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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Sock Puppet Apples

I was actually supposed to do this back when the fruits were marble size to just after June drop — with intent to protect them from insects....

Too late for that, but I decided to go ahead and put the nylon “footies” on these Arkansas Black apples anyway. I’m hoping they will help deter chipmunks and other animals (at least get the nylons caught between their teeth), and also provide indication of possible trouble if I find that socks are being pulled off or if I actually find them with fruits on the ground, or empty socks with no corresponding fruits, I will be able to tell. Previously, I have found 2 or 3 gnawed or whole green ones on the ground. (I also pulled off 3 or 4 damaged fruits).

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My apples all get sooty blotch and fly speck fungus. Ideally I would have cleaned them before covering them, but I didn’t have the energy and also was afraid that at this late stage, undue handling might weaken or pull off the fruit stems. So I soaked these socks in Potassium Bicarbonate solution mixed with a bit of Magnesium Sulfate at regular spray strength first. I don’t know if that would help, but at least each fruit was thoroughly coated with the solution while the socks were wet and clung to the surface.

I counted them while I was at it, and there are 37 on this loosely espaliered tree. :D

JONA
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Oh Lordy Star. That’s some trouble you have to go through!
It’s the blasted birds that do so much damage to,my garden trees.
In the orchard we accept that the first couple of rows will get hammered, but in the garden it’s WAR!

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applestar
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Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

It’s helping already :D ...found this one hanging on, literally by threads this morning. If it hadn’t been sock-puppetted, it would have been lost among the strawberries growing under the trees. :roll:

Image
...it cleaned up nicely...



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