Seed Starting & Gardening Tips
Dormant Spraying: A Winter To-Do That Pays Off in Spring
Winter may feel like downtime in the garden, but it's actually the perfect opportunity to protect your trees from pests and disease. Dormant spraying, applied after leaves drop but before buds swell, lets you target overwintering insects and fungal spores while beneficial pollinators are safely out of the picture. Horticultural oil smothers soft-bodied pests like aphids, scale, and mites hiding in bark, while liquid copper fungicide tackles diseases like peach leaf curl and fire blight. Apply on a dry day above 40°F, follow label directions carefully to avoid plant injury, and you'll be giving your trees a serious head start on a healthy growing season.
Mastering Fungal Disease Control with LalStop Biofungicide
LalStop is a biological fungicide derived from Streptomyces, a naturally occurring soil microbe, and it's particularly effective at suppressing common fungal pathogens including Fusarium, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Phytophthora across vegetables, fruits, flowers, and ornamentals. The key to getting the most out of it is applying it preventively — before disease takes hold — rather than reactively. Reapplying throughout the season, especially after heavy rain, keeps protection consistent. It works best as part of a broader Integrated Pest Management approach alongside good cultural practices like proper watering, crop rotation, and adequate ventilation.