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  • Home
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  • Roses
    • Types of Roses
    • Easy Roses
    • Climbing Roses
    • Portland's Rose Test Garden
    • Rose Insects & Diseases
    • Pruning Roses
    • Rose Sawfly
    • Rose Bloom Balling
  • Pruning Basics 101
    • Pruning Tools
    • Winter Pruning
    • Pruning Grapes
    • Pruning Clematis
    • Prune Your Own Garden Registration
  • Lawn Basics
    • Lawn Reno, Seed & Sod
    • Lawn Maintenance Schedule
    • Spring Lawn Care
    • Moss in Lawns
    • Lawn Alternatives
    • Lawn Grub Control
  • Mulch & Mulching
    • Living Mulches - Groundcovers
  • Propagation
    • Growing Seeds Outdoors
    • Growing Seeds Indoors
    • Taking Cuttings
    • Seed & Plant Catalogues
  • How to Garden Topics
    • Fall Garden Chores
    • Planting Know-How
    • Soil Building
    • Watering Tips & Techniques
    • Drought Gardening
    • Sheet Mulching, Lasagna Gardening
    • Cover Crops
    • Composting
    • Compost Tea
    • Houseplant Winter Care
    • Hummingbirds in Winter
    • Winterize Your Garden
    • Ponds in Winter
  • Growing Food
    • Spring Veggie Gardening
    • Crop Rotation, Succession & Companion Planting
    • Harvesting
    • Growing Potatoes
    • Winter Veggie Gardening
    • Taming Tomatoes
    • Speeding up Tomato Harvest
    • Tomato Tips
    • Saving Tomato Seeds
    • Tomato Troubles
  • Plant Pests 1
    • Plant Pests Part 2 - Controlling Insects
    • Garden Inspections
    • Helping Pollinators
    • Dogwood Anthracnose
    • Viburnum Leaf Beetle
    • Dormant Oil/Lime Sulfur
    • Japanese Beetles
    • Peony Blotch/Measles
    • Slugs & Snails
    • Horsetail, the Weed
    • June Beetle
    • Powdery Mildew
    • Soil Solarization
    • Rhododendron Leaf Spot
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    • Black Knot
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    • American Sweetgum
    • Ash (Fraxinus) Trees
    • Astilbes
    • Aubretia, Rock Cress
    • Aucuba, Japanese Spotted Laurel
    • Autumn Crocus
    • Bear's Breeches
    • Beautyberry, Callicarpa
    • Black-eyed Susans
    • Bleeding Heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis
    • Calla Lilies
    • Dahlias
    • Daylily
    • Delphiniums
    • Devil's Walking Stick, Aralia spinosa
    • Dwarf Alberta Spruce
    • Dwarf Burning Bush
    • Fall Asters
    • Flowering Currants
    • Flowering Quince
    • Fritillaria
    • Garden Peonies
    • Garden Phlox
    • Ginkgo biloba
    • Grape-hyacinths
    • Handkerchief or Dove Tree
    • Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
    • Heathers
    • Hellebores, Lenten roses
    • Himalayan Sweet Box
    • Jack-in-the-pulpit, Cobra Lily
    • Japanese Anemones
    • Japanese Forest Grass
    • Japanese Maples
    • Japanese Skimmia
    • Japanese Spurge
    • Laurustinus viburnum
    • Lavenders
    • Lily-of-the-Valley Shrub, Pieris japonica
    • Mediterranean Spurge
    • Mexican Mock Orange
    • Montana Clematis
    • Mountain Ash
    • Oriental Poppies
    • Oriental Lilies
    • Paperbark Maple
    • Pink Dawn Bodnant Viburnum
    • Poinsettias
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    • Ornamental Kale
    • Peruvian Lily, Alstroemeria
    • Phalaenopsis, Moth Orchids
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    • Portuguese Laurel
    • Rose of Sharon
    • Sneezeweed, Helenium
    • Snowberry
    • Snowdrops
    • Star Magnolia
    • Strawberry Tree, Pacific Madrone
    • Stewartia
    • Torch Lily, Kniphofia uvaria
    • Tree Peonies
    • Tuberous Begonias
    • Virginia Creeper
    • Weigela
    • Winterhazel, Corylopsis
    • Winter Camellia, C. sasanqua
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Dormant Oil/Lime Sulfur

Amanda's Garden Consulting Company
Spray deciduous trees and shrubs while they are dormant to kill overwintering insects & diseases. 
Picture

Control overwintering Insects & Diseases

Many insects overwinter on deciduous (non-evergreen) trees, as well as fruit trees and shrubs - including roses. Some hibernate in the bark and stems hidden in the nooks and crannies, whilst others lay in or on the soil around the infected and/or infested plant. In spring, they emerge to continue their lifecycle, which includes eating plants.

