From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Hudsonville, Michigan (michiganpumpkins@sbcglobal.net)

What works better? Spraying directly on the fruit? Or soaking towels and placing on the fruit? If towels, how long do you leave them on?
Frank

4/12/2004 10:25:42 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Frank, Don't spray on the fruit or it'll leave small brown pits which hurt the appearance and damage the skin. I soak towels and leave them on until they dry, several days, and then either take them off or pour more calcium mix on.
Kyle

4/12/2004 7:11:03 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Kyle what type of Ca are you using?

4/12/2004 7:34:21 PM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

The guys out West say spraying directly on the fruit is just fine without any problems. George Websters video with the professional says to go for it. Spraying on the leaves has no direct affect and it needs to go on the fruit.

4/13/2004 7:01:03 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Kyle,

What was the rate & when was it applied?

I applied the Nutrical here directly to the fruit with no issues. 2 oz per gallon with Hawkeye. But not until "post basketball" size. Maybe beachball. They seemed too soft prior to that time. No Alternaria or Fusarium fruit rots either.

Steve

4/13/2004 7:41:57 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I use Nutri-Cal 6-0-0. Ned does have a point because I do tend to make my concentrations a bit stronger than recommended BUT, with the particular product I use (and which I've been very happen with) I still have noticed skin discoloration even at the recommended rates. I always do spray directly on the leaves and my foliage last year looked in September like it did in July and August. The effect it has on foliage was amazing and my tissue tests confirmed how well the leaves absorbed it, as Tremor can attest. For safety sake tho, and I believe it absorbs better this way, I will still use towel soaks as there is no runoff and waste to worry about.

4/13/2004 7:49:39 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Steve....You know me, I used more than the recommended so that's my bad as far as the pitting I admit, my oversight. I still think towel soaks are better since you're not wasting with runoff.
Oh, and on my 650 Lloyd fruit last year which were "white", even light doses of calcium did tend to discolor a little but it could be cleaned off, you just had to go thru the hassle of cleaning it off....recommended rate there.

4/13/2004 7:53:36 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Good point regarding the use of towels & running off. I tried spraying fruit with no surfactant. The material beads up & runs right off. But when I added the Organo-silicone surfactant, the spray flowed smooth as silk & missed nothing. I only wished I'd used it from the beginning. This year I will.

4/13/2004 6:12:39 PM

Key West, FL

I soaked towels to apply calcium to my fruit, it burned it. The reason they burn kyle is because we mixed it too strong.

4/13/2004 7:33:03 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Yea, I mixed strong last year but never burned with towels Ben...hmmmm? I did however burn with direct spraying. Did you use liquid calcium nitrate Ben?
There must be a big variance in products out there.....Steve? Any input on that thought?

4/13/2004 9:04:52 PM

Hamilton, MT

Steve,
Regarding the surfactant - is this something to make the Ca stick, not bead up, on the fruit and leaf surface? Where does one find the stuff? It sounds pretty neccessary. Or would towel soaks replace the need?
Also, the soaked towels - same strength as drench or foliar or stronger? And how often/week?
I know I'll be trying this method this year.
Kim

4/18/2004 10:44:10 PM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

I wander what kind and why do you apply calcium to the fruit???
A comment on wet towels: maybe the fruit cooks underneath if exposed to the sun.
Jernej

4/19/2004 2:18:09 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Kim,

We make it. Brent Richey is selling it at:

www.SeedOutlet.com

Look for Hawkeye. The Greenflo liquid Calcium is there too.

I haven't heard of fruit being damaged by towels. I think it was Dave Stelts who pioneered this method. His comments can be found in the chat transcript at this website.

4/19/2004 7:10:52 AM

Hamilton, MT

Thanks Steve, I found it under insecticides. Not knowing much about it, is it just an additive to help stuff stick or is there some insecticidal quality to it as well?
Also, still curious about the towel concoction - strong? weak? how often?
Thanks,
Kim

4/19/2004 10:40:30 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

That's a curious thing. By itself, Hawkeye actually kills aphids much the same way soaps & soils do by suffocating them. But we cannot label it as such without adding greatly to an already expensice surfactant.

So Hawkeye is mostly used to make the things we apply stick better. Much better. Nothing I have ever done to my spray program for Powdery Mildew has had as great a positive impact. Even lousy fungicides work better than good ones if we add hawkeye to them.

I tested it at 4 times the label on Bean & Tomato seedlings in my greenhouse last year & found it safer on young growth than the conventional 8/20 or 70/30 non-ionic surfactants most folks use.

Whether fertility or pesticide, Hawkeye is probably the most cost effective improvement any of us can make to our programs.

4/20/2004 7:35:34 AM