Crabapple Rust

[Pondracer]

I just got the word today that the company I hired to spray my crabapples and hawthorn hired a guy who flaked out and didnt spray certain properties when he said he did. They say they only missed the last treatment out of three, but my trees are already showing yellow leaves and the brown spots.

I'm pissed, obviously as this was a wet year and I setup spraying early because its a mess when this happens, plus its bad for these trees. So two things I'd like comments on....

1) Care of Trees told me they can spray anytime during the year. Will this work after the problem has started?

2) The other guys want me to pay for the two treatments, I have not and I'm thinking of not paying them. I hate to do this because they are nice people and they typically do all of my tree trimming etc, but I can't see throwing the money away if they didnt do the job properly.

 

[pdqdl]

.....
1) Care of Trees told me they can spray anytime during the year. Will this work after the problem has started?

No. It is a complete lie. Timing of applications is critical to success. (Unless there is some fabulous new product I never heard of.)

2) The other guys want me to pay for the two treatments, I have not and I'm thinking of not paying them. I hate to do this because they are nice people and they typically do all of my tree trimming etc, but I can't see throwing the money away if they didnt do the job properly.

They are nice enough to admit that they cheated you by accident. Praise them for their candor. Then ask them why they are trying to cheat you deliberately. It is not your responsibility to make sure that they don't loose money because of their employee.

Make it perfectly clear that there are other companies you can call next year. Then invite them out to look at the trees and do an evaluation of the level of control that you are receiving for the two treatments. You need to look at other similar crab apple trees in your area to compare the results to. Be aware that not all varieties of crab apple are affected the same: some are very resistant, others get stripped every year.

Realisitically, though, the 3 treatments for apple scab and cedar apple rust are no guarantee of great results. Your goal should not be to eliminate the disease, because that just isn't going to happen. You should be trying to reduce the level of damage so that the trees are not disfigured from leaf drop. Weather often plays a significant role in how it turns out, so your lack of control might be weather related, too.