Winter Oil

Written by: Samira Haleemzai

Winter oil controls aphids, spider mites, and their eggs or will dissolve their protective waxing coating and prevents the diseases of trees. It is applied in the winter months when fruit trees are in their inactive period.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some gardeners about the use of winter oil.

A gardener, Hazrat Muhammad, a resident of Kabul province says, “Most of my garden’s trees are destroyed by pests and insects. Before, I was getting more than 600 thousand Afghanis benefits but now I could get only 200 thousand Afghanis benefits annually. I cannot prepare winter oil to apply it to the trees.”

Hayatullah, a resident of Paghman district, Kabul province says, “I have an apple garden and I was getting about 1 million and 200 thousand Afghanis benefits each year but later, some diseases effected our trees and they destroyed most of them. Last year, I could only get about 100000 Afghanis to benefit from my garden. Some gardeners use winter oil for this purpose but I could not prepare the mentioned oil.”

An agricultural expert, Muhammad Fahim Habibi says, “The winter oil is a mixture of water, detergent powder, baking soda, and mustard oil. Applying this oil to the fruit trees, prevent pests and insects from destroying trees in the winter.”      

Why do some gardeners think about applying winter oil to the trees?

A gardener from Kabul province says, “I have an apple garden and I apply winter oil on my trees before the winter and it prevents the fruit tree from destroying and prevent insects to attack the trees.”

Another resident of Kabul province, Jamshid says, “I apply winter oil in autumn to my garden. The winter oil keeps the tree warm in the winter and prevents them from pests and insects.”

Agricultural expert, Habibi says, “If the gardeners apply winter oil in the autumn to the fruit trees, it illuminates insects and pests in the cracks of the trees and prevents trees from any kinds of aphids and diseases.”

How to prepare winter oil?

Habibi says, “Add 50 grams detergent powder, two litters mustard oil, and 2 kilograms baking soda in one hundred liter warm water and then mix them well. This solution can be used for about 600 fruit trees.”