In what order should sprays be applied? Spray Schedule...

MrSalvage · June 4, 2016

First off thanks for visiting my thread! Second i am a new gardener that's been armed with all kinds of info from this site. I am trying to learn the in's and out's for maintaining a garden. I have therefore been working on getting my arsenal in order.

I am certainly in information overload so to speak. I have picked up a few insecticide's & fungicide's. I have also bought 4 cheap Chapin 1 gallon sprayer's, to help with all the different things that need to be done. I guess the only thing left do is list what I have bought.

Clorox w/Sodium Hypochlorite 8.25%
Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more.
Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade
GardenTech - Daconil, Fungicide Concentrate
Bonide - Pyrethrin, Garden Insect Spray Concentrate
Bonide - Thuricide, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT)
Straining Screen
4x 1 Gallon Sprayers

So the next logic step for me is to figure out in what order do i need to apply some of these different sprays. I know everyone's garden has different needs at different times. I also realize that what works in one part of the word might not necessarily work in my part of the world.

Here is my concerns. I have never sprayed anything before. I don't know in what order i should spray these. I don't know how long to wait between spraying. You get the idea right? I am a rookie...

So in a nut shell i am freaking out. Anyway I have read a lot of info here. As you can see below i have gleaned some recipes. Hopefully to help keep my garden growing for the rest of the summer.

Fungus Mixtures:
---
Clorox w/Sodium Hypochlorite 8.25%
Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more.

or

GardenTech - Daconil, Fungicide Concentrate
Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more.

Insects Mixtures:
---
Bonide - Thuricide, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT)

or

Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade
Bonide - Pyrethrin, Garden Insect Spray Concentrate
Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more.

I known your going to need more info. What that is I am not sure. I will be happy to supply what info you need and even some great pictures.

It is going to rain here today and on Sunday so they say. It's been over cast all day but I didn't want to go out and start spraying until I understood better about the time frames.

As always thank you gals & guys in advance for any of your time.
_Bill

AlittleSalt · June 4, 2016

I'm going to learn right along with you

This evening, I'm going to spray the Clorox/Ajax dish soap on the plants.

MrSalvage · June 4, 2016

Cool... You know I have some safety concerns as well. Does anyone wear eye protection, gloves ect? I have never read a post on here about that.

It doesn't look like my hot & sweet peppers are going to make it. I don't think it is because of the insects ect though. I just don't think my soil is right for them this year. The tomatoes on the other hand are doing ok. They do seem to be getting bigger now.

I want to spray something tonight to get this process started. I am thinking maybe start with the Clorox and Dawn as well. I just don't know for certain...

Thanks for the post Salt!

fonseca · June 4, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade

I sprinkle around the base of plant stems, especially cucurbits, and will also sprinkle over container mulch to deter pests from moving in. I only apply to foliage when having a problem with hard-shelled insects, like stink bugs. Reapply after rain.

I actually use a squeeze bottle designed for condiments, with the tip cut off halfway, so I can get a blast of powder in the air. I will use a flour sifter too. Wish I had a blower. I try not to breathe the dust...

Quote:

Bonide - Pyrethrin, Garden Insect Spray Concentrate

Last resort when there is a looming infestation and safer pesticides are not doing the job. Kills beneficials. Spray in late evening.

Quote:

Bonide - Thuricide, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT)

I sprayed every few days as a preventative once I started seeing moths laying eggs, or evidence of flea beetles, caterpillars. This year I am using Spinosad instead, which seems to work for at least a week after spraying. I didn't find Bt to be especially effective, but I was bad about reapplying every few days to maintain efficacy. I have never injected it into stems.

My go-to pesticide is neem oil and neem seed meal. I'm currently using Dyna-Gro neem oil, which I bought because it was relatively inexpensive by the quart, but it is nowhere near as effective as the Neem Pro 100% I was using previously. Turns out it only has 1400ppm Azadirachtin, whereas Neem Pro is 3750ppm. So now I am using twice as much per gallon water. So much for saving a few bucks.

Whenever I pot up seedlings, I put a few TBS of neem seed meal in the hole, and will occasionally top dress. Neem is systemic and will deter insects from feeding.