Diseases also overwinter. Spores of apple scab, powdery mildew and other fungi cover the plant and the ground. Even where winters are quite severe and long, many plant diseases are still viable and reinfect in spring.

A combination spray of dormant oil and lime sulfur is an organic approach to kill overwintering insects and diseases. Common targeted insects include scale insect, spider mites, caterpillars and their exposed eggs. 
It also does a great job controlling common diseases on fruit trees such as peach leaf curl, rust, brown rot, downy mildew. Use on roses to reduce black spot.

This dormant spray solution is less harmful to pollinating insects and other beneficial bugs as they are not around this time of year. And unlike other pesticides, the insects and fungi do not develop a resistance; a common issue especially when using fungicides.
​
Apply while plants are still dormant and have not yet sprouted foliage or buds. Spray when there is no rain, snow or frost predicted for 24 hours. Temperature should remain at 0°C (32°F) or above for at least 24 hours. Avoid spraying on evergreens (cedars, rhododendrons etc.) as it may injure them. Apply in the morning so the plant will be dry by evening. Don’t apply if frost is predicated overnight.
 
Although this sounds like the window of applying this organic pesticide and fungicide is rather narrow, it's usually doable. And it works. I have noticed a huge difference in my apple tree especially when I neglect to get the dormant oil solution in time - like last year. My poor apple had lots of issues, much more so than previous years when I managed to get the job done.

Usually the end of January to the beginning of February is the window of opportunity, however, since I live in the temperate climate of southern British Columbia, spring sometimes come early, catching me off guard (in a nice way). There's been a couple of years when I the plants sprouted at the very beginning of February. Oh no! For most of Canada the window of opportunity is usually late February and into March. 
dormant oil lime sulfur,overwintering pests & diseases,organic pest control,scale insects,caterpillars,apple scab, roses black spot,fruit tree pest controls,the garden website,thegardenwebsite.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Purchase the kit when available and store in a frost free location
dormant oil lime sulfur,overwintering pests & diseases,organic pest control,scale insects,caterpillars,apple scab, roses black spot,fruit tree pest controls,the garden website,thegardenwebsite.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Use a sprayer, like this trombone sprayer for large trees.
Look for the dormant oil, lime sulfur duo packaged together at home hardware stores and garden centres. Get an extra box for next year as sometimes they are not in stores in time for us here in temperate and balmy B.C. 

Also don't store dormant oil/lime sulfur outside during the winter. I kept mine in my shed and it froze, becoming totally useless. With any product, read the label thoroughly for how to use it, rates of application and cautions etc. Don't spray on a windy day for obvious reasons and avoid getting in the way of the spray while applying. Don’t mix more than you need as you cannot store it for later use. It will stain stone and concrete so cover them with a tarp or plastic before applying.
dormant oil lime sulfur,overwintering pests & diseases,organic pest control,scale insects,caterpillars,apple scab, roses black spot,fruit tree pest controls,the garden website,thegardenwebsite.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Thoroughly cover the plant and ground.

Don't USe ON..

​Avoid using dormant oil, lime sulfur on beech, hickory, Amur, sugar and Japanese maples, walnuts as well as redbuds and evergreens, especially Colorado blue spruce and holly. If you are worried about spray drift getting on these sensitive plants, temporarily cover them before spraying with a tarp or plastic. ​
Picture
Control scale insects.
dormant oil lime sulfur,overwintering pests & diseases,organic pest control,scale insects,caterpillars,apple scab, roses black spot,fruit tree pest controls,the garden website,thegardenwebsite.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Control caterpillars on apple trees.
Although dormant oil/lime sulfur is not 'toxic' to humans, cover yourself up as it's rather stinky. Wear rubber boots, cover your arms and legs, a hat, wear glasses (don't want it in your eyes) and rubber gloves. Wash your hands and face after applying even if you use a face mask.
​
Cover the plant entirely so it is dripping off and spray the ground too as it also harbours overwintering pests and diseases. To apply this product to tall plants, I use a trombone sprayer, but a backpack sprayer would be suitable. It makes a fine mist that goes quite high into the tree canopy. You can also use a hose end sprayer for smaller plants, but use the mist setting.

This one time application per year works wonders so consider it if you have buggy and diseased fruit trees, roses and other deciduous shrubs and trees. ​
dormant oil lime sulfur,overwintering pests & diseases,organic pest control,scale insects,caterpillars,apple scab, roses black spot,fruit tree pest controls,the garden website,thegardenwebsite.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Caterpillars feast on many trees, especially fruit trees.
dormant oil lime sulfur,overwintering pests & diseases,organic pest control,scale insects,caterpillars,apple scab, roses black spot,fruit tree pest controls,the garden website,thegardenwebsite.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Control black spot on roses. Remember to spray the surrounding ground.

