Hi!

Hopefully, you have completed your pruning and dormant oil applications.  You can go ahead and  make an application or two of fungicide during the bloom period. After petal fall you may add the insecticide to your spraying recipe.

If you missed our fruit spraying clinic, you may wish to stop buy and pick up a copy of Backyard Fruit Care which will give you all the information you need to spray your fruit trees this spring. If you need a more detailed spraying reference, the Commercial Tree Fruit  and the Commercial Small Fruit Guides are available. It is important to keep the schedule up early in the season, if you wish to prevent damage to your fruit. Much of the damage caused by both diseases and insects occurs early in the growing season.

If you are raising strawberries, make sure you work now to control the weed problems in  your patch. You may put the straw, which you had over the berries between the rows to help control weeds.  Be persistent in working on the weeds which occur in the row. You can take a small paint brush and put a solution of Roundup on perennials such as thistles and dandelions. Be careful not to apply or drip any on  the strawberry plants. Also, be ready to cover the plants with straw or some other light  cover if there is danger of frost during the bloom period.

                                                                                     Sincerely,

John Hixson	George McVey
Extension Educator, Agriculture	Program Assistant,
Natural Resources &	Horticulture
Community Development	Master Gardener Coordinator

                                           

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