burnt evergreens with oil

[TreeDr]

Its happened to us recently. Anyone have any insight?

Both apps were done in low humidy and less than 90 deg with a mechanically agitated spray rig.

 

[Chum]

A few questions -

Time of day, last time precipitation occured, how soon did it again occur (after spraying), was the oil 'pH'd?' to buffer it, how heavy the application, and additives?

Right off, I'd say it was an issue of phytotoxicity, but that's usually a sequela to the above questions and their answers. 90 is hot, humidity isn't as important as sunlight effects, and the possibility of "drowning" stomata is high in conifers - 'specially in heat.

Another factor often overlooked - the spray rig and what else it's used for and how recent and often. Phenoxy compounds remain on pipe walls, filter screens, pump and tank surfaces and adhere to rubber and plastics, released under surfactants or soaps. Same with organophosphates, residues not concentrate enough to smell, but strong enough to kill. Also spray rates...as oil's accumulate and drenching can often seal too effectively. Watch those guys who apply and see how heavy they spray things.

What were you after with the oil?

 

[Chum]

...or you could stop spraying indiscriminantly on pests you know little about or the compounds used to control them Doc?

Sounds more like a Chemlawn-type problem and an opportunity for a litigator.

 

[TreeDr]

We were spraying to control mites and scale. No drought, no humidity etc. The properties we were at before and after this particular application are fine. Thank you for your recent reply.

Oakwilt, you seem like a very intelligent person, but your people skills are left to be desired.

 

[bushman]

What were the temps tree doc?try spraying light gage oil,like ultra fine .i try to spray the heavy oils on trunk spray's like glommy scale or dormant season sprays.hope it helps.

 

[TreeDr]

I was using ultra fine. It was done at the end of last Sept., so the temps weren't harsh, 90 max.

The thing that gets me is that there were properties before and after this one that were treated and look fine.

 

[bushman]

sounds like something else was going on with evrgreens before,drought,phyto.root problem.90 seems a little warm for oil.i have been spraying mite's with avid/and alttle oil for sticker with good result's.maybe mixed to strong on the last property.

 

[TreeDr]

1200 gallon tank to start the day, 1200 gallons of ultra fine at 2%, mechanically agitated, 20 properties that day. One got skunked in the middle to a tune of $1k of replacement plants.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

[Eric_E]

Sounds like has to do with stressed plants. At $1K replacement I'm guessing that it was smaller plant material. How long was it in the landscape?

Years ago when I did spraying, we did alot of 1.5% oil with diazinon mid summer, over 90 degrees. The only time any plants cooked was when they were stressed.

 

[Paul_Burf]

90 seems to be a little warm to be spraying with oil. We generally will not treat with oil if it is above 85 and if we have to treat we will substitute oil with M-Pede (soap) which will not cause as many phytotoxic problems. A 2% solution is also a rather highrate. We only use a 1% in the summer months and we mix with Avid for better results.

 

[Chum]

M-Pede and oil can be effectively replaced by generic dish soap, an adjuvant/surfactant applicable to any infestation with phosphate benefits. Keep watch for additives like synthetic scents or antimicrobials.

Pest control operators are like Bush's use of troops...shotgun diplomacy that only makes infestations worse and harms the applicator beyond repair.

 

[TreeDr]

Political activists as yourself, are like the pain in the [censored] customer that....no matter how hard you try, complain about something. Yet, they continue to use me for whatever reason.
Hence my segway,...you banter political bashes at the end of each post, but you still live in Texas right? Bush territory.
If its such a thorn in your side maybe you should relocate to country that fits your beliefs.
Thank you for your insight on spraying dishsoap on my plants, I'll get to that tomorrow. Tool.

 

[Chum]

Serious about the soap, but in commercial amounts you might try to dog-down some Medina Bio-S, five gallon containers. It only takes six ounces per 250gallons water. Use for every infestation from boring beetles to leaf miners to lepidothera, and it scrubs opportunistic fungi and bacterial infections too.

Politics run - and ruin lives. My only political activites are investigations and hopefully afterward, prosecutions. Right now things are looking good, so I'm relaxing a bit. I'm tired of people who claim holy rightiousness and fiscal protection yet they sure like little boy's the icky way and spend other's people money after procuring it by corruption. If you're none of the above you don't have to worry Doc, but your support of them just might get our attention.

One can't slay the dragon living in the cave from out at sea, so I enjoy the lion's den at the moment.

 

[TreeDr]

I'll give the soap a shot.

 

[Chum]

Cool, I think your guys will notice an immediate difference.

Realizing the pricing of the work performed involves labor and equip more than chemical investment, Medina Bio-S will amount to no more than 3 to 4 dollars per 250-tank load. I adjust this by charging a lot less, but spraying twice for most pests - one week between munching worms and bark-boring beetles to insure a good dose of exposure for the insects. It means simply, that I have twice the spray jobs in Spring then later in late Summer.

It's extremely profitable, just takes more running around than say Diazinon or Malathion and it releases liability for future tort actions involving health issues.

If you have any problems dogging-down suppliers, let me know here, or pointers on application or rates or targets.

Also Bio-S is suggested for remediation on fuel spills, which puts me on a federal response list being I have the wherewithall to apply it appropriately...might want to check that out, contracting icky messes is a growing industry.

Again, it's just soap, more or less. Compaction, changing ionic barriers, insect control, hydrocarbon breakdown abilities...it's the way forward and it isn't a threat to anyone spraying it.

And it smells squeeky clean.

 

[Mangoes]

Up here you can't commercially apply ANYTHING to control a pest unless it has been tested by the government and been provided with a Pest Control Product Code.

 

[Chum]

Same here, so I spray for the purpose of "sheen, odor, and colours".

It's wordplay, and our leaders use it so I employ it.