Are you looking to make the most out of your spring garden this year? If so, we urge you to take advantage of dormant spraying. If you haven’t heard of dormant spraying before or you aren’t sure how to use a dormant spray, please refer to our blog post, Dormant Spraying, Part 1.
Now that you know you are going to use a dormant spray, here’s our recipe for how to best boost the effectiveness of horticultural or dormant oils by adding a few easily obtained ingredients.
Dormant Spray Boost Recipe
In one gallon of water mix the following ingredients. Mix well before using and continue to agitate during spraying.
2-6 tbsp horticultural or dormant oil (use higher amount for fruit trees)
1-2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp kelp liquid
1 tbsp mild dish-washing liquid (Dawn)
5 tbsp hydrogen peroxide
What do these ingredients do?
Horticultural or dormant oils mainly control insects and spider mites. Baking soda, kelp liquid, and hydrogen peroxide help target fungal and bacterial diseases in your garden.
What to do after you use Dormant Spray
Go the extra mile after using a dormant spray by topping off your garden with high-quality compost. We recommend using composts such as GardenMax or Harvest Supreme as a top dressing around your trees, shrubs, vegetables and flowers and it will also help to control diseases.