I have never used any of the other sprays you mention. I did have devastating fungal disease problems last year. I purchased copper fungicide but have never tried it out of safety concerns.

jmsieglaff · June 4, 2016

This is my opinion, everyone likely has their own, some might be very different others may be similar.

I always ask the question before spraying, what are my goals? For example, combat fungal leaf issues. Nearly anyone who grows tomatoes has these issues.

I'd start with the dilute bleach to kill fungal or bacterial spores that are present. Then if you want to alternate id use a fungicide which is preventative. Then alternate and try to prevent issues.

As far as insecticide, unless I have a specific issue I'm trying to attack I wouldn't use it. Why mow down every bug good or bad just to do so? Do you have an insect issue you need to solve?

So that's my opinion, hope it helps.

MrSalvage · June 4, 2016

Yea I have ants, aphids, flea beetles & stink bugs to name a few.

MrSalvage · June 4, 2016

Just getting all the different chemicals in the same thread is going to be a great help. Then how they are being used... IE: When and Why based on user experience can only help.

Now what I am trying to figure out how do you keep a fungal & insecticide on at the same time? Maybe I am wrong and just haven't grasped the concept yet. It seems to me that if I spray a fungal then go back and spray an insecticide the next day I am just washing off one for the other.

Does that make sense? That's why I am looking for some sort of time frame between...

Lindalana · June 4, 2016

if you are planning to use all of this, I would say give about 48 hrs between sprays. Of course, all bets are off if there is lots of rain.

Cole_Robbie · June 5, 2016

I hardly ever spray. I think it's a lot more important to keep a close eye on your plants to spot the problems that require spraying, and then do it as needed.

I like the bleach spray idea. Almost everyone has fungal problems at some point. I actually like hydrogen peroxide better than bleach, but it is not economical if you have more than a few plants.

I have stink bugs, too. The best control for me is keeping the vines off the ground, and keeping the grass from growing up into the plant. That's how the stink bugs get to the fruit; they crawl up the grass.

I do sometimes use a bio-insecticide called Met52. It is a fungal spore that gives any bug it hits a disease that kills that bug in 3-4 days. Similar to the chemical carbaryl (Sevin), it's a kill-everything "nuclear" option. I only use it if an infestation develops. The problem with killing all bugs is that you kill your beneficials, too.

Ants are really bad for me this year. They are even chewing the bottom leaves of my plants. But the plants will grow out of it. And all those ants are eating, pooping, dying, and decomposing in my soil. That process makes humates, and humates fuel the nutrient uptake of plants.

b54red · June 5, 2016

First off if you haven't had a lot of rain and no disease symptoms are present then I would just start with spraying Daconil and applying BT as a preventative for worms.

If you already are seeing disease issues then use the dilute bleach spray late in the evening and then the next morning or night use Daconil or copper depending on the diseases you are seeing. I find that copper seems to work better for spot and speck diseases and Daconil for most others and some of the spot and speck diseases. I like to alternate them from week to week and use the bleach spray when necessary and as often as necessary.

If I have to use a pesticide I like to apply it the next day after the fungicide and only very late in the evening to avoid harming bees as much as possible. I sometimes use a mix of food grade DE in a soapy water solution (make sure to strain it into your sprayer to avoid clogging) with some Permethrin to stop stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. The problem with this mix is it is not selective and will kill almost any insects good and bad so don't use it unless the problem is out of control or you beneficials have mostly moved on.

I also use Sevin dust at the base of squash plants on the stem to prevent Squash Vine Borers. I use a bulb duster and apply it along the lower stem below the flowers and am careful not to get the dust on the flowers. I also use Seven liquid spray for certain hard to fight boring worms like pickle worms on cucumbers and squash when necessary. I also use it to fight those minuscule leaf eating worms that show up in spring and early summer on tomatoes and peppers if they get bad enough and to fight the stem borers that can hit tomatoes and cucumber vines though I have only had them a few times over the years. When it is necessary to use Sevin it is better to only apply it as far up the plant as necessary to take care of the problem and thus avoid spraying too many of the blooms which can hurt bees and of course spray it only just before dark.

So far this year I have used the bleach spray on my tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers 4 or 5 times already and have used Daconil on all of them around 5 times and copper a couple of times since the spot and speck diseases just recently started showing up. I have used no contact killers like DE or Permethrin yet and hope I don't have to but I had to use my mix twice last year because of a bad infestation of leaf footed bugs and stink bugs.

