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Thread: Any Apple Tree Experts Out There?

  1. #1
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    Any Apple Tree Experts Out There?

    I have a couple of apple trees in the back yard and I'm trying to find something that works to control apple maggot and apple scab. Over the last few years I have tried all kinds of sprays with no luck. Last year one of the local garden certers recommendad Malathion which did nothing for me. I used to use a product called Wilson Fruit Tree Spray which worked great but since pretty much any decent spray has been banned from up here I can't find something that works. Funny thing....as I understand the law...... I can go to the USA and bring back as much spray as I want that is banned up here legaly I just can't use it??? I should have bought a bunch of the Wilson spray as I could find when I knew they were going to ban it but I didn't. My other choice is to go to one of the many pick your own apple farms in the area (who have tons of great looking apples) and ask what they do. I'm pretty sure they can still use the sprays that we are not allowed to. We get hundreds of apples off the two small trees we have it's just that they are no good to eat. So if anyone has anything that works I would love to hear about it. Thanks

  2. #2
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    I'm not an expert but a quick search at bonide.com and enter your tree ailments in their search. Don't know if they're available in Canada though.
    Confidence: The feeling you experience before you fully understand the situation

  3. #3
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    You may want to look into organic methods. If my memory is working apple maggots live in the ground over the winter. Disturbing (tilling) the soil around the base of the tree out to the drip line helps to eliminate them. This should be done at the end of the season and the beginning.

    Here is more info > https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-g...-clean-1814710

    Apple scab is a fungus so a fungicide and keeping the area under trees free of leaf litter should help.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
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    Call your county extension agent. Thats what they are there for.
    < insert spurious quote here >

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the help guys..... Jerry....I looked on the Bonide website and they have a product Called Fruit Tree Spray that I think would work but no way to order it online. I sent them a note to see if there is a way I could get it.
    Jim..... thanks for the link....
    Stan....I have no idea what a county extension agent is!! ....Maybe they have them in Kansas City but not here.

  6. #6
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    Sorry Barry. I missed that you're in Canada. In the US I think almost every county has an office (an extension) to advise farmers and non-farmers on growing things, including soil testing and pest control. County Agent is the common term*. I think it's funded through state and/or federal Departments of Agriculture. And universities in agricultural states often provide such advice as well.

    Also, in urban areas, there are gardening clubs with expertise. But your idea of contacting a local orchard is pretty good.



    * the most famous being Hank Kimball from the '60s sitcom, Green Acres.
    Last edited by Stan Calow; 03-21-2023 at 12:07 PM.
    < insert spurious quote here >

  7. #7
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    Barry, another pest to consider is ants. They may not directly affect your fruit or trees, but the often carry fungus spores on their feet. They also farm aphids.

    There is a product that I have used to stop them from climbing trees called Tangle Foot. It is a sticky substance that can be applied around the tree near the ground to keep ants from climbing the trunk.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Barry, another pest to consider is ants. They may not directly affect your fruit or trees, but the often carry fungus spores on their feet. They also farm aphids.

    There is a product that I have used to stop them from climbing trees called Tangle Foot. It is a sticky substance that can be applied around the tree near the ground to keep ants from climbing the trunk.

    jtk
    Thanks Jim...certainly something to consider...

  9. #9
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    Bordeaux mixture is the classic for fungus on fruit trees. It is no longer sold in the USA. But I bought copper sulfate and lime no problem. Just mix fresh for every use. The copper sulfate is about $1.50 per pound. Lime was $3.00 for 50 pound bag at tractor supply. Mix was about three ounces each per gallon of water. So pretty cheap. Do not go overboard and flood copper into the ground water.
    Bill D.

    https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/...%20fruit%20set.

    https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/...ental%20plants.

  10. #10
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    I've tried so many things I can't remember them all. Lime Sulfer and Dormant oil spray, copper powder mix , insectidal soap, Malathion, Fungiside....and the list goes on. The only thing tyhat reallyu worked was the Wilson Fruit Tree Spray. I see it on Amazon as Wilson Fruit Plus but it says "can't be shipped to your location (because I'm in Ontario) If i moved to Quebec I could get it!!!!! I contacted Bonide.com that Jerry suggested aafter I saw a product on their website that would work but they got back to me that they don't sell outside the USA and the product I want has been discontinued. There is a product on Amaqzon called Bioprotec I could get that is for apple scab but I'm more interested in getting rid of the maggot.

  11. #11
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    Many, many moons ago I played with some apple trees here at home and didn't have any luck with the trees themselves. But I was anticipating problems and did some research. I remember reading about traps for the maggot flies that were red balls that were coated with tanglefoot and some type of bait applied. It was supposed to attract the flies and they would land to lay their eggs and get caught in the tanglefoot.

    You could check Gurneys or Burpees for information about the traps. Here's some links that may help you.

    https://treefruit.wsu.edu/crop-prote...apple-growers/
    https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/arti...le-production/
    https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/apple-maggot

    Good Luck
    Confidence: The feeling you experience before you fully understand the situation

  12. #12
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    I spray liquid copper for fireblight, rally 40wsp as a fungicide and Malathion and liquid sevin (carbaryl) as insecticide. Not sure if any of that is available in your area.

    Wilson's is basically the same except captan as the fungicide instead of rally
    Last edited by Jared Sankovich; 03-22-2023 at 9:35 PM.

  13. #13
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    Thankjs Jerry.... I saw something about those red traps and started looking into it... https://www.arbico-organics.com/prod...ct-traps-lures But as usual they only distribute in the States. I did find a listing on ebay but at 2 traps for $85 US plus $24 shipping there is no way I'm payingh that! If anyone knows of a company that sells the traps like in the link please let me know... I've pretty much failed at finding any that I can get sent up here.....

  14. #14
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    Those seem to just be red balls you coat with tanglefoot. The females try to lay eggs on the balls and get stuck. I bet the color needs to be uv reflective not nessacaryily red.
    Bill D.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry McFadden View Post
    Thankjs Jerry.... I saw something about those red traps and started looking into it... https://www.arbico-organics.com/prod...ct-traps-lures But as usual they only distribute in the States. I did find a listing on ebay but at 2 traps for $85 US plus $24 shipping there is no way I'm payingh that! If anyone knows of a company that sells the traps like in the link please let me know... I've pretty much failed at finding any that I can get sent up here.....
    Yeah you could make those red balls. If I remember it was about 3-4 inches in diameter with a screw eye for hanging and get this ...... painted apple red to visually attract the flies.
    Confidence: The feeling you experience before you fully understand the situation

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