First Applications for Ornamentals
Why do we want certain products in the tank? What pests are we treating? What plants should I be treating? These are just a few of the questions that go through an ornamental applicator’s head while prepping for the season. Here are a few tips on products you might want to consider.
Round 1
Typically, the first round will contain some horticultural oil like Brandt TriTek. We often use oils to gain better control of mites and scales, but oils don’t work equally among all mites or scales. Also, know that oils should be applied when temperatures are above 40 for 24 hours to help avoid phytotoxicity. I have always liked having some oil in round two to help control pests like boxwood psyllids.
I recommend applying some Nordox early too. This would be a “cleanup” to help control bacteria and fungal pathogens on buds and stems. Nordox is also labeled for fire blight, which is a bacterial pathogen that affects plants in the rose family (apples, pears, pyracantha, etc.). Open flowers are the most common infection point, so if you want to treat for fire blight, apply when the plant is in bloom.
Round 1 (Mid-March to Mid-April)
- Tritek Oil: 2 gal/100 gal water
- Nordox: 1 lb/100 gal water
Round 2
The second round is usually applied mid-April to mid-May. In this app, I suggest using a fungicide called Pageant from BASF because it has more benefits than just disease control. For example, frost protection and faster plant rooting are two of the benefits of Pageant. Early plantings also will benefit from Pageant applications.
Two other additions to the tank should be Precision Labs Chem-Stik LPH and Foliar-Pak Microsync. Chem-Stik will protect your chemicals from wash-off, increase adhesion to the leaf surface, and buffer the pH of your spray solution. I don’t think enough people add a surfactant to ornamental applications. Microsync is something that can be added to the tank to give you the “feels” and green up those ornamentals immediately after application. It will let the customer know you did something and provide a foliar feed to the leaves.
Round 2 (Mid-April to Mid-May)
- Bifenthrin: 10 oz/100 gal water
- Pageant: 8 oz/100 gal water
- Microsync: 32 oz/100 gal water
- Chem-Stik LPH: 16 oz/100 gal water
Nikki Hendrickson
Sales Representative
