New apple

[mike89]

We're all done with pears as of today. We picked the last dozen...... Pears seem to go every other year, last year's crop was minimal... this year we had quite a few.

Apples do that too.  Has to do with the tradeoff between making buds for next year or making fruit this year.   Thinning the fruit can help this problem, along with getting nicer fruit in the fall.    At least for apples.

OK why does my apple tree have apples every year and I mean it's full!!!  ground falls by the 5 gallon pail all the time.. deer love that!!!

[Rebel SS]

'Cuz Delmonaco is feedin' ya fake news!!! 

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[mike89]

'Cuz Delmonaco is feedin' ya fake news!!! 

dat funny!!!

[delcecchi]

Sevin is an insecticide that has a side effect of causing apple fruit drop.   It is sprayed after petals have dropped from blossoms and bees are no longer interested.   But they are your crabapples...

[Rebel SS]

The tree is 27' high. Impossible to spray. Sevin could still kill bees and butterflies thru indirect contact, and in the long term after spraying. That's an inappropriate use of an insecticide. I've put in some time and study with bees vs insecticides. This one I know about. Sorry Del, ol' boy, but the stuff is a bee killer no matter what. People shouldn't be allowed to use this in a home setting, IMO.

Concerns

When deciding when and how to spray your fruit trees, be aware that many domestic insecticides also affect beneficial insects such as bees, even long after spraying. For example, carbaryl, malathion and permethrin are toxic to bees and other harmless insects in the long term. Endosulfan is especially toxic and can harm birds; it also injures fish if the runoff from trees reaches streams or lakes. Horticultural oils are generally considered safe, with little impact on other insects, and pyrethrins are also low in toxicity.

Bee killer pesticides

Common name (ISO)   Examples of Brand names   Pesticide Class   length of residual toxicity   

Comments   Bee toxicity

Carbaryl[28  aka (a) Sevin,
(b) Sevin XLR

Carbamate; Sevin   Extremely High risk to bees

Foraging bees even 10 hours after spraying; 3 – 7 days (b) 8 hours @ 1.5 lb/acre (1681 g/Ha) or less.

Bees poisoned with carbaryl can take 2–3 days to die, appearing inactive as if cold. Sevin should never be sprayed on or near flowering crops, especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination. Less toxic formulations exist.   Highly toxic to all bees.

[Dotch]

http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ld5ER002.pdf

In the strictest IPM sense, it amazes me that this product is allowed to be used in such a manner when there are other alternatives as the label itself points out. Reb is 100% on the mark when it comes to collateral damage to other insect populations especially those that occur frequently within the confines of a lawn and garden scenario. It's not just honeybees, there are native species as well. I know in our own yard there are plenty of areas where there may be bees or lepidoptera occurring   A commercial operation may or may not present the same risk. However prophylactic use of pesticides is one of the fastest ways I know to render them useless for their original intended purpose.

We just saw that demonstrated locally this summer with soybean aphids no longer being controlled by synthetic pyrethroids. The notion that just tossing an insecticide in with a fungicide in order to save a trip regardless of whether the aphids were at threshold or even present in field to begin with represents very short term thinking. Now with the potential for chlorpyrifos getting its label yanked, that leaves us with only the neonicotinoids for their control. Already under fire for killing honeybees, neonics are also being used on the soybeans in the seed treatment. A little on soybean aphids: They bear live young. Each aphid bears about 8 or more young. All the live young are born pregnant so their potential to explode exponentially is phenomenal. It also gives them the upper hand when selection pressure is exerted on the population. Exposing them to not one but two doses of neonicotinoid in one season represents a potion for disaster.

Bottom line: We humans are damn slow learners. None of this stuff is sugar water and should be treated accordingly.

End of rant.   

[deadeye]

The apples in my yard didn't do so well this year.  I have a half dozen and only two had apples this year.  They may be getting old so two year ago I planted three more and they should be starting bearing fruit next year.  I have three plum trees that start out great but the birds destroy them before I get any.
Over the years I have planted quite a few apple trees at my land.  Probably around 40 regular apple trees along with about 20 flowering crab trees.  There are a few that just sprung up around some deer stands?  My guess is we ate apples while hunting and the seeds grew.  Go figure.  My plan is to some day say I am going to hunt by the "old apple orchard".   

