Homeowner Apple Spray Schedule - Low Impact

Home gardeners who are overwhelmed by spray schedules may be interested in this quick publication.  Note, this is a low-impact schedule, so high disease pressure will warrant revision.  Contact your UK county Extension agent or refer to other UK publications for more detailed information http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id21/id21.pdf and http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-MISC-7.pdf 

Sample Simplified Home Apple Low-Spray Schedule

Compiled by Beth Wilson, Pulaski County Horticulture Agent, and

Dr. John Strang, University of Kentucky Extension Fruit Specialist

2011

For pictures of growth stages, see pages 18 and 19 in ID-21.

Recommendations based on ID-21. For organic options refer to ID-21.

Dormant (before buds swell)

Ø Fixed copper – fire blight control

Ø Dormant oil – only if you have scale insect problems

Ø These two sprays may be combined if fixed copper is used.

Green tip to half-inch green

Ø Fixed copper (if you did not spray as a dormant spray) – fire blight control

Ø Dormant oil if not used earlier – for mites and aphids

Ø Mancozeb* + Immunox (myclobutanil)  fungicides for control of apple scab and rust

Ø Fixed copper, dormant oil, Mancozeb and immunox can be combined in one spray.

Ø No insecticide needed at this point

Just before blooms open

Ø Mancozeb + Immunox – you will be on a 10 to 14 day spray schedule with this. Immunox is systemic and won’t wash off.

Ø Mancozeb must be re-applied if a significant rain (more than one inch occurs)

Ø Mancozeb has a 77 day pre-harvest interval (PHI), so you MUST stop spraying with this at least 77 days before you expect the apples to be harvested.

Ø Plus Malathion insecticide

Bloom

Ø Mancozeb – for cedar apple rust and scab control

Ø No insecticides

Ø Streptomycin – Fire blight control (every 4 days for a total of no more than 4 sprays for maximum control)

After petals fall

Ø Mancozeb + Immunox

Ø Malathion – for insect control

Ø Mix all of these in the same spray tank

Every 2 weeks after

Ø Use mancozeb as long as you can per the 77 day PHI, mix with malathion or permethrin (rotate these 2)

Ø Orchard spray – use this after mancozeb can no longer be safely used.

Ø Orchard spray contains captan (fungicide) and malathion usually, no need to mix in additional insecticide.  Add Topsin M (thiophanate-methyl), another fungicide for powdery mildew and improved sooty blotch and flyspeck control

Ø Check label for PHI and abide by this

*May substitute Captan for Mancozeb throughout this spray schedule