Updated: February 8, 2024
By R. David Myers

Spray Program for Multi-Small Fruit Plantings

Many local farms are composed of multi-small fruit combinations producing for fresh market blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and grapes. Aggressive fruit spray programs are required to achieve high quality fruit. These multi-small fruit plantings create many spray management challenges for the achievement of good pest control in accordance to label guidelines.

Therefore, the following multi-small fruit spray program for the control of major small fruit pests and diseases may offer some assistance:

Labeled as noted in 2024 for All Small Fruit – Strawberries, Brambles: Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Grapes.

FUNGICIDES: [FRAC] *RATE NOTES ADDITIONAL NOTES
Lime Sulfur [M2] 10.0 gals Dormant Fall Sanitizer  
JMS® Stylet Oil [NC] 1.0 gal Apply Temp 35-85° F  
Kocide® DF [M1] 2.0 lbs Other Fixed Coppers  
Captan® 50W [M4] 2.0 lbs General Protectant  
Ziram® 76DF [M3] 5.0 lbs General Protectant (Except for Strawberry use Thiram®)
Sulfur 95W [M2] 3.0 lbs General Protectant (Grape variety sensitivity)
Rally® 40W [3] 4.0 ozs Powdery Mildew & Black Rot (Except for blueberry use Tilt®)
Pristine® [7/11] 14.5 ozs Fruit Rots, Fruit Spots, Powdery & Downy Mildew & Cane Blight  
Elevate® 50 WG [17] 1.5 lbs Botrytis & Powdery Mildew  
Switch® 62.5 WG [9/12] 11.0 ozs Anthracnose, Mummy Berry, Phomopsis, Sour Rot & Botrytis  
Phostrol® [33] 4.0 pts Downy Mildew & Red Stele  
Ph-D® WDG [19] 6.2 ozs Botrytis & Powdery Mildew (Strawberries and grapes only)
INSECTICIDES: [IRAC] *RATE NOTES
Provado® Admire®  [4A] 4.0 ozs SWD, Grubs, Aphids, Hoppers, Curculio & Whitefly
     or Actara® [4A]    
Brigade® WSB [3] 12.0 ozs BMSB, SWD, Clipper Beetle, Plant Bug, Mites & Root Weevil
Malathion [1B] 2.0 pts SWD, Scale, Fruit Moths & Whitefly
Sevin® 50W [1A] 4.0 lbs SWD, Japanese Beetles, Hornets & Sap Beetles

*Rate for 50-100 gal Acre Concentrate Spray
**Be sure to follow all labels closely for PHI and REI

Multi-Small Fruit Spray Calendar*

March 5 - Spring Dormant Spray

  • JMS® Stylet Oil 1.0 gal (Scales & Mites)

April 10 - Early Strawberry Bloom

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Thiram® 75WDG 5.0 lbs (Strawberry Only)

April 15 - Strawberry Bloom/ Blueberry Early Bloom

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Ziram 76DF 5.0 lbs (Except Strawberry)
  • Brigade® WSB 12.0 ozs (Clipper Beetle, 0-3-day PHI)

April 25 - Strawberry Full bloom/Blueberry Mid-Bloom/ Grape Bud Break

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Pristine 14.5 ozs
  • Brigade® WSB 12.0 ozs (Clipper Beetle, 0-3-day PHI)

May 5 - Strawberry 1st Cover & Early Harvest Spray/ Blueberry Full Bloom/Grape & Bramble Shoot Growth

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Elevate® 1.5 lbs (0-day PHI)
  • Provado® 4.5 ozs (Curculio & Aphids; 7-Day PHI)

May 15 - Strawberry 2nd Cover & Harvest Spray/ Blueberry 1st Cover/Grape Bloom Spray/Bramble Cane Development

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Switch® 11.0 ozs (0-day PHI)
  • Malathion® 2.0 pts (Curculio, Scale & Fruit Moths; 0-3-day PHI)

June 1 - Strawberry 3rd Cover & Harvest Spray/Blueberry 2nd cover/Grape 1st Cover/Bramble Bloom

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Pristine® 14.5 ozs (0-day PHI)
  • Malathion® 2.0 pts (Curculio, Scale & Fruit Moths; 0-3-day PHI)

June 15 - Strawberry 4th Cover & Harvest Spray/Blueberry 3rd Cover & Early Harvest/ Bramble 1st Cover/ Grape 2nd Cover

