What's everyone planting next year

I don't know if I am going to plant anymore trees for now. I really need more time to take care of what I have now a little better. Anyone else thinking that way?

Me too! But I keep telling myself it's a sickness and I need to stop!

Yep, that's exactly where I am at in my thinking.  I walk my largest orchard pretty much daily and I can tell that not spraying has really delayed the growth and degraded the health of my trees.  They're "fine" for the most part, but they could be "fantastic" with a handful of sprays annually.

I plan to start next year.  Most of my trees aren't producing yet, but next year I should have a bunch putting on first fruit (knock on wood).  I've already told the wife a new sprayer dedicated for orchard chemicals only will be getting added this winter.  I haven't decided yet on organic or non-organic...but I'm heavily leaning towards non.  Seems to get halfway decent control a guy would have to spray many, many more times with organic chemicals..plus organic doesn't mean "harmless".  

I do want to go with as "light" of chemical load as possible.  I'm thinking I'll start next year with a dormant oil spray, then hit the trees/fruit with triazcide and immunox a couple times, then just triazcide in summer once or twice.  I've seen some home growers having great luck with triazcide and others who say it's worthless.  I want to try it before going to an organophosphate like Imidan.

Try spending a few days reading up on various options for pest control in orchards if you really want get your eyes crossed.

If a guy is growing fruit only for deer, then spraying really isn't necessary.  You'll lose some trees to borers most likely, but if you get lucky most trees will survive.  If you're only growing fruit for deer, then I wouldn't even mess around growing apples or pears...I'd only grow crabapples.

If you want a bunch of fruit for human consumption, and you don't want them riddled with bugs and scab...then some type of spray program is almost required.

I'd also add that if a guy wants fruit on the ground as quickly as possible from new trees, spraying to improve the health of young trees will likely help achieve that goal.

I say that every yr, then order more trees.  It's not a sickness, but it certainly isn't healthy!


I have no idea what I'll end up ordering.  I flip flop around for ordering; more crap for just deer, or more crap like mulberries, jujube, peach, and plums for personal eating.   


Sprays?  Sometimes my trees get sprayed when I stop to pee in the orchard... does that count?  

What about beer bottles left at the base of trees, does that stop borers?