“Cultivate the garden within”
~Unknown There are precious few winter chores for Moscow gardeners but dormant spraying and pruning are the two most important in my mind. As I write this column I have recorded temperatures below zero degrees for the last four nights. I despair of ever getting out in the garden again.
But there will come days where we can once again see our lawns and gardens and spend time outside waiting and watching for the green growing things we know are on the way. That is when we should do our first garden chores of the new year. Dormant spraying is the application of an insecticide or fungicide to a plant when it is dormant. Sprays can be for either insects or diseases or for a combination of the two. The base of the mixture is a horticultural mineral oil made from petroleum products. The oil coats the plants and smothers overwintering diseases, insects and their eggs. The oils are nontoxic to humans and wildlife as long as you use the dilutions listed on the label. They can be used alone, without the addition of insecticides or fungicides but naturally will be less effective. Organic dormant sprays are available; check with local hardware stores and garden centers for advice. Fruit trees and roses will both benefit from a dormant season treatment. Infestations of scale, aphids, leaf rollers, and mealy bugs are among the targeted pests. Leaf curl, powdery mildew and brown spot are common diseases that dormant spraying can control. The perfect time for applying a dormant spray is when the smallest bit of green first appears on a tree or bush. It will be most effective if applied to the roses or fruit trees on a calm, windless day of at least 40 degrees. The weather forecast should include at least 48 hours of above freezing temperatures following the application. This will insure that the solution spreads over the bark sufficiently to destroy the offenders. I have resisted dormant spraying because the most benign spray will smother any and all overwintering insects, even the beneficial ones. But I have been told that dormant sprays are an important step in controlling insects and diseases and a necessary part of success with tree fruits. I have 2 pears, 2 apples and a cherry tree and will cautiously experiment, organically, on them this winter to see if I can get healthier trees and better fruit production. Dormant spraying is also important for roses. In the late fall (or now if you neglected or forgot to do this) rose care should include removing all leaves from the plants and from the ground around each plant. Place the leaves in a bag and put in the trash. Never compost these leaves, as roses are well known for harboring diseases. This is good advice, too, for the leaves of fruit trees that carry disease and pests. As we approach mild February days that qualify for dormant spraying, head on out to the local garden center or hardware store and find someone knowledgeable to talk to about safe dormant spraying. Good luck on your fruit and flower crops this year!
Holly Barnes spends her winters cultivating the garden within and the rest of the year in the gardens around her Moscow home. |
