Re: Culture: Dormant Oil (just an opinion)
- To: i*@onelist.com
- Subject: Re: Culture: Dormant Oil (just an opinion)
- From: B* S* <B*@hsc.edu>
- Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 09:18:08 -0400
From: Bill Shear <BILLS@hsc.edu>
Dennis--you are mistaken about the role played by dormant oil sprays. They
are not designed to prevent foliage dessication (though there are other
sprays that are used for that purpose). Dormant oil is sprayed on orchard
trees to kill, by smothering, the eggs of insect pests laid on twigs and
bark.
However, because iris borer eggs are laid on dead foliage and garden debris
on the ground, I have my doubts that a dormant oil spray could reach them
very effectively--many will be concealed on the under side of the debris.
The oil must coat the eggs in order to suffocate them. It is not a contact
poison.
Nonetheless this is a worthwhile experiment, provided comparable plants are
left unsprayed for comparison.
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
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