Caterpillar attack on apple trees - help and advice please.

[marchogaeth]

It never occurred to me that apple trees bought from a reputable nursery would come with resident problems! Lesson learned.

Our two year old apple trees which were planted Jan/Feb this year are showing clear signs of Mottled Umber Moth, Winter Moth and Tortrix Moth. We are picking off everything we can find but the Tortrix Moths are really hard to get at.

How can we get rid of these now?
Is it worth putting grease bands on now? (ie how long will these keep attacking for)

I was going to post to ask about feeding anyway, so what is the best feeding policy for this year? I can put a mulch of well rotted goat muck aropund the bottom if that is any good. I know not to have it touching the bark.

Thanks in advance.
M

[FB.]

How can you be certain that the caterpillars came with the trees?
I have never seen caterpillars brought-in.
Only phytophthora, with canker or mildew on rare occasions - there are a few nurseries which I would never have dealings with again due to various diseases.

Grease bands won't stop them now. They may not stop them in future, either, if they are flying-in from nearby apple trees (which may be how yours got them).
Grease bands are most effective for stopping ants farming aphids. But other people's trees nearby will act as reservoirs for other insects if they are not using grease bands.

I am curious as to the varieties, the rootstocks, and where they are being grown.
Just how bad is the damage? A bit of tattiness on some leaves, or have the trees been stripped bare?
Depending on adequate vigour of the variety, rootstock - and the soil quality - the tree may well be fine and eventually regrow what was damaged.

Birds are actually programmed to investigate tatty leaves, as it is a sign of insect damage - and an easy meal.
Additionally, a plant which is being eaten will often produce toxic substances at the sites of insect-nibbles. This causes the insects to have to move on to another leaf or risk being poisoned - and therefore the leaf has to be eaten quickly by the caterpillar, or the caterpillar has to find another leaf.

In my area, numerous small birds eat all the caterpillars (sparrows, robins, finches, bluetits, blackbirds, wrens and many others) and if the birds don't get the caterpillars, the wasps often sting them to death and carry them back to their nest as food. It is extremely rare for me to see more than the odd solitary caterpillar on any of my fruit trees.
I would therefore think that picking-off by hand, coupled with birds, should deal with them.

[marchogaeth]

FB Star advice and information - thanks.

How can you be certain that the caterpillars came with the trees?
I have never seen caterpillars brought-in.
Only phytophthora, with canker or mildew on rare occasions - there are a few nurseries which I would never have dealings with again due to various diseases.

Answer is I can't be sure. I assumed they must have been in the soil around the root ball. I'd say it was a very long way to the nearest apple tree of any sort but the wind here is strong! Also would they be on wild cherry trees which we have in abundance?

Grease bands won't stop them now. They may not stop them in future, either, if they are flying-in from nearby apple trees (which may be how yours got them).
Grease bands are most effective for stopping ants farming aphids. But other people's trees nearby will act as reservoirs for other insects if they are not using grease bands.

This is worth knowing, thanks, as in the references I've read grease bands seem to be offered as the main preventative solution.

I am curious as to the varieties, the rootstocks, and where they are being grown.

Lord Derby - Apple Tree Rootstocks M25
Bramley Apple Tree Rootstocks M25
10 Cider Apple Trees M25 Rootstock

You were kind enough to advise on the spacing

Just how bad is the damage? A bit of tattiness on some leaves, or have the trees been stripped bare?
Depending on adequate vigour of the variety, rootstock - and the soil quality - the tree may well be fine and eventually regrow what was damaged.

Birds are actually programmed to investigate tatty leaves, as it is a sign of insect damage - and an easy meal.
Additionally, a plant which is being eaten will often produce toxic substances at the sites of insect-nibbles. This causes the insects to have to move on to another leaf or risk being poisoned - and therefore the leaf has to be eaten quickly by the caterpillar, or the caterpillar has to find another leaf.

In my area, numerous small birds eat all the caterpillars (sparrows, robins, finches, bluetits, blackbirds, wrens and many others) and if the birds don't get the caterpillars, the wasps often sting them to death and carry them back to their nest as food. It is extremely rare for me to see more than the odd solitary caterpillar on any of my fruit trees.
I would therefore think that picking-off by hand, coupled with birds, should deal with them.

We'll carry on hand picking. The trees are not stripped bare and we have a healthy bird population. It's just the worry of any check in this establishment year; I've had to hand water them becasue it was so hot and dry after planting; then it's been freezing cold after they started growing and a couple have lost the top few inches of main stem - didn't need anything else!

What about feeding to keep them growing on? They had bonemeal in the planting holes.

Thanks again.

[FB.]

Nitrogen (N) for leaves and shoots.
Phosphorus (P) for roots.
Potassium (K) for flowers, fruit and disease resistance.

So lots of nitrogen, with a moderate amount of phosphorus and potassium.

Fertilisers were discussed on the following topic:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...res_63891.html

A good mulch with manure or compost will lock-in moisture.

Ironically, here in Cambs, we usually have hot, dry weather.
This year has been the wettest, dullest and coolest since records began over 100 years ago (the dullness also shows in the low generation of my solar panels).
Some of my fruit trees are still dormant.

We had record low temperatures for days on end (about -14'C night and -5'C day).
We went from 2nd April to 10th May with rain/showers/drizzle every day; 41 consecutive days with precipitation! That's more than we'd normally have in several months!
Fields are flooded. Lakes are full. My water butts have had to be partially emptied on several occasions (and I've stored as much as I can in buckets and bottles!).

[marchogaeth]

Whereas, on my "cold, wet, North facing slope" I am looking at my gooseberries and thinking about how many to thin down to and wondering when I need to put nets over the black and red currants which amazingly didn't seem bothered by the frosts and icey winds, having produced buds in February.

41 days with rain? Not sure we have that many without rain in a typical year. We have less than 30 days without a wind and when it is still the midges come out to play!