INSECT CONTROL RECIPE
Dormant Oil Spray
Applied to bare branches in late winter, a light horticultural oil smothers overwintering insect eggs and scale before they ever get a chance to hatch.
Prep: 10 minutes
Yields: about 1 gallon
Organic-friendly
Ingredients
1 gallon water
5 tablespoons light horticultural oil
1 tablespoon mild liquid dish soap
Instructions
1
Combine the horticultural oil and dish soap in the water and mix thoroughly.
2
Choose a dry, calm day in late winter or very early spring, before buds break.
3
Spray fruit trees and shrubs thoroughly, coating trunks, branches, and twigs completely.
4
Apply once per dormant season, ideally just before the first hint of new growth.
Tip: Only spray when temperatures will stay above freezing for 24 hours and the tree is fully dormant — oil applied to active growth can damage buds and leaves.
