Dormant Oil Spray
Not a kitchen cleaner — this is an orchard treatment applied to fruit trees while they're dormant, smothering overwintering insect eggs before spring growth begins.
What you'll need
- 1 cup horticultural oil
- 1 gallon water
Steps
- Mix horticultural oil with water in a garden sprayer.
- Apply to bare branches and trunk on a dry, above-freezing day in late winter.
- Coat thoroughly, including branch crotches where eggs overwinter.
Tip: Apply only while trees are fully dormant — oil sprayed on emerging buds can damage new growth.