Are you reaping the rewards of all your hard work in your kitchen garden?
On Mandela day, the 18th of July, we were encouraged to grow trees, especially fruit trees, thereby contributing towards a greener, healthier and more beautiful environment – at the same time making a positive impact in our own homes and communities.
So we planted fruit trees, right, because who doesn’t like eating a delicious peach from your own garden? The question is, do we take care of our fruit trees to ensure a bountiful, healthy harvest?
You aren’t the only one with this problem. Eighty percent of South Africa‘s informal soft fruit harvests are lost because the necessary precautions are not taken to protect fruit trees from harmful insects. The most common pests that damage fruit are the maggots of fruit flies as well as the larvae of coddling moths and false coddling moths. Fruit flies attack green, ripe or almost ripe fruit and lay their eggs just under the fruit’s skin. When the eggs hatch, the maggot tunnel deeper into the fruit and cause decay. Coddling moths and false coddling moths lay their eggs on the fruit and leaves of fruit trees. Once the larvae hatch, they penetrate the fruit and cause dry tunnels infected with their droppings. To ensure that more peaches, nectarines and apricots end up in your fruit bowl rather than the trash, treat the trees with this simple program.
Once 75 % of the blossoms have fallen off, you can begin to spray your trees every 14 days with Kemprin or Knox Worm, alternating with Spraykill 5.
Add Sprayfilm 10 to the mixture. Sprayfilm 10 improves the distribution and adhesion of the spray droplets on the fruit and ensures proper coverage of leaves and plant area. It is rain resistant within 1 hour ensuring that the pesticides do not wash off. It offers protection against UV rays of the sun and limits degradation of the pesticide.
Mix a fresh spray mixture every time because the effectiveness of the active ingredient starts to decline within days after dilution.
We know that this seems like a lot of effort but think of the sense of pleasure and accomplishment you will experience when enjoying the fruits of your labour!
Act 36 of 1947
Avi Gard: L216, mercaptothion (organophosphate) 500 g/l, CAUTION, registration holder: Avima (Pty) Ltd, company registration number: 1961/001744/07, PO Box 3131, Kenmare, 1745, telephone number: 011 769 1300
Kemprin 200 EC, L3145, cypermethrin (pyrethroid) 200 g/l, HARMFUL, registration holder: Arysta LifeScience South Africa (Pty) Ltd, company registration number: 2009/019713/07, 7 Sunbury Office Park, Off Douglas Saunders Drive, La Lucia, 4019, telephone number: 031 514 5600
Knox Worm: L7176, cypermethrin (pyrethroid) 200 g/l, HARMFUL, registration holder: Arysta LifeScience South Africa (Pty) Ltd, company registration number: 2009/019713/07, 7 Sunbury Office Park, Off Douglas Saunders Drive, La Lucia, 4019, telephone number: 031 514 5600
Sprayfilm 10: L7120, terpenic polymer, 902,4 g/l, L7120, CAUTION, Arysta LifeScience South Africa (Pty) Ltd, company registration number: 2009/019713/07, 7 Sunbury Office Park, Off Douglas Saunders Drive, La Lucia, 4019, telephone number: 031 514 5600
Distributed by: Protek, a division of PE-BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 72, Heidelberg,1438, tel no (011) 812-9800 or 0861 PROTEK (0861 77 68 35), www.protek.co.za
