Brown spotting affects the foliage. Fungal spores are in the center and look like small black dots. All affected foliage is removed and burned. Trunk circles of trees dig. The apple tree is treated with urea. The concentration of the solution for the tree is 5%, for processing the trunk circle - 7%.
Powdery mildew
A sticky white coating appears on the foliage. The crown gradually dries and becomes brown. Powdery mildew is destroyed by Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate. It is necessary to spray the apple tree and process the trunk circle, and collect and burn the diseased foliage.
Autumn top dressing
Autumn top dressing needed in order to strengthen the strength of the tree before the onset of cold weather. Fertilizers based on potassium or ammonium sulfate are used. This will strengthen the immune system of apple trees, and next year they will give a good harvest.
Processing of apple trees in the fall from diseases and pests should be carried out regularly. This will help prevent the development of many diseases and rid the tree of harmful insects. Healthy apple trees will delight you with juicy fruits every year.
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