Hey all,
So I've been doing a ton of reading this winter, and the book I just finished is "The Apple Grower" by Michael Phillips. Although this book is geared towards giving COMMERCIAL orchards a primer on organic/biodynamics I think that for those of us who are growing apples for ourselves as well as deer this might be a good deal. I generally don't like applying pesticides, although there are definately a few exceptions (A/O, barberry, etc..), just because I think that since this is a leisure property, I'd be better suited to working my own goals into the already existing systems of the environment. I've no need for "clean" plots, and certainly not for spotless fruit. That being said, I do want some success in what I do, especially when it comes to apples, but I'm certainly not one to get undies in a bunch if I try something and it doesn't work.
Long story short, Michael very much promotes the use of Surround Kaolin Clay for control of PC and a few others. He says that it will also make Japanese Beetles (and others) not want to land their because of the small particles "clogging them up". From what I know of bug anatomy, this makes sense. I'm grafting over a few OLD full size trees in our "orchard", and I'd be incredibly happy with a bushel of somewhat clean apples from each. A little scab is ok by me, as long as I'm not biting into worms, or losing my crop because PC gets at it. I think this seems reasonable, once they get producing again. The rest of the apples I use for the deer!
Has anyone used this stuff with even moderate success? He says that if done correctly it provides PC control on point with that of imidan. I realize I'd need to do "a lot" of spraying (I'll have like 10 trees total, so it's all relative), but even if I get partial success I'll be happy. On my property I didn't have any apples on 3 old trees. I think this is partially because of PC, but also partially because I have been "rejuvinating" them. One tree had at least 20 fruitlets that dropped early.
Sorry that I'm rambling in this post. It's still a bit early for me to be thinking this much!
So I've been doing a ton of reading this winter, and the book I just finished is "The Apple Grower" by Michael Phillips. Although this book is geared towards giving COMMERCIAL orchards a primer on organic/biodynamics I think that for those of us who are growing apples for ourselves as well as deer this might be a good deal. I generally don't like applying pesticides, although there are definately a few exceptions (A/O, barberry, etc..), just because I think that since this is a leisure property, I'd be better suited to working my own goals into the already existing systems of the environment. I've no need for "clean" plots, and certainly not for spotless fruit. That being said, I do want some success in what I do, especially when it comes to apples, but I'm certainly not one to get undies in a bunch if I try something and it doesn't work.
Long story short, Michael very much promotes the use of Surround Kaolin Clay for control of PC and a few others. He says that it will also make Japanese Beetles (and others) not want to land their because of the small particles "clogging them up". From what I know of bug anatomy, this makes sense. I'm grafting over a few OLD full size trees in our "orchard", and I'd be incredibly happy with a bushel of somewhat clean apples from each. A little scab is ok by me, as long as I'm not biting into worms, or losing my crop because PC gets at it. I think this seems reasonable, once they get producing again. The rest of the apples I use for the deer!
Has anyone used this stuff with even moderate success? He says that if done correctly it provides PC control on point with that of imidan. I realize I'd need to do "a lot" of spraying (I'll have like 10 trees total, so it's all relative), but even if I get partial success I'll be happy. On my property I didn't have any apples on 3 old trees. I think this is partially because of PC, but also partially because I have been "rejuvinating" them. One tree had at least 20 fruitlets that dropped early.
Sorry that I'm rambling in this post. It's still a bit early for me to be thinking this much!
