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Caring for apple trees organically #868417
Asked May 14, 2024, 2:43 PM EDT
We Planted Pink Lady apple trees and are interested to learn how to protect the trees using no harmful chemicals. Also we want to learn how to give the trees the proper nutrients they need. Also I would like to find a source for live lady bugs
Van Buren County Michigan
Expert Response
It is hard to manage apples organically but if you don't mind spots from scab and occasional larva, you should be good! First, lady bugs won't help you very much with insect pests as they will not eat them. Codling moth, obliquebanded leaf roller, plum curculio, and apple maggot are all pests of apples that will need to be controlled. The good news is that if you are not in a spot that grows a lot of apples, these pests will be far fewer. There are few options for insecticides that are organic. I would recommend kaolin clay as your best option, but you need perfect covering on your fruit to keep the pests out. It is also an allergen. I get itchy when I am in an orchard where it is used. It will reduce pests by creating a film of clay on the fruit--any spot that isn't covered can potentially be infested by a pest.
Apple scab is the main disease you will need to control and you can buy an organic spray called bordeaux mixture. It is a blend of copper and sulfur that will reduce scab. It will russet your fruit, but it will also reduce scab.
Here is a good resources from UVM: https://www.uvm.edu/~orchard/fruit/treefruit/tf_organicbasics/PracticalGuideOrganic/PracticalGuideOrganicIPM.html
Nikki