?Hi Mary Jane,
I am a beekeeper but have quite a bit of experience with apple & peach 
trees.
Are you sure of your problem (brown rot) . In other words have you taken a 
sample to your extension person or another grower?

I assume you are talking about the ends of branches and fruit in the area 
turning brown? Not black as in fire blight?

Captan is most dangerous when in powder form. Once mixed in solution not so 
much. Captan is the big gun as far as *preventive* fungicides go but is only 
a preventive for the most part. Certain others (Ralley)will provide 
protection back  to say 72 hours.

Diluted milk is a joke I am afraid.

Afraid of using captan and considering using diluted milk gives me the 
impression you are not in the orchard business.

The resource Randy posted gives good information but there is a learning 
curve with pesticides and in the constant rain of last growing season in 
Missouri even close attention paid to fungicides failed to provide a high 
percentage of perfect fruit.

The largest orchard in Missouri sprayed three fungicides one week last 
spring and many times uses other fungicides in the same mix as captan.

In some years you can get near prefect fruit with what is available from wal 
mart but last year was not one of those years. I believe I recorded 31 days 
with periods of rain. Rain removes the fungicide protection to some degree.

In my orchard I always see problems but keep a close eye. Once I see the 
problem spreading I act with a product which works back a few days. I use 
captan as a preventive at season start and as I feel needed.

I do not use the USDA spray schedule. The schedule is mainly a guide for 
beginners. Using the guide is best when starting out but you will end up 
using more spray than needed *in my opinion* and not enough in some cases.

I basically use a minimum of  two pesticide sprays  for apples. One as soon 
as the bees are pulled and another 10-14 days later. A captan spray before 
the bees are placed and depending on rain one after the bees are pulled but 
may use another like ralley if I feel too late for captan.

I would never keep your hives in the orchard when you spray but a distance 
away is usually safe *if* you mow under the trees before spraying and spray 
after the bees have quit  flying and NEVER when blooms are on (except with 
certain fungicides and under certain conditions and best left to experienced 
growers)
Wet fungicides can spell problems for bees but *usually* not when dried.

I know you are confused by now but the above is pretty elementary stuff to a 
complicated subject and I would not have went into if you had not asked 
specifically about captan.

Captan *in my opinion* is the best preventive fungicide and not found at 
Wal-Mart so I know you asked a knowledgeable person . I am over cautious and 
use a respirator helmet with air pump, do not allow to get on skin and spot 
spray but with care using nitrile gloves (few dollars) , protection from 
skin and an organic pesticide respirator( $40) a few trees could be handled 
safely *if* you choose a no wind day. I would also recommend the same outfit 
for your other sprays.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison

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