Hi,

I'm so sorry, this question slipped past me. The best and 100% effective way to protect your apples is by individually bagging them. Yes, it's labor intensive but it works SO well and you can reuse the apples bags so no need to keep buying them every year.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mesh+bags+to+protect+fruit+on+trees&hvadid=<personal data hidden>3&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9019672&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=<personal data hidden>558044170&hvtargid=kwd<personal data hidden>65&hydadcr=7437_13184028&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_10kiwpo6cz_e

I really don't mind doing it and I thin my apples at the same time. You put the bags on when the apples are about the size of a dime. They keep all bugs off with out the need for any chemicals. I also recommend spraying your tree with dormant oil before it leafs out ( do this early spring, March). The dormant oil spray will suffocate any bug eggs on your tree.

https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/get-leg-fruit-tree-problems-dormant-oils

Make sure your tree is thinned out so lots of air flow can occur which helps a lot to prevent disease.

https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-apples

Make sure you pick up and throw away any apples that fall on the ground, they can harbor disease and insects. Mulch your tree with good compost every year because they need heavy "feeding" to produce all that fruit.

I hope this helps and again, I'm so so sorry I missed your question,

Sally Granath

St. Louis County MG



Hi,

Spread compost around your tree. It can be as simple as collected leaves and grass that has been aloud to sit in a pile all summer decomposing. It is normal for some apple varieties to produce a crop of apples every other year. 

Sally Granath