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Ph-D® 6.2 ozs (0-day PHI)
  • Sevin® 50W 4.0 lbs (sap beetle, 5-Day PHI)

July 1- Strawberry Renovation/Blueberry 4th Cover & Harvest/ Bramble 2nd Cover & Early Harvest/ Grape 3rd Cover

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Pristine® 14.5 ozs (0-day PHI)
  • Rally 40 W 4.0 ozs (Except Blueberry, 0-day PHI))
  • Brigade® WSB 12.0 ozs (0-3-day PHI)

July 15 - Strawberry Post Harvest/ Blueberry 5th Cover & Harvest/ Bramble 3rd Cover & Harvest/ Grape 3rd Cover & Veraison

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Switch® 11.0 ozs (0-day PHI)
  • Sulfur 95W 3.0 lbs (0-day PHI)
    or Kocide DF 2.0 lbs (0-day PHI)
  • Malathion 2.0 pts (0-3-day PHI)

August 1- Strawberry Post Harvest/ Blueberry 6th Cover & Harvest/ Bramble 4th Cover & Harvest/ Grape 4th Cover & Early Harvest

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Pristine® 14.5 ozs (0-day PHI)
  • Sevin® 50W 4.0 lbs (Japanese Beetle, 5-Day PHI)

August 15 - Strawberry, Blueberry & Bramble Post Harvest/ Grape 5th Cover & Harvest

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Elevate® 1.5 lbs (0-day PHI)
  • Phostrol® 4.0 pts (0-day PHI)
  • Sevin® 50W 4.0 lbs (Hornets – 5-Day PHI for All Fruit)

September 1 - October 30 - Strawberry Post Harvest/ Grape 6th Cover & Harvest

  • Captan® 50W 2.0 lbs (0-3 Day PHI & 2-Day REI)
  • Phostrol® 4.0 pts (0-day PHI)
  • Sevin® 50W 4.0 lbs (Hornets – 5-Day PHI for All Fruit)

November 25 - Fall Dormant

  • Lime Sulfur 10.0 gals
  • Kocide DF 2.0 lbs (0-day PHI)
HERBICIDES: [HRAC] *RATE NOTES ADDITIONAL NOTES
Gramoxone®  [22] 1.0 qts Burndown, Directed Spray  
Roundup® [9] 1.0 qts Burndown, Shielded & Directed Spray  
Devrinol® 50 DF [15] 4.0 lbs Spring/Summer 35-day PHI  
Princep® 4L [5] 1.0 qts Spring Dormant, Avoid High pH Soils  
Solicam® [12] 2.5 lbs Spring/Fall Dormant, 1-yr Established (Except strawberry)
Aim® [14] or Shark® [14] 2.0 ozs Directed Spray to Weeds, 3-day PHI  
Venue [14] 2.0 ozs Directed Spray, 0-day PHI (Grapes only)
Chateau [14] 12.0 ozs After Harvest to Spring Bud Swell (Except brambles)
Zeus Prime XC [14] 7.5 ozs Shielded Spray, 3-14 day PHI,
Avoid >7 pH soil, 2-yr Established		 (Except strawberry)
Surflan® [3] 2.0 qts Spring/ Summer, Prowl 60-day PHI (Except strawberry)
Poast® [1] 1.5 pts Summer Grasses, Variable PHI  
Sinbar® [5] 4.0 ozs Fall Dormant, 1-yr Established  

*Lowest use herbicide rate recommended initially
Consult label for specific fruit applications

Organic Approach Substitutions

Conventional Product Organic Certified Product (OMRI)
Captan® Surround® or Sulfur or Lime Sulfur
Rally® Kaligreen® (Powdery Mildew Eradicant)
Listed Insecticides Neem® or Pyganic® or Entrust® or Dipel®
Gramoxone® or Roundup® Avenger® or Burnout® or AXXE®/BioSafe® or (Scythe® no OMRI label)

* Important Note:

Important Note: The calendar spray dates given are an average estimate
for Anne Arundel and Prince George’s County small fruit production, and
may vary by location in Maryland. Be sure to adjust your spray schedule
application dates accordingly. The above recommendations very closely
reflect the current spray program utilized at the University of Maryland
Research and Education Center, Upper Marlboro Facility for its research
fruit plots. Remember to always “Read the Label”

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