How to prepare the soil for spring work?
As soon as the snow melted, the earth begins to dry up, you urgently need to visit your garden. Make a plan for the main work, since the soil in the spring needs compulsory care.
The trees must be examined. Remove the leaves and fruits left over from the previous period, as they may contain spores of pathogenic fungi. This way you will protect the plants from infection.
Pay attention to the apple trees. Are there any gray rings one centimeter wide on its shoots?
The rings are the ovipositions of the annelid silkworm. Caterpillars will soon hatch from them, which will happily feast on the young leaves of the apple tree.
Such shoots must be cut off and burned.
Nothing good about bloated blackcurrant buds either. Kidney mites live in them.
It is difficult to deal with them. If the entire currant bush is affected, then it is necessary to uproot and burn it. You need to purchase a kidney mite resistant variety.
Various labels with any indication or films left over from the last season can also lead to damage to the branches.
They cut into the growing branch, which leads to its damage.
Remove weak and broken raspberry shoots. Trim the tops to a strong bud.
Use wood scrapers or the back of a kitchen knife to remove lichen and moss from trunks and branches. Place a foil under the trash under the tree to be treated. After cleaning, burn the film with debris.
If you put a mulching layer of peat or compost around the raspberry and gooseberry bushes in the fall, then it should be dug up to a depth of no more than 15 cm.
After you have cleared the trunks and branches of lichen and moss, you can start spraying with various preparations.
Spraying trees and shrubs helps in pest control. The best drugs for this purpose are "Preparation 30 plus" and "Prophylactin". These are mineral oil emulsions with insecticides in the second product.
The insecticide kills insects and ticks. The preparations can be used to treat apple, pear, plum, cherry, sweet cherry, gooseberry, currant, raspberry, as well as soil in spring. Can also be used for ornamental trees and shrubs. Spraying should be done before the buds bloom. The air temperature must be at least 4 degrees. Prepare the solution strictly according to the attached instructions. For one tree, the solution consumption is from 2 to 5 liters, and for one currant or gooseberry bush, 1-1.5 liters of solution is needed.
You need to use freshly prepared solutions. In no case should you exceed the dosage indicated in the instructions. It is imperative to work in personal protective equipment: respirator, goggles, gloves, rubber boots, overalls.
If there is an apiary nearby, then it is imperative to clarify the hazard class of insecticides for bees.