None of the things I use in the garden are toxic enough to really need protective clothing when applying but I do avoid the mist and will wear a mask if spraying when the wind makes avoiding some drift almost impossible. I wear glasses so have never gotten any spray in my eyes but if I didn't I might wear googles when spraying some of them. If I do get a bit on my skin I will take a shower after spraying. You definitely don't want to breath the mist of any of them or get any in your eyes so use care when applying any of them.

Hope this helps.

Salsacharley · June 5, 2016

Hey Bill, how do you apply BT, and in what strength?

Thanks,
Charley

kygreg · June 5, 2016

Cole,

Why do you prefer H202 over chlorine? thanks

AlittleSalt · June 5, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

First off if you haven't had a lot of rain and no disease symptoms are present then I would just start with spraying Daconil and applying BT as a preventative for worms.

If you already are seeing disease issues then use the dilute bleach spray late in the evening and then the next morning or night use Daconil or copper depending on the diseases you are seeing. I find that copper seems to work better for spot and speck diseases and Daconil for most others and some of the spot and speck diseases. I like to alternate them from week to week and use the bleach spray when necessary and as often as necessary.

If I have to use a pesticide I like to apply it the next day after the fungicide and only very late in the evening to avoid harming bees as much as possible. I sometimes use a mix of food grade DE in a soapy water solution (make sure to strain it into your sprayer to avoid clogging) with some Permethrin to stop stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. The problem with this mix is it is not selective and will kill almost any insects good and bad so don't use it unless the problem is out of control or you beneficials have mostly moved on.

I also use Sevin dust at the base of squash plants on the stem to prevent Squash Vine Borers. I use a bulb duster and apply it along the lower stem below the flowers and am careful not to get the dust on the flowers. I also use Seven liquid spray for certain hard to fight boring worms like pickle worms on cucumbers and squash when necessary. I also use it to fight those minuscule leaf eating worms that show up in spring and early summer on tomatoes and peppers if they get bad enough and to fight the stem borers that can hit tomatoes and cucumber vines though I have only had them a few times over the years. When it is necessary to use Sevin it is better to only apply it as far up the plant as necessary to take care of the problem and thus avoid spraying too many of the blooms which can hurt bees and of course spray it only just before dark.

So far this year I have used the bleach spray on my tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers 4 or 5 times already and have used Daconil on all of them around 5 times and copper a couple of times since the spot and speck diseases just recently started showing up. I have used no contact killers like DE or Permethrin yet and hope I don't have to but I had to use my mix twice last year because of a bad infestation of leaf footed bugs and stink bugs.

None of the things I use in the garden are toxic enough to really need protective clothing when applying but I do avoid the mist and will wear a mask if spraying when the wind makes avoiding some drift almost impossible. I wear glasses so have never gotten any spray in my eyes but if I didn't I might wear googles when spraying some of them. If I do get a bit on my skin I will take a shower after spraying. You definitely don't want to breath the mist of any of them or get any in your eyes so use care when applying any of them.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, this backs up my thoughts.

I've noticed some varieties are less affected. Most of what I planted are OP. It's kind of funny, the first variety hit hard was Big Beef VFFNTA - I've had to pull all Big Beef but 1 plant and it doesn't look good. I have sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. Okra, beans, squash, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos in the same garden look wonderful.

The other half of our tomato plants in raised beds look way better.

We had too much rain daily for too long. While spraying bleach/soap water this evening, and looking at the plants, I couldn't help but think, It's time to start the Fall garden.

Dark Rumor · June 6, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

Cool... You know I have some safety concerns as well. Does anyone wear eye protection, gloves ect? I have never read a post on here about that.

I use googles, gloves and respirator. I usually spray in the late evening. Probably overkill but once you get in the habit of putting on the gear it is no big deal.

brownrexx · June 6, 2016

That is a LOT of sprays. I am an organic gardener and if there is a need for goggles and respirators then I certainly do not want it on my food. Additionally you can end up killing your plants with strong sprays or they can become coated with so much spray that they suffocate or burn up in the sun.

