SPRAYING
Before
each new crop of cherries emerges each spring, we begin spraying to ensure
healthy trees and quality fruit. Spraying is very time specific,
with only a small window of opportunity to spray for each potential pest or
problem. In addition,
most
spraying must be done when the wind is not blowing, the temperature is below
80°, and there is no threat of rain in the immediate future. We use our
standard orchard tractors with large capacity sprayers or four-wheelers with
smaller tanks. Occasionally, when we don't have enough time to do it
ourselves, we hire a licensed applicator to spray overhead from a helicopter.
Dormant Spray
In
the end of March, when nature begins to wake, we spray a dormant oil on our
cherry trees. This is sprayed on prior to bloom to prevent eggs
that have survived the winter cold from hatching. The spray is organic
and smothers the eggs to keep them from growing into damaging pests.
Leaf Feed
In April and May we spray a
leaf feed on our trees. This spray is essentially like giving vitamins
to the trees. This is very important time to keep our trees happy and healthy,
as they are being heavily taxed in order to withstand the rigors of growing
and ripening the cherries.
Mildew Spray
From
the time the cherries look like little green peas on stems to the day they are
harvested, they need to be protected against powdery mildew. Powdery mildew
makes ugly cherries! And once it shows up in the cherries, it is too
late to stop it. Prevention of mildew, before there are any signs of it,
is key in saving a cherry crop.
Fruit Fly Spray
The
Western Fruit Fly will cause worms in cherries. If this fruit fly is
found in a cherry, the entire crop is ruined. The industry and
government have a zero-tolerance policy. In order to keep the pests from
infecting our fruit, we use temperature and moisture models to determine when
to begin spraying. Usually beginning around the third week of May, we start
applying an organic pesticide bait on our cherries. This spray uses
molasses and small amounts of pesticide to attract and kill the fruit fly.
The spraying is done with a four-wheeler and must occur every seven days until
harvest is complete in early July.
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