A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 1st fruit spraying

I just finished my dormant oil spraying for the year. I didn't even bother ordering any Oil-Away from Gardens Alive this year. I just made my own spray from some used canola oil I had been saving. It took 8 gallons of spray to do everything, although, I had a little left over, so I sprayed 2 of my crabaples and all three of my japanese maples.

Here's the recipe I used:

1 c. oil
2 tbsp. liquid soap (I used Ajax dish soap)
1 gallon water

I mixed the oil with the soap before I added the water.

Terry...the only thing I'd worry about is phytotoxicity...sensitivity to sunlight. Missive, or dormant oils, are very fine oils...A lot depends on the temps in your area. It's been too hot here lately to spray even dormant oils! (Lots of 80's in Feb.! Crazy! )

I've sprayed a similar mix to this before with no problems, and the temps here were in the low to mid 40s.

I used the Bonide Dormant Oil mix, cost about 6 bucks for a concentrate bottle, was more than enough to spray all my fruit trees. Hopefully it will make a difference, from what I read it the most important of sprays for fruit trees- for pest control. It did coat the trees nicely. Things went from cold to warm fast here, figured Id use the warm spell to get it done before the peaches, pears, apples, and necterines go to bloom!