Lime sulfur
Lime sulfur is a pesticide solution made by reacting lime with sulfur, chiefly used against fungal diseases and certain pests on plants.
Calcium polysulfide: A family of compounds containing calcium ions and chains of sulfur atoms, formed in lime sulfur solutions. These sulfur-rich compounds are the principal active ingredients in many lime sulfur formulations.
Apple scab: A fungal disease of apples and crabapples caused by Venturia inaequalis, producing dark lesions on leaves and fruit. Lime sulfur has been used in orchard programs to suppress apple scab, especially around early infection periods.
Wettable sulfur: A finely divided sulfur pesticide formulated to disperse in water for application to plants. Unlike lime sulfur solution, it is elemental sulfur suspended in water and is generally less caustic.
Pesticide toxicity: The capacity of a pesticide to cause harmful effects in humans, animals, plants, or other organisms. Lime sulfur’s corrosive solution and hazardous reactions make toxicity central to handling.
Hydrogen sulfide: A colorless, toxic gas with the characteristic odor of rotten eggs, produced when sulfides react with acids. Acidifying lime sulfur can release this hazardous gas, making incompatible mixtures dangerous.
Peach leaf curl: A fungal disease of peach and nectarine trees caused by Taphrina deformans, which distorts young leaves. Dormant lime sulfur sprays can help protect susceptible trees before spring infection.
Elemental sulfur: A naturally occurring chemical element commonly used as a pesticide and industrial raw material. It is the broader sulfur pesticide category from which lime sulfur’s distinct chemistry departs.
Pesticide drift: The movement of pesticide droplets or vapor away from the intended treatment area during or after application. Drift from lime sulfur sprays can expose people, animals, and neighboring vegetation to injury.
Contact fungicide: A fungicide that acts on pathogen surfaces rather than moving systemically through plant tissues. Lime sulfur controls exposed pathogens through direct contact rather than internal transport.
European red mite: A plant-feeding mite, Panonychus ulmi, that damages fruit trees by sucking contents from leaf cells. Lime sulfur has been used as a dormant treatment against overwintering mite stages.