Subject: Re: New Owner of fruit trees needs info...

From: "counides,m" <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Jul 1996 19:21:01 -0700

Find a local good nursery that sells fruit trees and ask them about care. 
 They know your local conditions, pests and varieties and brand names. I 
spray apples a lot and stone fruit very little but that is what works 
here.

Naomi Counides
Associated Beefalo of Idaho

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From: [email-masked] (Frank C. Side)
Date: Thu, 04 Jul 1996 03:16:27 GMT

Hi,

I just bought a house in NDG Montreal. In the yard, I have an apple
tree, a pear tree and a prune tree. I'm totally thrill!!

The apple and pear trees are full of fruits. Some people tell me that
if I don't spray the trees with something, only insect will get to eat
the fruits.

I have no experience whatsover with any kind of culture. I was hoping
that someone could tell me that basics that I have to do to get some
fruits at the end of the summer. Or if you could direct me to good web
sites where I could get some info and facts.

Thanks,
Frank-the-green

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From: [email-masked] (Rick Young)
Date: Fri, 05 Jul 1996 17:34:41 -0800

>sites where I could get some info and facts.

Check fruit books and pruning books at your library for details.

Spray trees in winter with fungicide and/or dormant oil sprays.  These
typically are fairly safe and environmentally friendly.

Codling moth (actually their grub or worm) may be the main insect that
will damage your apples and pear.  The insecticides that are typically
available in local stores kill all insects, including bees and beneficial
insects.  Try to avoid them.  There are pharomone traps that can be used
to trap the male moth. Depending on the moth population and you desire for
un-bug-eaten fruit, you may need to also spray.  If so the trap is used to
monitor the moth activity and determine if and when you need to spray. 
There are insecticides that are more selective and less environmentally
damaging that those of the major chemical companies, but you usually have
to mail order them.  I am trying something called "Ryania" because it has
"low mammal toxicity which is appealing because my dog likes to pick up
fallen fruit.  Some of the states university or agricultural extensions
are on the internet and have more information. There is also information
about insecticides and toxicity in some data bases on the internet. I
forget where, but they can be found with internet searches (try "codling
moth" and name of insecticides). I have found the book "Rebugging Your
Home & Garden" by Ruth Troetschler (& 4 others) published by PTF Press
(ISBN 0-9648515-0-3) to have a lot of useful information on pest control
including codling moth, other fruit tree pests, insecticide information,
and sources.

There is suppose to be a Viral Insecticide, I assume it is very selective,
that is becoming available to control Codling Moth.  I understand that in
some areas it has received the needed regulating government body
approvals.  It is only experimental here in California. Look into it.

A source good for organic controls (Ryania and possibly the Viral
Insecticide) is Gardens Alive! 812-623-3800.

The reason for my spending so much time writing this is: That the most
common and most easily obtained insecticides kill all insects.  There are
honey bees, native bees, and beneficial insects which you what to avoid
killing with such insecticides.  The wild honey bees are being killed off
by two types of mites and a virus carried by one of the mites. They need
all the help we can give them to survive. Other pollinators need to be
encouraged and allowed to take the place of the dwindling honey bees. The
native bees and beneficial wasp often live in the ground and places where
you may not expect them (I have just discover some in the ground in my
yard). You can and will kill them (polinators and beneficial insects) with
these insecticides if they are nesting in the area you spray.  You have
options to the non-selective, kill all insecticides which include using no
insecticides at all if beneficial insects, traps, summer oil sprays
(controls some of the other insects) and other ³organic² controls are
adequate.  But if you must use insecticides seek out the more selective
and less environmentally damaging ones which you may have to mail order. 
Don't use insecticides when your fruit trees are in flower. Before
spraying any insecticide look at the plants that are under the trees and
areas the spry will drift to for bees (and flowers) and don't spray if
bees (or flowers they will get nectar from) are present.  Possible
exceptions might be the Viral or other highly selective insecticides (BT,
Bacillus thuringiensis, bacteria used as a control) which may not harm
bees at all, Check labels.

Thin fruit in spring when fruit is very small.  You can prune trees at
this time and/or later in summer.  This is called summer pruning and is
being recommended by some people as being better than or a replacement or
supplement for winter/dormant pruning.

- Rick
- Rick  (EMail: [email-masked])