Nursery-Container Stock Spraying

Foliar Feeding - Foliar feeding is used when insufficient fertilizer was used before planting, when a quick growth response is wanted, when micronutrients (such as iron or zinc) are locked into the soil, or when the soil is too cold for the plants to use the fertilizer applied to the soil. Foliar-applied nutrients are absorbed and used by the plant quite rapidly. Absorption begins within minutes after application and, with most nutrients, it is completed within 1 to 2 days. Foliar nutrition can be a supplement to soil nutrition at a critical time for the plant, but not a substitute since greater amounts of plant material are needed than what can be absorbed through the plant leaf at any given time. At transplanting time, an application of phosphorus spray will help in the establishment of the young plant in cold soils. For perennial plants, early spring growth is usually limited by cold soil, even when the air is warm. Under such conditions, soil microorganisms are not active enough to convert nutrients into forms available for roots to absorb; yet, if the nutrients were available, the plants could utilize them. A nutrient spray to the foliage will provide the needed nutrients immediately, allowing the plants to begin growth.

Minimize losses caused by plant pathogens by reducing or eliminating the numbers of pathogens at their source. Some pathogens must have living plant tissues in order to grow, reproduce, and survive. Most viruses like tomato spotted wilt and cucumber mosaic only survive in living plant cells. Rusts, such as pine gall rust and cedar-quince rust, must pass from living plants to other living plants or they die. So, plants in and around the nursery act as reservoirs of pathogens and should be under strict disease control.

Plants that you buy from a supplier to grow in your operation may already be infected with pathogens including Agrobacterium and Phytophthora. Get to know the operation from which you buy plants. It is their responsibility and legal obligation to sell only healthy plants.  Any disease affecting stock plants is likely to be found on cuttings taken from those plants, particularly if the pathogens reside inside the plant. Vascular wilt diseases such Verticillium wilt, virus diseases, foliar nematodes, all will accompany cuttings if stock plants are infected. T

Phytophthora and Pythium, which can cause damping-off, root and stem rots, cutting rots, and top diebacks are probably the main pathogens that can be spread in the nursery in water. Surface water supplies such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams contain Pythium in the bottom sediment. Some also contain Phytophthora in the sediment as well as free in the water at certain times of the year. Note that run-off can carry these fungi from into wells.

The spores of powdery mildew fungi, rust fungi, and others can be carried by air currents for long distances outdoors. Infected plants in nearby gardens and forests can supply enormous numbers of spores. Thus, even if great care is taken to eliminate other sources of pathogens, the air we breath may carry certain disease-causing organisms into the nursery. This is another reason why non-crop plants that harbor pathogens of crops plants should be eliminated from within and around the nursery.

Our versatile, compact mist sprayer units can be used in many nursery, container stock and forestry applicatons.  A Mist Blower allows you to spray fungicides, insecticides and foliar fertilizer.  Use less chemical, much less water and get outstanding pathogen-disease control results!

The AmeriBest Mist Sprayer provides more uniform coverage. no streaks or missed spots, and you find that you have 100% better control of the chemical and its target area with proper application and bordering. AmeriBest Mist Sprayer's high and low volume mist sprayers create smaller mist size particles in a 0 to 140' air stream that stays low to the ground for the best control and uniform coverage.   Over, Under and Around plant foliage.

Our versatile, compact mist sprayer units can be used in many nursery, container stock and forestry applicatons.