Intervals between different sprays

[aclum]

Hi,

As recommended by Raybo in another one of my threads in this forum, I got some "Take Down Garden Spray." I ordered from Amazon and ended up getting "Take Down Garden Spray - RTU" which seems to have the same ingredients as the one mentioned by Raybo, but in slightly different percentages.

At any rate, the instructions say not to use where sulfur spray has been used within the past 21 days. I didn't write it down , but I'm thinking it's been about 2 weeks since I last used a sulfur spray in the garden. I had been under the impression that one needed to wait just 10 days between a sulfur spray and an oil based spray. I'm wondering if maybe the 21 day figure on the Take Down is just to be extra safe and if the 10 day interval between the different sprays is OK. What happens to the plant if the interval between the different sprays is too short?

Also, I'm thinking I may have some other issues that might benefit from Bill's diluted bleach spray. I seem to have something that looks like it could be gray mold, (although the current environmental conditions here don't really seem conducive to gray mold). Any sort of intervals required between bleach and other types of sprays?

Forgetting my particular garden problems for the moment, what are the general rules about spraying different insecticides, fungicides, etc.? In particular, I'm thinking about the combination of sulfur, bleach, neem oil, and Take Down.

I'm thinking about trying out the bleach on one expendable plant with the mold-like symptoms tonight and if that works out OK - use it on the other plants Then wait a couple of days and use the Take Down.... Does that sound reasonable? I'm hoping that the Take Down and bleach, etc. will eliminate the need for the sulfur spray.

In the past, I haven't found too much need for spraying - but this year I seem to be having lots of new problems so I guess I need to get educated on the subject.

Thanks,
Anne

[b54red]

Anne I usually wait at least 8 hours before using something else after the diluted bleach spray; but I really don't know if that is necessary since the active ingredient in the bleach oxidizes within a few minutes after it is applied. Read up on the bleach spray thread before using it to make sure you get the right proportions. If you have Gray Mold it is the only thing I have found that works at all on it but the treatment needs to be started as early as possible to be effective. It has been my experience that if the bleach spray is applied when Gray Mold first appears it is usually extremely effective but if Gray Mold is allowed to work on the plant for too long nothing will completely stop it. The bleach spray also works quite well on other foliage diseases that are non systemic and leaves you with a fairly disease free plant for a day or so. Since it has no residual preventive effect I usually apply a copper spray or Daconil within 24 hours after using the bleach spray unless rain is forecast. In that case I wait until the rain has cleared out and use the bleach spray again before applying the fungicide. Good luck.

So far, knock on wood, I haven't even had to use the bleach spray this season. This is the first time in years that I haven't had a need for it by this time of the year; but then again I'm running a month behind my normal schedule.

I did another batch of grafts yesterday with my original seedlings that are still alive in the egg cartons but looking rather sad. I don't know if any of them will take but why not try. I may do another batch today if I can. It will be another few weeks before my fall planted seedlings will be large enough for grafting. Hopefully other than a few of the rootstock which I planted just to see what the plants and fruit were like, I will be setting out nothing but grafted plants all season.

Bill

[aclum]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for all the info and advice! I was actually skimming through your "bleach spray" thread last night. I'm planning to mix 2TB (1 oz) 6% Clorox with about 22 oz of water and a bit of dish soap in my sprayer (just a 24 oz water bottle with a spray head). I'll give my affected plants a spray this evening. So far, I only have a few of the dwarfs that are definitely affected. They happen to be closest to the lawn and may occasionally get some overspray from the lawn sprinklers.

I'll see if the Take Down can solve my other garden problems, and I guess I'll check out the copper and daconil if I have new, ongoing, fungus problems that the bleach alone doesn't take care of.

That's fantastic that you haven't had to spray the bleach yet this year. And impressive that you'll have, with a few exceptions, all grafted plants in the garden. And what with your new trellis set-up ----- "You've come a long way, Baby" .

What with my herbicide/mite/disease, etc. problems this year, I think my gardening style is becoming a bit more like yours. Rather than have one big plant out day and then maybe a small fall planting (first time for that was last year), I'm finding myself sort of on a continuous schedule of starting seeds , grafting, and replacing plants as needed in the garden as the season progresses. Also fudging on my single stem resolution and letting some plants spread out into areas where a 'neighboring plant' might have been removed.

Anyway, good luck with the grafting this weekend and keep posting updates on your garden activities! Thanks again for the advice on the bleach, etc.!

Anne

[b54red]

Anne I know where you are coming from. I never planned to do the staggered planting; but rather was forced by diseases to adopt it in order to have a decent season. I didn't know when I started that it would end up being a way to have fresh tomatoes for at least 6 months of the year and sometimes longer.

I too have found myself fudging on my single stem goal because some plants just are too bare to have only one stem so I end up letting one or two more get going to see if that will help. It will make it much more difficult for me dealing with multiple stems because of the support system I am using; but I promise not to go over 3 stems.

I am glad I don't have your mite problems every year. Those are nasty little beasts and hard to get rid of. Have you tried using an Insect Growth Regulator? I had some success with it a few years ago when I was pulling what little hair I have left out trying to control them. I was spraying one concoction or another every 3 days and barely keeping them in check. I did find one poison that was fairly effective and that was Malathion but I hate spraying it on my food and it had to be used in a concentration that burned the leaves some in order to work on mites. I now mix up a solution of very soapy water, and Permethrin at double strength, and a growth regulator. I hit the plants making sure to get the undersides of the leaves very good and followed it up with another treatment around a week later and they were gone. Year before last when I caught them early it only took one treatment. The IGR is supposed to have good residual action for several weeks or longer if it isn't exposed to the sun. Last year I had so many Assassin bugs that I had very few pests except a few worms and some aphids. I hope they come back again this year especially now that most of the ladybugs have moved on to greener pastures.

Bill