Apple Tree Grease Band

[Dottie]

Does anyone know if you can buy grease band for apples trees in places like Wilkinsons, or do I need to go to pop into a garden centre?

Alternatively, is it easy or worth the effort to make your own?

I've only 1 apple tree on my plot. Didn't do it last year, but this year at least half the crop had some grub in each apple, which then rotted the apples.

The tree is only 3 years old, so not much fruit yet. But the few I was able to eat, were a lovely eating apple. I don't know what variety it is, I rescued it as a dying rootstock when I took over the plot. Started it off in a pot and as it seems to survive the first year, I created it's own square wooden bed.

Now I just need to learn how to protect the fruit from bugs, hopefully without having to spray with chemicals.

[srodders]

I tried the grease bands and to be honest they didn't have much effect. You can get spray on grease which is better as it gets in all the cracks. you do have to watch out as small birds (and other small animals) can get stuck to the grease though. I resorted to pheromone traps in the end.

[Dottie]

I've just checked pheromone traps on Amazon, £10 seems a lot of money for a bunch of apples. Can you get them cheaper anywhere else?

[FB.]

The problem in your apples is probably codling moth, or possibly apple sawfly.

I would not expect grease bands to be particularly helpful in this instance.

The moths lay eggs on fruitlets in May-June and the grubs tunnel into the apples. You can try to disrupt mating with pheromone traps (mentioned above), but it's probably not worth the hassle for just a few fruits as there will be so many pests (moths/wasps/earwigs/birds) that until the tree is producing heavy crops, the pests will destroy all the apples.

Once the grub has got into the apple, it eats out the core, before crawling out and dropping to the ground, where it will pupate and then hatch out next spring. Raking the soil to expose the grubs to birds may help - and chickens will soon dig the grubs up and eat them! But the codling moths might still fly in from nearby trees, even if you try to keep the ground under your tree free of them.

Some apple varieties are very prone to attack by pests (or diseases) and sometimes you just have to give up and grow a different variety (but wait and see how it does when there are enough apples to share between you and the pests). I have a couple of apple varieties (Ellison's Orange and Scrumptious) that I use as sacrificial - the pests pile in to those and generally leave the rest of my apples alone.
Many August-September, well-flavoured, eating apples are attractive to pests. Sweetness, strong scent, bright orange-red colour, large size and thin skin also make apples more attractive to pests.
Fruits on the sunny side of the tree are more at risk of attack from codling.

[hailtryfan]

I've read that earwigs will eat codling moth caterpillars and that you can encourage them by hanging short lengths of hosepipe in the apple trees. Does anyone know if this approach is likely to be successful?

[FB.]

I've read that earwigs will eat codling moth caterpillars and that you can encourage them by hanging short lengths of hosepipe in the apple trees. Does anyone know if this approach is likely to be successful?

Earwigs will eat almost anything, but they can only eat the grubs while they are in the egg (on the apple) or in the brief time after hatching and before the grub has tunneled into an apple.
But if the food supply dries up, the earwigs will eat the apples too.

There are a number of predators out there that will eat codling, but when you have a whole brood of eggs from one female moth and only a handful of apples on a young tree, there will be so many larvae that some will survive the predators and all of the apples will be destroyed.

Have a read and look at posting number 7 and 8 on this thread > link <
That's how I deal with maggoty apples to salvage the edible parts.

[Dottie]

Thanks FB a very comprehensive reply and yes it sounds like my little tree kept a family of codling moths happy.

What time of year do I need to rake the soil around the tree? The plot next to mine also has a young apple tree, so as you say it's likely that I'll get them anyway. At least I get some lovely blossom to brighten up the plot, while I wait for my tree to mature.

[FB.]

Blackbirds may "rake" your plot.

The best time to rake is summer and autumn - the time when the grubs are dropping from the fruits.

You may be able to protect some of the fruits if you bag them (transparent food bags like you'd put fruit in at the supermarket). Bag them as soon as the petals fall off. Don't delay after petal fall, or the eggs will have been laid on the fruits.

[FB.]

Many August-September, well-flavoured, eating apples are attractive to pests. Sweetness, strong scent, bright orange-red colour, large size and thin skin also make apples more attractive to pests.
Fruits on the sunny side of the tree are more at risk of attack from codling.

Of course, if your apple tree is the only food source nearby, then the bugs and grubs will attack whatever is on offer as they can't afford to be fussy.
Even the usually-trouble-free varieties may suffer some pest damage when no other food source is available to the pests.

[Dottie]

Blackbirds may "rake" your plot.

The best time to rake is summer and autumn - the time when the grubs are dropping from the fruits.

You may be able to protect some of the fruits if you bag them (transparent food bags like you'd put fruit in at the supermarket). Bag them as soon as the petals fall off. Don't delay after petal fall, or the eggs will have been laid on the fruits.

Do you keep the bags on until the apples are ready to eat, or just keep them on for a set time? Seems like a good and simple thing to do while the tree is maturing, but will the apples not get sweaty or unable to breath?

[FB.]

The apples will be at risk of attack until you pick them. There are several generations of pests per season and the attacks often get worse.

You can pierce some pinpoint holes in the bags to prevent any sweatiness. There'll also be some gaps where the bags won't fit tight.

[chrisguk]

Apparently cutting the corners off the bags helps somewhat, by allowing some drainage of any water inside.

I bought some cheap ziplock bags of ebay but never bothered trying them.

With regards to spraying; whilst it isn't ideal, it certainly is effective. By spraying at certain times you'd only need to spray few and far between. I think this year i must of used pesticide 4 or 5 times, fungicide 2 or 3 times. If you want a decent crop then IMHO some form of non organic pest control is a must.

If its any consolation, the pesticide i use contains 100% natural active ingredients (apparently)

[FB.]

With regards to spraying; whilst it isn't ideal, it certainly is effective. By spraying at certain times you'd only need to spray few and far between. I think this year i must of used pesticide 4 or 5 times, fungicide 2 or 3 times. If you want a decent crop then IMHO some form of non organic pest control is a must.

If its any consolation, the pesticide i use contains 100% natural active ingredients (apparently)

Yes, if done properly (by following the instrucitons) spraying is highly effective. Each person has their own beliefs and tolerances when it comes to spraying, growing organically or growing spray-free.
Some varieties will not usually be successful unless sprayed, so if you really want a certain variety then you may have no choice.
Some parts of the country are easier to grow certain varieties than others. You may be lucky or unlucky and you need to work around the problems.

My aim is to try to perfect spray-free growing.

[Dottie]

I'm happy to give the bags a try and knowing they have to stay on the whole time, makes the process easy peasy. Thanks for all the advice.