[Dotch]

Think we're at around 20 crabapples after remembering a few planted in the CRP & EQIP acres. There are four main apple trees & two pear trees. The crabs are pretty loaded and the regular apple trees are loaded. This is the first year some of the crabs have been big/old enough to bear fruit. it's interesting to see how many different kinds there are. Some small yellow, some larger pinkish fruit, some red fruit, some erect growth habit, some more horizontal.

Made apple crisp yesterday for the car club picnic. I'm more of a pie person but had orders from the Mrs. who's in Mass. to make apple crisp as I might break a glass pie plate. Probably wise. Used the foil type pan & luckily I put an old cookie sheet under it in the oven. It ran crap all over! Wasn't proud of it but it still tasted great. Was told by other members I could screw up like that again any time; they wouldn't mind. Just bring ice cream next time!  Picked the pears this a.m. Good thing. They were changing and the wind coming thru here would've dropped a lot of them on the ground. Imagine I'll be picking up Honeycrisp apples when I get home from a visitation later this afternoon. 

[deadeye]

Dotch,
You are right about the crab apple colors. I have one that looks like it's full of giant plums.

Crabapples can be a thing of beauty in the spring.

[Rebel SS]

Yes they can, and smell great, too! 

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[mike89]

got some crab apples that canned and candied, good gosh are they good!!!!

[Rebel SS]

Well, come down here, and pick mine! I'll buy ya a 12 pack, and ya can get canned! Ya ain't got nothin' else to do, and neither do I! 

[mike89]

Well, come down here, and pick mine! I'll buy ya a 12 pack, and ya can get canned! Ya ain't got nothin' else to do, and neither do I! 

never know I could!!!   be careful what ya ask for!!!  but I'm sure it would be good time seeing your area!!!

[Rebel SS]

Well, ya should! Look what happened with Dotch! He was chasing little chinee sex bugs all over and sucking down my iced tea! Had to push him outta here! 
Then Mr. and Mrs Boober and I went out to *NOM*NOM*, while Glenn stayed back and played with ice cream pails!   

[roony]

I know I'm getting way off topic here but about the only time I use insecticides is when the cucumber beetles attack my vining plants. Dotch, what is the best method of eliminating these pests while doing the least possible harm to other, helpful six-legged friends?

[LPS]

Think we're at around 20 crabapples after remembering a few planted in the CRP & EQIP acres. There are four main apple trees & two pear trees. The crabs are pretty loaded and the regular apple trees are loaded. This is the first year some of the crabs have been big/old enough to bear fruit. it's interesting to see how many different kinds there are. Some small yellow, some larger pinkish fruit, some red fruit, some erect growth habit, some more horizontal.

Made apple crisp yesterday for the car club picnic. I'm more of a pie person but had orders from the Mrs. who's in Mass. to make apple crisp as I might break a glass pie plate. Probably wise. Used the foil type pan & luckily I put an old cookie sheet under it in the oven. It ran crap all over! Wasn't proud of it but it still tasted great. Was told by other members I could screw up like that again any time; they wouldn't mind. Just bring ice cream next time!  Picked the pears this a.m. Good thing. They were changing and the wind coming thru here would've dropped a lot of them on the ground. Imagine I'll be picking up Honeycrisp apples when I get home from a visitation later this afternoon.

Good job Dotch.  I bet you don't even own a lawn chair do you?  Why waste money on something you will never use.   

[Rebel SS]

Ya, but you should see his rocking chair....

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[Dotch]

I know I'm getting way off topic here but about the only time I use insecticides is when the cucumber beetles attack my vining plants. Dotch, what is the best method of eliminating these pests while doing the least possible harm to other, helpful six-legged friends?

Cucurbits are about the only thing I use insecticide on as well. Solved that problem: didn't plant any that made it this year! When we have vine crops, I don't spray unless or until I see the cucumber beetles. About the best thing you can do is to apply the insecticide(s) when bees and other non-target insects are not foraging, in other words towards evening.

[Rebel SS]

You and Delmar could have yer own diagnostic ag column...Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether...

[Dotch]

You and Delmar could have yer own diagnostic ag column...Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether...

Off of AP's debut album. An absolute R&R classic! 

[Rebel SS]

Darned tootin', scooter. 

[deadeye]

I took this on Tuesday while in my "bear" blind.  These deer are under an apple tree.  Unlike bears who eat until everything is gone, deer are browsers eating a little here and a little there moving then moving on.  They ate some apples but soon left to eat something else leaving many apples for the next deer.

[delcecchi]

I wondered about that, given how many apples I have laying on the ground.  The deer come through and eat a few...  Momma, two yearlings, and a newbie.