Dormant Oil?

Question

Could you please tell me exactly what applying dormant oil in the spring does for my fruit trees?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Dormant oil is also called horticultural oil.

Horticultural oils are lightweight oils, either petroleum or vegetable based.

They are used in both horticulture and agriculture, where they are applied as a dilute spray on plant surfaces to control insects and mites. They are also sometimes included in tank mixes as a surfactant.

The oils provide control by smothering(suffocting by cutting off the oxygen or air supply) the target pests, and are only effective if applied directly to the pest, and provide no residual controls.

Oils are generally considered suitable for 'organic pest control', with most oils permitted under the US National Organic Program.( organic pest control means control of the pests with out using harmful chemicals that are potentially hazardous to man )

1)Dormant Oils are oils used on deciduous plants during abscission. (The meaning of abscission is -- The act of cutting off. OR in Botany== The shedding of leaves, flowers, or fruits following the formation of the abscission zone.)


2)Summer oils are also referred to as foliar oils, a name which alludes to their use on plants when the foliage is present on the tree or plant .

Answer 2

it suffocates the insect eggs that were left there last yr. it is one of the most important sprays of the yr

Answer 3

i don't know, ask jeeves