Vitax 500ml Winter Tree Wash

Product Information

In addition to Winter Tree Wash, Vitax has formulated Fruit Tree Grease to specifically deter winter moths and other fruit tree loving insects. To winter wash fruit trees, you should first remove any dead or diseased branches, then use a solution of water and horticultural oil such as Vitax winter wash or Jeyes fluid to spray the entire tree, including the trunk and branches. The solution should be applied when temperatures are above freezing and the tree is dormant. This will help to control pests and diseases that may be overwintering on the tree. It is also recommended to prune the tree properly and make sure the soil is well drained and mulched to protect the tree from cold temperatures. Gather your materials: You will need a water hose, a sprayer or a garden sprayer, a solution of water and horticultural oil Vitax winter wash or Jeyes Fluid, and a ladder if your tree is tall. After treatment, insects find it very difficult to secure their eggs onto the washed trees so pests are prevented from taking hold.

The time is ripe for garden enthusiasts to protect trees and bushes from insects and aphids looking for prime spots to lay their eggs this winter. To help prepare for the harsh months ahead, Vitax has developed three products to keep insects at bay. Winter Tree Wash, Fruit Tree Grease and Tree Bands have each been created to ensure trees remain in tip-top condition during the colder months. Start with a general feed of Growmore fertilizer around the base of the fruit trees one handful sprinkled over a square metre under the tree. Some pests will overwinter in leaf litter or in the soil around your fruit trees so they can be near to their food source when spring comes around. Good garden hygiene is the answer. Rake up all fallen leaves and compost them away from your trees to foil pests such as apple blossom weevil, which can destroy flowers and ruin your fruit crop. Organic gardeners can protect trees and bushes with Winter Tree Wash – a completely natural organic product – which gives plants a good clean ready for the new season. We independently research, review, and recommend the best products. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more.If you do have this job to do – get your skates on because these materials are meant to be applied during the dormant season. Although this method is not fully organic as it’s a winter operation it will not affect any bees plus will reduce the need to treat the apple trees in the spring and summer.

General pruning basics for apple trees– best carried out in late winter early spring before flowering and the spring leaf break. So what you’ll want to, is you want to spray the whole tree, so everything all the way up, but just pay particular attention to the little nooks and crannies in here. So this is where the eggs and all the other bugs will be hiding out. So just start at the bottom and work your way up giving it a good coverage.Some aphids, for example woolly aphid, and brown peach aphid, do not have a summer host and instead remain on fruit trees throughout the year. Gently scrub the bark and branches with the brush or cloth, paying close attention to areas where you can see a lot of dirt or debris Once you’ve finished scrubbing the tree, rinse it with clean water, ensuring all excess debris has been removed from the base of the tree. Not all moths fly, which is why glue bands and tree barrier glues are very effective measures against destructive caterpillars. The caterpillars of winter moth are often the culprit behind holey leaves on plums, apples and other trees in spring. They will also damage developing fruits, so that they either drop while still immature, or grow misshapen, scarred and sometimes holed. Caterpillar damage can be avoided by using glue bands

Mealy plum aphid: Summer host =grasses and reeds. Leaves fruitinJune-July. Can remain on plum throughout summer I remember a case where the problem was Woolly Aphid on young apple trees – the name says it all, if you spray lightly, the woolly covering will protect the beasties, they need to be washed out. The case I have in mind was dealt with slightly differently, using a paint brush to apply methylated spirits. One simple way to protect your trees during the winter is by giving them a ‘winter wash’. As you might expect, this involves removing the dirt, dust, and debris that may have built up on the tree’s bark and leaves. Not only does this help prevent pests and diseases, but it also allows for better air and light penetration, which can help the tree stay healthy. Remember – prevention is always better than cure. Maintain your garden well using good organic gardening techniques and extreme pest management solutions should not be necessary.As leaves tumble to reveal bare branches, nights become longer and frosts fiercer, it can be tempting to believe that pests are no longer on the prowl. But late autumn and early winter is a crucial time of year for preventative pest control on fruit trees. Keep trees well watered but do not overwater. Mulch well around fruit trees with organic matter to protect soil and retain moisture and nutrients. But keep mulch away from the trunk to prevent rotting.

This natural, plant oil-based treatment is highly effective at dramatically reducing pest numbers. It is safe around pets and children, and by applying it at this time of year it will have minimal impact on other wildlife. Spray it directly onto the bark on a still, windless day, covering all of the branchwork to leave no escape. Don't forget to wear a mask and gloves to protect yourself from drifting spray. There are five simple techniques that I have found to be effective at keeping fruit tree pests at bay. Conveniently, they can be carried out once the frantic pace of the main growing season has passed, meaning you can give your full attention to this important task. 1. Protect Against Winter Moth Using Glue Bands Made from a blend of natural plant and fish oils, this winter tree wash is formulated to remove debris and dirt from trees to help protect against overwintering pests.

Winter is also the time to replace rotten stakes, broken supporting wires on which wall-trained fruits are growing, and frayed tree ties. Stems and trunks swell as they grow, so existing tree ties may need loosening to prevent them digging into the bark or rubbing it and opening the door to fungal infection. Winter tree wash used to be simply Bordeaux mixture, based on copper sulphate and slaked lime. This was first used on vines initially to discourage pilferers. Its fungicidal and bactericidal properties were discovered by chance. For many years, it was used on fruit trees. The copper in the mixture combated both fungal diseases and the pests as listed above. Bordeaux mixture was ideal as a winter fungicide because it adhered to trees even in rainy weather. It could even be made by farmers themselves, using 10 pounds of copper sulphate, 10 pounds of dry hydrated lime, and 100 gallons of water (or 3.5 tablespoons of copper sulphate, 10 tablespoons of dry hydrated lime, and 1 gallon of water). Choose fine wire mesh if your trees are plagued by smaller rodents such as voles, and make sure there is a wide enough gap between the trunk and the mesh so that hungry muzzles can’t push through and reach the bark. Flex the mesh into a tube and secure it using cable ties or wire. Use a cane to keep the tree guard upright, and make sure the wire is pushed firmly into the soil with no gaps at ground level. You may be able to remove guards in summer if the rodent problem is limited to the winter months. 5. Encourage Pest Predators Once the leaves have fallen from the tree and on a frost-free day apply a winter wash. Apply with a small sprayer as a jet so the winter wash runs down the stems killing all the over-wintering pest eggs and fungal spores. Further information on the biology of fruit aphids is available from Influential points at the links below