Spraying Shade Trees

A proper and consistent spray schedule is important to the survival of your trees. From diseases to pests, many potential issues can be prevented with spraying before they even begin! To reap its benefits, spraying should be done consistently and thoroughly following the guidelines below.

NOTE: This is part 9 in a series of 10 articles. For a complete background on how to grow shade trees, we recommend starting from the beginning.

Before you begin, read and follow all instructions on labels.

By Tree

Oak

Early spring (before growth begins)

  • Monterey Liquid Copper Fungicide for leaf blister (Taphrina).

Dormant bud swell (red group only)

  • Ferti-lome® Broad Spectrum Landscape & Garden Fungicide for taphrina blister, actinopelte leaf spot and anthracnose.

Birch, Elm, Oak

At first sign of insects

  • GardenTech® Sevin® Bug Killer for aphids, bagworms, cicadas (locust), exposed thrips, fall cankerworms, inchworms, leaf miners, leaf rollers, locust, mealy bugs, spider mites, whiteflies, gypsy moth, tent caterpillar, Japanese beetles, elm leaf beetles, elm spanworms, fall webworms (elm) and oak worms.

Maple

Preventative: before disease appears

  • Monterey Liquid Copper Fungicide for leaf spot.

Shade

Green tip (through the delayed dormant stages)

  • Monterey Horticultural Oil for scale insects, certain aphids, gall, whitefly larvae, mealy bugs, adelgids, scurfy scale and terrapin scale.

Growing season

  • Monterey Horticultural Oil for scale insects, red spider mites, mealy bugs and whitefly larvae.

At first sign of insects

  • Natural Guard® Caterpillar Killer Spray w/BT for bagworms, fall webworms, tent caterpillars and elm spanworms.

Crabapple

Spring bud break

  • Ferti-lome® Broad Spectrum Landscape & Garden Fungicide for scab, cedar apple rust and sphaeropsis leaf spot.

Dogwood

Spring bud swell, early bloom

  • Ferti-lome® Broad Spectrum Landscape & Garden Fungicide for anthracnose (Discula Sp.) and septoria leaf spot.

Poplar

Spring bud break

  • Ferti-lome® Broad Spectrum Landscape & Garden Fungicide for marssonina leaf spot.

Ornamentals

At first sign of insects (not for use on large trees – taller than 10 feet)

  • Monterey Fruit Tree Spray Plus for aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, whiteflies, caterpillars and thrips.
  • GardenTech® Sevin® Concentrate Bug Killer for locust.

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Tools & Supplies for Shade Trees