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addison Il

hi all me again with another question i just love to ask
Im not risking my plants with the cukes this yr so im ordiring merit from pumpkinsupply. My question is where can i find info on merit for a person like me who has no clue what shes doing but wants to make sure no cukes touch her patch
i need to know when to apply merit?
im looking to add it to the soil will the plants suck it up?
how do you apply it? i have a hose end sprayer thingy
how long does it last and when to reaply?
how effective is it?
how much will i need to cover my patch?
can it be used with corn as the nasties attack sisters corn?
any help is greatly apprieciated i priced grubex and it will break my budjet for the coverage i need or mabye not depends on how far grubex can be spread
just so you know my indvidual patch is 150x250 hope its big enough

3/23/2006 9:59:15 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Merit is a systemic Apply as a soil drench at Planting. Then again around the 4th of July. It lasts roughly 90 days. Be aware that as a systemic insecticide the cukes will still come and chew on your plants..Then Die.. Unlike a contact insecticide were they just die.

3/24/2006 9:12:26 AM

addison Il

so how do you apply it come the 4th if the plants are well into the growing and does it affect pollination?

3/24/2006 10:54:44 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

curvy,

I just did a saerch for some old posts that I put up in the past.

Check these out:

Merit 75WP: use 4 level teaspoons to cover 1000 sq ft regardless of the water. Think of the volume of water as a car carrying four passangers on a one mile journey. The same 4 passengers could also ride in a bus (more water), but the distance travled is still the same.

It's the water applied afterward that matters. A slow & gentle watering that siaks in without puddles is critical to placing the material in contact with roots.

4 teaspoons in 1-2 gallons is confortable for most people. But first timers should spray an entire 1000 sq ft area with plain water first to discover how much water will work for them.

There is no right or wrong amount of water to use. Just so long as it is applied evenly & in the same volume every time.

3/24/2006 11:53:51 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Here's another:

"All Imidacloprid formulations are produced using technical grade Imidacloprid that is manufactured by Bayer CropScience. The asterisk* denotes a version not labeled for use on cucumber, squash, pumpkin, etc. But pumpkins can't read. All rates are calculated per acre first. Then I'll divide by 43.56 for the rate per 1000 sqaure feet.

It is best to apply Imidacloprid a week or two prior to planting out in at least 2 gallons of water per 1000 square feet then water it in slowly without puddling. This will control Cucumber Beetles, SVB, & Aphids for about 90 days.

Then repeat the same drench application also watering in at 90 days to cover the rest of the season.

First the Flowable liquid formulations:

Bayer Tree & Shrub*........1.47% Imidacloprid 233-350oz/acre
Bayer Merit 2F*...........21.40% Imidacloprid 16-24oz/acre
Bayer Admire 2F...........21.40% Imidacloprid 16-24oz/acre
Bayer Provado 1.6F*.......17.40% Imidacloprid 20-30oz/acre

Now the various Wettable Powder formulations:

Merit 75WP*...............75.00% Imidacloprid 6.4-8.6 oz/acre
Merit 75WSP*..............75.00% Imidacloprid 6.4-8.6 oz/acre
Provado Solupak*..........75.00% Imidacloprid 6.4-8.6 oz/acre

So........

Bayer T&S.....................5.35-8 oz per 1000 square feet
Merit 2F...................10.3-15.4 ml per 1000 square feet
Admire 2F..................10.3-15.4 ml per 1000 square feet
Provado 1.6F...............12.8-19.3 ml per 1000 square feet
Merit 75WP & 75WSP..3-4 level teaspoons per 1000 square feet
Provado Solupak.....3-4 level teaspoons per 1000 square feet

There are also 4 different granular formulations that are also not labeled for cucumbers."

3/24/2006 11:54:44 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Here's the deal.

You can use a hose-end sprayer, small pump sprayer, back-pack, even a watering can. The volume of water & size container doesn't matter too much but most people are comfortable using 1-2 gallons of water per 1000 square feet.

Practice covering 1000 sq ft with plain water before treating so that you know how long it will take to cover the entire area EVENLY. You don't want to run out early or have anything left over.

2 weeks before you plant (APRIL 15th?) make sure the entire patch is loose & level. Place 4 level Teaspoons into whatever device you feel comfortable with using. Shake it up so everything is even mixed & spray it evenly on the entire 1000 sq ft area.

Water gently afterward so there is no puddling. This is why you have the soil loose & level. You're looking to apply a half inch of irrigation water so place a straight sided can (tuna fish or cat food) under the sprinkler to measure the accumulation.

This treatment will last about 90 days controlling Cucumber Beetles, Aphids, White flies & maybe even suppressing Squash Vine Borers (weak on SVB). So repeat this treatment around JULY 15th. Yes, there will be vines running. That's OK since you'll have gotten pretty good by practicing & making the initial April application. Follow the same mixing & application procedures outlined here & you'll be fine.

There will be no imapct on pollination if you schedule this way.

3/24/2006 12:13:32 PM

Michigan

great post Tremor! Thanks, you answered some of my questions about Bayer Tree & Shrub as well!

3/24/2006 5:08:29 PM

addison Il

thanks for the help thats why i love this site

3/25/2006 1:08:36 PM

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Tremor,

Your calculation provides the volume of insecticide per 1,000 square feet, but what concentration of Imidacloprid will do the job?

For example: if you use Bayer Tree & Shrub at a concentration of 1.47% Imidacloprid will you need 51 times the volume to get the same concentration as Merit 75WP at 75% Imidacloprid?

1.47 x 51 = 75

Feel free to correct me if I am making incorrect assumptions. I am just trying to evaluate the purchase price vs. how much I need to buy, and how to get the best deal.

TomV

4/7/2006 12:23:47 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

TomV

Let's check the math right here. The Bayer T&S is a flowable. The Merit 75WP is a wettable powder. So we have to do some conversions here. Either way, the correct rate is .3lbs Active Ingredient per Acre (AI/A).

.4 lbs of a 75%WP = .3lbs AI/A...this is 6.4 oz (dry weight).

20.4 lbs of a 1.47% solution = .3 lbs AI/A. 20.4 lbs solution @ 10 lbs per gallon = about 2 gallons of Bayer T&S 1.47% per Acre to get .3 lbs AI/A. 20.4 lbs (solution) = 326.4 oz (by weight)

6.4 to 326.4 = 51 so the math works by your reasoning after conversion.

It would be a lot cheaper to buy a 2 oz bottle of Merit than 2 gallons of Bayer T&S.

4/7/2006 9:41:57 PM

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Tremor,

Thanks for the reply and the explanation.

Your math and conversions have allowed me to estimate how much I need to apply to my patch.

I appreciate the reply on this question, and I hope it helps everyone that is new to controlling the insects that have had a negative impact on our pumpkin potential.

TomV

4/8/2006 4:42:20 PM