We Break Down Everything You Need to Know about How to Use All Seasons Horticultural Spray Oil
The history of gardening and planting beautiful, intentional landscapes is also a history of controlling pests. Sulfur compounds were used as pest control way back in 2500 B.C. The Romans used oil and ash to control their unwanted bugs. In 1100 A.D., in China, soap was used to control pests. And by the 1880s farmers and gardeners in the U.S. were using horticultural oils. That brings us to today, and to answering the question of how to use all seasons horticultural spray oil. Let’s break it down.
At Borst Landscape & Design, we offer comprehensive tree and shrub care services, including horticultural oils and organic foliar sprays. Not only do our organic tree and shrub care services make your landscaping more beautiful, but it also makes growing plants less susceptible to attacks by insects and diseases and more able to tolerate environmental stresses.
Contact Borst today to discuss all your landscape design and maintenance needs. Call (201) 989-0902 or fill out our easy online form.
What is horticultural oil spray?
Horticultural oils were developed specifically to control plant pests, and are used to mitigate insects, mites, and some plant diseases.
Gardeners traditionally referred to horticultural oils as dormant oil or dormant spray, because they were generally used for spraying trees and shrubs during the winter when the plants are dormant. Today, all seasons horticultural spray, when mixed properly, can be used even during the growing season.
What is it made of?
Most commercially-available horticultural oils are made from highly refined, filtered petroleum. The oils won’t damage the plants when they are used correctly.
There are also plant-based horticultural oils available, which don’t involve petroleum products at all. These may contain soybean, cottonseed, sesame, neem, or other oils. Plant-based horticultural oils are less refined and need to be applied carefully to protect the plant.
No matter whether you are considering petroleum or plant-based horticultural osprey oil, it is best to hire a professional for the job, to ensure the health of your plants and the true elimination of pests.
How do they work?
Horticultural oil sprays have a thick, oily quality that makes them effective in killing pests. In other words, they work by suffocating insects, not poisoning them. The pest has to be present on the plant when it is treated.
Horticultural oil sprays are most effective against
- exposed eggs
- immature insects
- soft-bodied adult insects
In the winter, dormant sprays only will kill overwintering insects and exposed eggs, because the oil has to cover the pest to be effective.
Oils are also used to control diseases such as:
- powdery mildew
- downy mildew
- rust and leaf spot
Horticultural oils can also be used as fungicides by impacting the ability of the fungi to grow.
Benefits of Organic Tree & Shrub Care Services
There are many benefits of hiring professional pest management. Our services allow you to take a hands-off approach to your property while knowing that your plants are in the best hands. Our professionals will cater to your trees and shrubs and ensure they’re as healthy and resilient as they possibly can be while using methods and products that protect your pets and loved ones, and the environment.
Contact Borst today for a free consultation. Call (201) 989-0902 or fill out our easy online form.
Photo by Jovana Askrabic on Unsplash