I know that not everyone feels this way so I will just say that I always wait until I see a problem before I treat for anything. I cover my cabbage crops with row covers so no sprays are ever needed since cabbage butterfly's can not land on the plants to lay the eggs that turn into worms.

My potato crop gets infested with the Colorado Potato Beetle so I use my gloved hand to squish all of the eggs or larvae that I find. I visit my garden daily and this only takes a few minutes. If they get out of control then I spray with an organic pesticide called Spinosad and that wipes them out. I only had to do this one time last season.

Tomatoes are an entirely different story and they all seem to be prey to blights and other diseases. I use tomato cages to keep them up off of the soil (which contains blight spores) and I mulch around the plants with straw to keep soil from splashing up onto them.

I spray my tomato plants with Actinovate which is a biologic preventative for blights. I have never used bleach or hydrogen peroxide but I have read that concentration is critical so that you don't kill your plants too so be careful with that.

June 4, 2016	#1
MrSalvage Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: VA - Zone 7A Posts: 344	In what order should sprays be applied? Spray Schedule... First off thanks for visiting my thread! Second i am a new gardener that's been armed with all kinds of info from this site. I am trying to learn the in's and out's for maintaining a garden. I have therefore been working on getting my arsenal in order. I am certainly in information overload so to speak. I have picked up a few insecticide's & fungicide's. I have also bought 4 cheap Chapin 1 gallon sprayer's, to help with all the different things that need to be done. I guess the only thing left do is list what I have bought. Clorox w/Sodium Hypochlorite 8.25% Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more. Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade GardenTech - Daconil, Fungicide Concentrate Bonide - Pyrethrin, Garden Insect Spray Concentrate Bonide - Thuricide, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) Straining Screen 4x 1 Gallon Sprayers So the next logic step for me is to figure out in what order do i need to apply some of these different sprays. I know everyone's garden has different needs at different times. I also realize that what works in one part of the word might not necessarily work in my part of the world. Here is my concerns. I have never sprayed anything before. I don't know in what order i should spray these. I don't know how long to wait between spraying. You get the idea right? I am a rookie... So in a nut shell i am freaking out. Anyway I have read a lot of info here. As you can see below i have gleaned some recipes. Hopefully to help keep my garden growing for the rest of the summer. Fungus Mixtures: --- Clorox w/Sodium Hypochlorite 8.25% Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more. or GardenTech - Daconil, Fungicide Concentrate Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more. Insects Mixtures: --- Bonide - Thuricide, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) or Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade Bonide - Pyrethrin, Garden Insect Spray Concentrate Dawn Ultra - Original Scent (Blue Liquid). Says it cleans 2x more. I known your going to need more info. What that is I am not sure. I will be happy to supply what info you need and even some great pictures. It is going to rain here today and on Sunday so they say. It's been over cast all day but I didn't want to go out and start spraying until I understood better about the time frames. As always thank you gals & guys in advance for any of your time. _Bill

June 4, 2016	#2
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I'm going to learn right along with you This evening, I'm going to spray the Clorox/Ajax dish soap on the plants.

June 4, 2016	#5
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	This is my opinion, everyone likely has their own, some might be very different others may be similar. I always ask the question before spraying, what are my goals? For example, combat fungal leaf issues. Nearly anyone who grows tomatoes has these issues. I'd start with the dilute bleach to kill fungal or bacterial spores that are present. Then if you want to alternate id use a fungicide which is preventative. Then alternate and try to prevent issues. As far as insecticide, unless I have a specific issue I'm trying to attack I wouldn't use it. Why mow down every bug good or bad just to do so? Do you have an insect issue you need to solve? So that's my opinion, hope it helps.

June 4, 2016	#8
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	if you are planning to use all of this, I would say give about 48 hrs between sprays. Of course, all bets are off if there is lots of rain.