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Copyright © 2017
  • Home
  • About, Services, Contact
  • Ask Amanda
  • Roses
    • Types of Roses
    • Easy Roses
    • Climbing Roses
    • Portland's Rose Test Garden
    • Rose Insects & Diseases
    • Pruning Roses
    • Rose Sawfly
    • Rose Bloom Balling
  • Pruning Basics 101
    • Pruning Tools
    • Winter Pruning
    • Pruning Grapes
    • Pruning Clematis
    • Prune Your Own Garden Registration
  • Lawn Basics
    • Lawn Reno, Seed & Sod
    • Lawn Maintenance Schedule
    • Spring Lawn Care
    • Moss in Lawns
    • Lawn Alternatives
    • Lawn Grub Control
  • Mulch & Mulching
    • Living Mulches - Groundcovers
  • Propagation
    • Growing Seeds Outdoors
    • Growing Seeds Indoors
    • Taking Cuttings
    • Seed & Plant Catalogues
  • How to Garden Topics
    • Fall Garden Chores
    • Planting Know-How
    • Soil Building
    • Watering Tips & Techniques
    • Drought Gardening
    • Sheet Mulching, Lasagna Gardening
    • Cover Crops
    • Composting
    • Compost Tea
    • Houseplant Winter Care
    • Hummingbirds in Winter
    • Winterize Your Garden
    • Ponds in Winter
  • Growing Food
    • Spring Veggie Gardening
    • Crop Rotation, Succession & Companion Planting
    • Harvesting
    • Growing Potatoes
    • Winter Veggie Gardening
    • Taming Tomatoes
    • Speeding up Tomato Harvest
    • Tomato Tips
    • Saving Tomato Seeds
    • Tomato Troubles
  • Plant Pests 1
    • Plant Pests Part 2 - Controlling Insects
    • Garden Inspections
    • Helping Pollinators
    • Dogwood Anthracnose
    • Viburnum Leaf Beetle
    • Dormant Oil/Lime Sulfur
    • Japanese Beetles
    • Peony Blotch/Measles
    • Slugs & Snails
    • Horsetail, the Weed
    • June Beetle
    • Powdery Mildew
    • Soil Solarization
    • Rhododendron Leaf Spot
    • Plant Rusts
    • Black Knot
  • Container Growing
    • Choosing a Container
  • Feeding Plants 101
    • Fertilizers & Ratios
    • Nutritional Deficiencies & Toxicities
    • Organic Plant Food
  • Plant of the Month
    • Spring Flowering Bulbs
    • Colourful Fall Plants
    • Abelia
    • American Sweetgum
    • Ash (Fraxinus) Trees
    • Astilbes
    • Aubretia, Rock Cress
    • Aucuba, Japanese Spotted Laurel
    • Autumn Crocus
    • Bear's Breeches
    • Beautyberry, Callicarpa
    • Black-eyed Susans
    • Bleeding Heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis
    • Calla Lilies
    • Dahlias
    • Daylily
    • Delphiniums
    • Devil's Walking Stick, Aralia spinosa
    • Dwarf Alberta Spruce
    • Dwarf Burning Bush
    • Fall Asters
    • Flowering Currants
    • Flowering Quince
    • Fritillaria
    • Garden Peonies
    • Garden Phlox
    • Ginkgo biloba
    • Grape-hyacinths
    • Handkerchief or Dove Tree
    • Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
    • Heathers
    • Hellebores, Lenten roses
    • Himalayan Sweet Box
    • Jack-in-the-pulpit, Cobra Lily
    • Japanese Anemones
    • Japanese Forest Grass
    • Japanese Maples
    • Japanese Skimmia
    • Japanese Spurge
    • Laurustinus viburnum
    • Lavenders
    • Lily-of-the-Valley Shrub, Pieris japonica
    • Mediterranean Spurge
    • Mexican Mock Orange
    • Montana Clematis
    • Mountain Ash
    • Oriental Poppies
    • Oriental Lilies
    • Paperbark Maple
    • Pink Dawn Bodnant Viburnum
    • Poinsettias
    • Oregon Grape Holly
    • Ornamental Kale
    • Peruvian Lily, Alstroemeria
    • Phalaenopsis, Moth Orchids
    • Persian Silk Tree
    • Portuguese Laurel
    • Rose of Sharon
    • Sneezeweed, Helenium
    • Snowberry
    • Snowdrops
    • Star Magnolia
    • Strawberry Tree, Pacific Madrone
    • Stewartia
    • Torch Lily, Kniphofia uvaria
    • Tree Peonies
    • Tuberous Begonias
    • Virginia Creeper
    • Weigela
    • Winterhazel, Corylopsis
    • Winter Camellia, C. sasanqua
    • Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens
    • Witch Hazel
    • Wood Anemones
    • Yews
  • Garden Tour Blogs
  • Monthly Flower Arrangements
  • Website Index
  • Subscribe
  • Need Help?