I was wondering if anyone knows of a good, effictive organic "something"
that can be used on apple trees to prevent or at least control insects. I would appreciate any help. Thanks!
Help with insect control on apple trees please
Hi everyone. This is my first post after my introductory one.
I was wondering if anyone knows of a good, effictive organic "something" that can be used on apple trees to prevent or at least control insects. I would appreciate any help.
Thanks!
I was wondering if anyone knows of a good, effictive organic "something"
that can be used on apple trees to prevent or at least control insects. I would appreciate any help. Thanks!
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ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Of course this time of year the tree is dormant. I was just thinking about spring (who isn't) 
Last year my tree, I think is a golden delicious, produced alot of apples but when they were about ping pong ball size, they all turned brown and rotted and fell off the tree. First time that happened! Previous years, the leaves got spots and the small green apples fell off. Is it insects or maybe something else? And if you know, is there something I need to do early in the season.
Thanks so much for your help!
Last year my tree, I think is a golden delicious, produced alot of apples but when they were about ping pong ball size, they all turned brown and rotted and fell off the tree. First time that happened! Previous years, the leaves got spots and the small green apples fell off. Is it insects or maybe something else? And if you know, is there something I need to do early in the season.
Thanks so much for your help!
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30541
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Apples are susceptible to fungal diseases. For preventive, I start spraying with milk solution as soon as humid/muggy season arrives. Originally introduced as 10% Milk Solution (1:9 milk and rain/filtered/de-chlorinated water), discussions among the forum members have concluded that somewhat higher concentration like 20-25% milk of any kind including powdered and adding some yogurt culture or whey and letting the solution sit in room temperature to culture a bit helps even more. Strain/filter before pouring into a sprayer.
Even before the humid season, I start spraying with AACT. Check the Aerated Compost Tea sticky in the Compost Forum for details. Once Milk Spray regimen begins, I spray on alternate schedule.
If you don't have a good beneficial insect population in your garden yet, it's a good idea to release beneficial insects.
- Generally ladybugs are said to fly away and not be much help unless they come to the garden in response to increased pest population. In my garden, there is an automatic arrival of ladybugs as aphid pressure increases in spring. they lay eggs and soon there are ladybug larvae all around to eat them.
- Green lacewings are available as eggs and are easier to release.
- Praying mantis egg cases are also good way to release large population of pest eaters.
- My garden is full of spiders of all kinds. I feel reassured by the way they grow that they are getting their fill of various bugs. (I'm not saying release them, but don't kill them
)
Also easiest to grow flowering plants that attract other beneficial insects like tiny hover flies, aphid mummy maker wasps, caterpillar paracitizing trichogramma and braconid wasps. At simplest, let a patch of lawn grass grow and go to flower. Check out the Beneficial Insects thread sticky for more ideas.
Finally, this is something I haven't had the chance to really test for effectiveness, so I cant give you assurance from personal experience, but there is a product called Surround. It's a fine particle clay that you mix with water and spray. It is supposed to block many pest insects and some diseases. I will (again) try to make use of it this growing season. One use that I want to test in addition to using on my fruit trees is dipping seedling brassica in the solution to ward off cabbage white butterflies from laying eggs on them.
Even before the humid season, I start spraying with AACT. Check the Aerated Compost Tea sticky in the Compost Forum for details. Once Milk Spray regimen begins, I spray on alternate schedule.
If you don't have a good beneficial insect population in your garden yet, it's a good idea to release beneficial insects.
- Generally ladybugs are said to fly away and not be much help unless they come to the garden in response to increased pest population. In my garden, there is an automatic arrival of ladybugs as aphid pressure increases in spring. they lay eggs and soon there are ladybug larvae all around to eat them.
- Green lacewings are available as eggs and are easier to release.
- Praying mantis egg cases are also good way to release large population of pest eaters.
- My garden is full of spiders of all kinds. I feel reassured by the way they grow that they are getting their fill of various bugs. (I'm not saying release them, but don't kill them
)Also easiest to grow flowering plants that attract other beneficial insects like tiny hover flies, aphid mummy maker wasps, caterpillar paracitizing trichogramma and braconid wasps. At simplest, let a patch of lawn grass grow and go to flower. Check out the Beneficial Insects thread sticky for more ideas.
Finally, this is something I haven't had the chance to really test for effectiveness, so I cant give you assurance from personal experience, but there is a product called Surround. It's a fine particle clay that you mix with water and spray. It is supposed to block many pest insects and some diseases. I will (again) try to make use of it this growing season. One use that I want to test in addition to using on my fruit trees is dipping seedling brassica in the solution to ward off cabbage white butterflies from laying eggs on them.
