Is it too late to put the footies on the apples? I live in Tacoma (W. Washington) and we've had a very slow start to summer. I have 7 apples trees and haven't gotten an edible apple in 5 years because of wormy apples and I was really hoping to protect them this year but got a little behind. Thanks in advance for the advice!
All I can say is "I hope not."
I put the remaining half of a half bag of the footies (dusty with Surround) on whatever looked like it deserved it this afternoon. I put the things on the biggest fruit in a clump, which I now see may not be the apple the tree favors. I pulled a footie off one that was now smaller than its neighbor, and found that the covered one was white and powdery. Mildew? Mold? Maybe it was already on its way to being a "June drop" and no longer being fed by the tree. Anyway, I think I made more informed judgments today than I did when I first started applying the things something over three weeks ago.
Jade, where are you with the other half of that bag?
mh
Actually, dsericks, the subject for this thread is “footies on apples.” And the reason I mention that, folks, is due to a massive influx of new membership posts - where little to nothing is said regarding fruit trees or the subject at hand, just short “great information” statements and others closely resembling the one above, by dsericks.
After the new member has been accepted, they’ll embed advertisement links within their previous post/s - and we’ll never see them again. In the meantime, several solid members will have answered their broad and unrelated questions in vain. When the link is discovered, the poster is banned and their post/s deleted, leaving a hole in our fabulous forum that bothers me.
So, here’s a question for you, perhaps even rude, dsericks; you live in the top apple growing state of this nation and you’re asking us “what kinds of apple trees are best for this are”? Here’s a short answer - any apple trees, pick your flavor. If you’ve a more in-depth question regarding the same, or, on topic - bring it on.
I'm pretty sure what got into almost all of mine last year was apple maggot. This [url:1pdiassy]http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1928/EB1928.pdf[/url:1pdiassy] sure looks like the damage. An Integrated Pest Management site [url:1pdiassy]http://toxipedia.org/display/ipmopedia/Apple+Maggot[/url:1pdiassy] suggests that the bugs start laying their eggs in early June, so we may both have been too late. I don't figure I'll know if my labors were useful until harvest. I now know why Japanese fruit is so expensive - it's a ton of work putting those things (I'm starting to call them "snoods," just because) on. I've left more than enough uncovered to do a comparison.
Okay, first of all, "dsericks" since your name is close to mine, I HAVE to answer you....tsk tsk.....I would definitely plant scab-resistant apples like William's Pride or Liberty or Spartan....(but next time we'll stick to the "thread" topic, right?)
As tothe main topic here: putting footies on in Tacoma, the short answer is "NO" it is not too late.
What you are a little late for is protecting for the codling moth which is laying eggs right now.....you are NOT too late for the more vicious pest, the apple maggot fly.....and that fly is way, way late this year. From the das.wsu.edu website you could read this (if you subscribed to this free service) for a Western Washington location near Seattle:
" Last Updated: 06/21/2011
Degree days since January 1st. = 847
Current Conditions:
Adult emergence is predicted at 1622 DD. No flies should be present yet nor for the next 10 days
Management:
No management actions are necessary"
In other words it could be the second week of July before the flies start emerging....(stay tuned...I dont know when 1622 degree days will be reached and Portland will reach it BEFORE Seattle because it was warmer this year).
So, anyway...... you can have 100% protection right now with the foot sox against the apple maggot fly in Tacoma, I believe.
The codling moth is a different story, however. You might put some Spinosad or a synthetic spray on your apples right now to kill the emerging larvae from the eggs that have already been put on the tree from the codling moth.....and THEN put on the foot sox.....this way you might have 80% protection as opposed to 50% protection from the codling moth (I just invented those percentages for conversation purposes).....but you know what? Even if you have codling moth damage in your apples, those larvae (the proverbial historical worm in the apple) can be seen and readily detected and the damage can be cut out at the end of the year....and, meanwhile you at least had 100% protection from the apple maggot fly.
Conclusion: If you live in Western Washington, put the footies on....I am doing so myself at the Piper's orchard tonight. http://www.pipersorchard.org
I think a good way to think about it is like this.
If I put them on the apple on May1 and they're marble sized, I'll likely prevent close to 100% of codling moth and apple maggot if I use the Surround ones.
For each time later, your percentage will decrease, but it goes to 95%, 90%, etc. Even if you put them on now and you prevent those on 85% of your apples, you are still getting a lot of good apples, which is way better than 0% or 5%.
Like DOn, I just guesstimated those percentages.
John S
PDX OR
The first apple maggot fly was spotted by a Seattle Tree Fruit Society person in Seattle on Friday, July 1st.....
just a heads up.....the numbers will of course increase as the month goes on.
(note: once again, Portland is different than Seattle and the micro-climates of each part of each city offer different results depending on other geographical conditions such as proximity to pavement, forest, or water mass).
Anyone seen them in Portland yet?
I'm now picking up dropped apples enclosed in footies, and confusing my test by reusing the footies on apples that remain on the tree. If the flies are laying now, I'd better mark the fruit I covered late. If they are already infested, I'll blame the failure not on the footies but on my timing.
mh
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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