Borer repellent

Planning to do a 1% Neem trunk spray followed by kaolin clay/water slurry painted on. Does anyone have comments, suggestions or variation on this idea?

As a follow-up, what are your methods of dealing with the RHAB?

Welby Orchard
Zone 6a in Wheeling, WV



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2018 03:45PM by Isa Campbell.

Also, wondering where the white interior latex paint fits in here.. or is that only for winter sun-scald?

I have used 2% neem for peach tree borers, and then filled cracks with a mixture of clay, plaster and diatomaceous earth. It doesn't seem to last very long however. The latex paint treatment for sunscald protection on the other hand lasts a good year or more. Maybe there is a combination of clay and paint for the tree borers that would hold up against the rain better.

Turkey Creek Orchard
Solon, Iowa (zone 5A)

You could just a straight up biodynamic tree paste mixed with neem and other stuff, like surroound. You'd get the BD500 action + silica sand action going from the BD tree paste + anything else you throw in there.

Mike Biltonen, Know Your Roots
Zone 5b in New York

I've seen where you can make your mixture - whatever it is - and use gauze as a kind of orchard poultice - you need to wrap it. Or just pack the wound as suggested and wrap with gauze. it will last longer. paint is just for sunscald, it will provide some protection against borers etc. However, my favorite fall approach is this - BD508 tree wash, followed by biodynamic tree paste PLUS (your choice) in the fall. Then in late May or early June, apply a dilute trunk spray of thymegard, entrust, pyganic to the trunk and lower scaffolds to ward off any borers - esp if you have problems. the two really complement each other and do as good as job as you can without really toxic shit. If you do get RHAB, FHAB, DWB - then dig it out, cut the wound back to green tissue and slather on pure neem over the wounded area.

Mike Biltonen, Know Your Roots
Zone 5b in New York

I just started using a bennonite clay with milk protein. It seems to stick REALLY well. When it's rinsed out of the tanks in large quantities, it seems to make the ground in penetrable to water and causes constant puddles. Not sure if there is any other drawbacks but I'll report back on how long it lasts.

I've also heard that you can add a little latex paint to bio dynamic paste (although not ideal organic wise) but will bind it well.

Zone 8:
Vancouver Island, BC
CANADA