Hi Everybody,
Before I started my orchard this past year I was using a local lawn spray service company to come by and spray my lawn bi-monthly. Sometimes they spray with insecticides to kill lawn pests other times it's just nutrients. Now that I have 30-40 fruit trees growing in my lot I wonder if this is a wise thing to continue to do. Does anyone else on this forum with a home orchard also use a lawn care service? If so please relate your experiences with it and how it has affected your orchard. I am also interested in hearing any opinions if spraying is a good idea or not. My concern is toxins being absorbed into the plant's vascular system and getting deposited in the fruit which I later eat. I have some background in chemistry so I can appreciate the dangers of some of these compounds but I am not sure if they can get concentrated enough to pose a serious risk.
Listen to Mike McGrath and get your Lawn and orchard off drugs... Or at least chemical drugs.
If if you cut your lawn right and overseed you don't need chemicals.
There red are organic solutions to grubs that are biologic and specific.
I am am biased but I drank Mike's kool - aid.
Hi, there is a known link between some of these pesticides and non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in humans and certain cancers in domestic dogs, and there is an indirect link to breast cancer in humans. The European Union is taking the lead in these investigations, as far as I can determine.
They destroy beneficial organisms living in the soil and pollute groundwater and waterways. Whatever is sprayed makes its way into our drinking water, is taken up by plants that we or animals that we consume then eat, is breathed into our lungs, and/or is absorbed through our skin.
The best thing that you can do for your orchard is to feed the soil. Make compost, apply chopped leaves, use mulch and wood chips, grow green manure crops.
For lawns, as Medicine previously stated, there are nematodes that work beautifully on controlling grubs. Why fertilize multiple times a year, just so the grass then needs to be mown every few days? A more judicious application of organic fertilizer not only makes the yard healthier, it will decrease the frequency of mowing required. Growing the correct type of grass for your conditions is paramount to having a "nice" lawn. Applying lime will lessen the amount of dandelions that grow in your yard, although it won't eradicate them; something good to keep in mind is that bees love dandelions and clover, so why not let some grow? A "perfect" lawn takes a huge toll on the environment and our health; imperfection is a part of life, it's time that we embrace that concept.
There are some HOS members who grow organically, some do permaculture, some do biodynamic, and others use some synthetics. I talk to very few who use synthetics, but those who do, are careful in limiting what they use. I agree with the others above. There are solutions that you can use that will help the trees that are natural and don't introduce toxins into your food or yard. That's what I do. I'm not saying that's the only way, but that's the most effective method in what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to feed my family and have a safe fun place for my family, including my dog/squirrel chaser and wildlife. It often takes a little more time and knowledge investment, but it works better in the long run in my opinion.
John S
PDX OR
A few months ago I cancelled the service contract on my yard. I became concerned that they might be using systemics in their sprays and might enter into fruit so it was time to cut the chord. I am not religious about organic growing but my own experience using Sevin in the last few years convinced me these chemicals are too harsh. I would rather lose 20% of my crop than have to deal with something like Sevin. I use it in extreme cases only now and I am beginning to explore the use of horticultural oils instead. My only concern is what that will do to the ladybugs and their larva that I so desperately need in my orchard.
I agree Juan.
If you've got 80 teammates and 5 enemies, I don't want to kill all of them. I would rather figure out how to keep the 80 teammates and deal specifically with the enemies. Part of what I love about orchard work is sharing strategies with others to improve soil, pollinators, friendly insects that eat orchard pests, nutrition, and flavor in my fruit. It's a lifelong adventure, and for me it keeps getting more interesting and more effective every year.
John S
PDX OR
Hi caseroj, how are your plants now? Spraying can be dangerous because the pesticides being used contain poisonous chemicals. Those chemicals can affect the growth of your plants. So before that professional spray that chemical on your plants; ask them how much percent of poison it contains. You can also try hiring some another Pest Control Danbury CT services that are eco-friendly; this means that your plants will not be in contact of any poisonous chemicals or if you want to start using some do it yourself methods, you can try that too.
My plants are doing about the same actually. I don't see any difference in their growth these past 6-8 months as compared to last year but I am seeing more grubs and insects in the lawn. That is to be expected though. So this upcoming spring I am going to setup 4 eastern bluebird houses and a 13 residence bird house for a purple martin colony. When insect infestation gets really bad I still pull out the Sevin pest control liquids because it is so lethal. Right now my biggest problems are aphids in my apple trees, the Caribbean beetle, and giant swallow tail caterpillars. The latter are voracious feeders of the new growth on my citrus trees and I have found Sevin to be the most effective against them. If you haven't guessed by now I don't live in the Northeast. I live in the Southeast United State, specifically East Central Florida. This used to be a heavy citrus producing state but that is changing now because of yellow dragon disease and all the myriad of pest pressures against citrus. Luckily I can grow apples here and plums, and pears but I have to choose the low chill varieties. Just recently I harvested two apples from my Fuji tree for the first time ever and they were awesome sweet. As I get older and these trees get bigger I was thinking I might need to hire some folks to help me take care of them. I would love to hire someone who has a business taking care of residential fruit orchards but that is not something people commonly do down here. I understand it is common in the Northeast though so I kind of envy them. I sometimes wish I had moved to that part of the country when I bought my home in 2013. But I am stuck here now. Maybe someday when I retire and if my investments do really well I can buy a small hobby farm (4 - 5 acres) in the Northeast or maybe even Colorado. I always wanted to live in Colorado so if I get the chance to do so before I leave this earth I will.
Cheers!
I like the idea of attracting small birds like bluebirds that eat mostly insects. We naturally attract lots of small songbirds but I don't know their names. I guess it's a new project I could start on. They are a natural source of phosphorus, and we are nearing peak phosphorus.
John S
PDX OR
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