You should have applied the most important insect spray of the year — dormant oil sprays — during the winter. Why then? Because that’s when insects susceptible to these sprays are most vulnerable. Why ...

The chill in the air reminds gardeners that it’s time to start winter chores. Spraying of dormant oils on deciduous fruit and nut trees, roses and other ornamentals can diminish the incidence of ...

Q: You seem to be a “fan” of recommending spraying dormant oil as a pesticide. Is this product good to spray on most trees and shrubs that typically grow around here? — M.C., Albuquerque A: I don’t ...

[Celebrating seasonal holidays usually pulls us away from routine garden maintenance, often happily so, but as it happens winter holidays happen to coincide with a spray schedule for dormant fruit and ...

CORVALLIS – Just when you’re ready for a long winter’s nap, it’s time to tend your fruit trees. If you don’t, chances are they’ll struggle in the coming season. Giving them attention now helps ward ...

Dormant oil sprays are applied to plants during mid to late winter to control overwintering insects, often scales. Some plants infested by scale insects include lilac, dogwood, Euonymus, apple, pear, ...

Q. I am confused about when and how to apply dormant oil. What pests does it control? A. Dormant oil is used to “smother” the overwintering stages of insects such as spider mites, scales, mealybugs, ...

After a few years of watching and waiting for a peach tree I planted to bear fruit, it finally did this year. Unfortunately, it was unable to produce during those first few years because of peach leaf ...

We’ve passed the winter solstice and that means we’re on the way to spring and the gardening season. If you’ve got questions, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon ...

Q: I have a peach tree that keeps getting peach leaf curl every spring. I have sprayed the tree in past winters but my tree still gets badly infested. What am I doing wrong? A: Severely affected ...

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