June 5, 2016	#9
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I hardly ever spray. I think it's a lot more important to keep a close eye on your plants to spot the problems that require spraying, and then do it as needed. I like the bleach spray idea. Almost everyone has fungal problems at some point. I actually like hydrogen peroxide better than bleach, but it is not economical if you have more than a few plants. I have stink bugs, too. The best control for me is keeping the vines off the ground, and keeping the grass from growing up into the plant. That's how the stink bugs get to the fruit; they crawl up the grass. I do sometimes use a bio-insecticide called Met52. It is a fungal spore that gives any bug it hits a disease that kills that bug in 3-4 days. Similar to the chemical carbaryl (Sevin), it's a kill-everything "nuclear" option. I only use it if an infestation develops. The problem with killing all bugs is that you kill your beneficials, too. Ants are really bad for me this year. They are even chewing the bottom leaves of my plants. But the plants will grow out of it. And all those ants are eating, pooping, dying, and decomposing in my soil. That process makes humates, and humates fuel the nutrient uptake of plants.

June 5, 2016	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	First off if you haven't had a lot of rain and no disease symptoms are present then I would just start with spraying Daconil and applying BT as a preventative for worms. If you already are seeing disease issues then use the dilute bleach spray late in the evening and then the next morning or night use Daconil or copper depending on the diseases you are seeing. I find that copper seems to work better for spot and speck diseases and Daconil for most others and some of the spot and speck diseases. I like to alternate them from week to week and use the bleach spray when necessary and as often as necessary. If I have to use a pesticide I like to apply it the next day after the fungicide and only very late in the evening to avoid harming bees as much as possible. I sometimes use a mix of food grade DE in a soapy water solution (make sure to strain it into your sprayer to avoid clogging) with some Permethrin to stop stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. The problem with this mix is it is not selective and will kill almost any insects good and bad so don't use it unless the problem is out of control or you beneficials have mostly moved on. I also use Sevin dust at the base of squash plants on the stem to prevent Squash Vine Borers. I use a bulb duster and apply it along the lower stem below the flowers and am careful not to get the dust on the flowers. I also use Seven liquid spray for certain hard to fight boring worms like pickle worms on cucumbers and squash when necessary. I also use it to fight those minuscule leaf eating worms that show up in spring and early summer on tomatoes and peppers if they get bad enough and to fight the stem borers that can hit tomatoes and cucumber vines though I have only had them a few times over the years. When it is necessary to use Sevin it is better to only apply it as far up the plant as necessary to take care of the problem and thus avoid spraying too many of the blooms which can hurt bees and of course spray it only just before dark. So far this year I have used the bleach spray on my tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers 4 or 5 times already and have used Daconil on all of them around 5 times and copper a couple of times since the spot and speck diseases just recently started showing up. I have used no contact killers like DE or Permethrin yet and hope I don't have to but I had to use my mix twice last year because of a bad infestation of leaf footed bugs and stink bugs. None of the things I use in the garden are toxic enough to really need protective clothing when applying but I do avoid the mist and will wear a mask if spraying when the wind makes avoiding some drift almost impossible. I wear glasses so have never gotten any spray in my eyes but if I didn't I might wear googles when spraying some of them. If I do get a bit on my skin I will take a shower after spraying. You definitely don't want to breath the mist of any of them or get any in your eyes so use care when applying any of them. Hope this helps.

June 5, 2016	#11
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Hey Bill, how do you apply BT, and in what strength? Thanks, Charley

June 5, 2016	#12
kygreg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,019	Cole, Why do you prefer H202 over chlorine? thanks

June 6, 2016	#15
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	That is a LOT of sprays. I am an organic gardener and if there is a need for goggles and respirators then I certainly do not want it on my food. Additionally you can end up killing your plants with strong sprays or they can become coated with so much spray that they suffocate or burn up in the sun. I know that not everyone feels this way so I will just say that I always wait until I see a problem before I treat for anything. I cover my cabbage crops with row covers so no sprays are ever needed since cabbage butterfly's can not land on the plants to lay the eggs that turn into worms. My potato crop gets infested with the Colorado Potato Beetle so I use my gloved hand to squish all of the eggs or larvae that I find. I visit my garden daily and this only takes a few minutes. If they get out of control then I spray with an organic pesticide called Spinosad and that wipes them out. I only had to do this one time last season. Tomatoes are an entirely different story and they all seem to be prey to blights and other diseases. I use tomato cages to keep them up off of the soil (which contains blight spores) and I mulch around the plants with straw to keep soil from splashing up onto them. I spray my tomato plants with Actinovate which is a biologic preventative for blights. I have never used bleach or hydrogen peroxide but I have read that concentration is critical so that you don't kill your plants too so be careful with that.