#%@# Aphids

[greyphase]

I'm assuming I've been attacked by aphids. My nursery trees looked so good a couple of days ago and now they look like this:mad:. I only see some aphids on a couple of trees but there are ants running around on most of the trees.

I sprayed with Bonide All Season spray oil yesterday. Will see if that takes care of them. Any other suggestions???

 

[Turkey Creek]

I would verify that you have aphids 1st. Your pictures arent typical of the aphid damage I have seen on my nursery trees. Looks like it is environmental stress of some sort.

 

[Don'tWorryIHuggedItFirst]

Sevin only thins at certain times. It is used up to fruit size of 20 mm and about 25 days post bloom. Using it at this time should have no thinning effect.

 

[sandbur]

Did you look under the leaves for aphids?
Are the trees near soybeans?

On small (non-fruiting) trees I have used a systemic product from Bayer that you add to water and apply to the root zone.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I've got some similar looking damage on the youngest growth of some of the trees at camp. I couldn't see any bugs of any kind on the leaves or stems. Maya suggested they may need more water. Young trees don't have big, established root systems. I don't know what could be wrong in potted trees that get watered regularly. I'll be interested to see if Maya jumps in on your pix with his opinion. I want to learn too !!

 

[greyphase]

Grey,

How wet are their roots?

With all the rain we've been having I haven't watered them for weeks. I add perlite to the soil mix to help with drainage.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Greyphase are those Rootpouches those trees are in? If they are in the sun and your temps have been aound 80 degrees or warmer you probably need to water them thoroughly every other day. I have some different shrubs growing in mine and they show water tress by the second day of no water.

 

[greyphase]

TC

Some are in root pouches, some are in plastic pots. It's got me scratchin' my head o_O.

 

[greyphase]

Grey,

Do you have any way of lifting them off the ground for a few days? If the roots are too wet then that might help. I have many of mine on sheets of plywood raised up on sawhorses. The ones in bags seem to like that better for my location.

If it were aphids you'd be seeing them on the bottom of leaves. The only other thing besides dampness would be your soil mixture. What are you using on these?

NH

I'm one step ahead of you :). Just finished putting most of the pouches & pots on rough cut 2X4's . That should give them a little air underneath to dry them out if that's the problem :confused:.
The grafts that have survived are planted in a mix of aged mushroom mulch, dirt and old horse manure.

 

[sandbur]

I always used upside down old milk crates to put my roottrapper bags on. If I didn't, I'd get roots penetrating the bags into the soil under them (and thus no root pruning)

My graft in the 3 gallon rootrapper is doing poorly. Maybe I need to elevate it. Your Kinder Crisp.

 

[Maya]

I would verify that you have aphids 1st. Your pictures arent typical of the aphid damage I have seen on my nursery trees. Looks like it is environmental stress of some sort.

I agree!

 

[sandbur]

Mine in a 5 gallon 'trapper isn't doing squat either...which is your Kazak apple :oops:

Maybe we better trade them soon!
I moved your tree up front so it would get more of the morning sun.

My grafts in the Jim buckets are doing great and 3 are out of the tubes. Two are whitneys and one is the garden crab.
Fastest growers are Golden Hornet, Kinder crisp (other than yours), my garden crab (now named Big Dog) and my neighbors crab (Guard Dog.)

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I have found that you can't overwater in rootrappers. All my trees in root trappers are doing great except the grafts that fizzled after over 2 months. I examined the roots and it looks like a root problem but I won't blame Cummins lol. By the way I keep my rootrappers on my tree deck which gets very hot when the sun comes out and the trees flourish

 

[buckvelvet]

I have serious APHID infestation at my house in my orchard. YIKES they are thick on the underside of the leaves, have to do some major sevin powder coat tonight.

 

[chickenlittle]

I had aphids on the new growth of about every tree in the farm orchard. My father had seen the ants and figured there were aphids but he did not mention it or spray. I was getting to know the ants well as I bud grafted. He sprayed most on Saturday and the ones I grafted soon. Should get rain today.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

What do ants and aphids have to do with each other ?? Ants prey on aphids ?? Just wondering.

 

[buckvelvet]

Sevin dust removes both sets of the quandary then?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Rent yourself a couple bears ......... they'll dig out your ant hills and eat all the ants & larvae for you !!! No harsh chemicals either. You may lose your entire apple crop too, but ........
hey - you'll take care of your ant problems !!!!:eek: :D

 

[buckvelvet]

I tried something on ant hills before. Can't remember what, wasn't sevin, and it looked to have no effect. They're tough to eliminate for sure.

Did you incorporate uncle Si with homemade napalm? :)