We have been in our new place for about a month now and the previous owners let it get pretty run down.. I have this huge glorious apple tree that I was looking forward to getting some serious use from, but now that my little green apples are starting to grow, I'm finding worm holes in them like crazy.. they are so small that they are hardly even apples yet, and the worms are already attacking!! Does anyone have any suggestions for protecting them?
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. James Stewart in the movie HARVEY
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts
Posted - Jul 14 2005 : 04:17:04 AM
It's too late for this year since the worms are already there. You'll want to keep the ground under the tree cleaned up to help control scab. Gardens Alive has organic treatments you can use to help protect the tree.
I had the same problem the first year we lived here with our old apple tree out back. The past two years it has been just fine...all I did was some clean up and pruning..which was badly needed.
Jenny in Utah The best things in life arn't things!
You might still be able to use the apples for sauce or apple butter or jelly. If the tree is not to big you could start this year by thinning out the apples that are already wormy and leaving the ones that look ok. If you compost the wormy apples be sure you have a hot compost pile to kill off any unhatched eggs and any living worms. I salvaged a lot of apple pulp from the unwormy parts of the apples that were here when we moved in. It made wonderful apple sauce. It is just a bit gross to cut out the wormy parts but worth it. Eileen
Wormy Apples!!
Posted - Jul 13 2005 : 11:17:45 PM
