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What options do I have?
The home orchard here is three years old and a number of my trees are blossoming this year. I have done a bit of research on organic methods to keep my trees healthy and clear of pests, and I want to share these, focusing on the use of mechanical pest prevention in the home orchard.
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| The peach tree in bloom. |
In my March update, I mentioned spraying my trees with organic pesticides for pest control, and I have really gone back and forth on whether I want to do this.
While I have sprayed some plants in the past, even organic pesticides have to be used with care. Using insecticides inappropriately can damage the ecosystem. For example, although studies have demonstrated that damage to the environmental and human health are low, the BT product label still advises spraying in the evening to protect day-pollinating bees, and to avoid sprays just before a rain to protect insect populations in the waterways.
Also, spraying is another chore, and it is important to get the timing right. For example, in "Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden," by Lewis Hill, the organic-minded author recommends several spring and summer organic pesticide sprays after the dormant oil spray in late winter: when buds just begin to open, when the buds turn pink, just after the petals fall, and additional summer sprays as needed up until two weeks before harvest.
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| Pink bud phase |
Hill notes that an organic gardener could get away with just the dormant oil spray if he practices proper garden sanitation, which I will get into later. For those interested in the pesticide sprays, he adds that the petal-fall spray is the most important of all. The Missouri extension gives its recommendations for safe practice here and here.
For me, this is a lot of spraying, especially since I have a number of different types of trees which all flower at different times. Already, the peach tree buds were opening in mid march and are flowering. The apple and cherry buds are currently in the pink-bud phase.
Outside of spraying, there are a number of practices that can prevent or decrease the insect population to manageable levels.
Culture and Sanitation
Ideally, we want to work with nature as we work in our gardens. We want insects in our gardens, but we would like to reserve much of the food we grow there for ourselves. The following sanitation methods will help keep the insect populations down to reasonable levels.
Netting.
A simple option is to cover the trees with insect netting, as demonstrated in this video by Limestone Permaculture, whose setup I actually used in my own orchard design. Basically, dwarf fruit trees are trained in a row to a simple t-post fence and fanned out flat against the fence. The branches are affixed to the fence with simple zip ties. This tree shape increases air flow to the tree, which also increases fruit production. Additionally, the trees stay small enough to easily pick fruit and throw a net over the tree to protect it from insects, when needed. You don't, however, want to have the nets over the trees when pollination is occurring.
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| Apple tree trained in a fan shape to a fence. |
This is a really efficient orchard set up. While I don't net my trees throughout the summer months (I like to see their leaves), this is a really efficient set up. To learn more about the netting I use for all my garden beds, you can click here. Use smaller mesh netting to prevent both birds and insects from attacking your fruit.
Spacing and pruning.
For basic layout, place trees with wide spacings (2 meters apart). Prune them to allow sunlight to penetrate the branches and air to flow through the tree. For my backyard peach tree, I keep the center open, by removing branches that grow toward the center and other cluttered growth. You could also use the fanned tree set up which I described earlier. This also allows airflow and sunlight to reach each branch.
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| Prune to create an open center. |
Nutrition.
Making sure the trees have adequate nutrients for fruit production will allow them to grow healthy and protect themselves against insects. I don't prefer to use synthetic fertilizers, but I have used organic fertilizers, am experimenting with nitrogen-fixing ground covers, and try to keep the base of my trees mulched. These strategies all work together to provide proper nutrition to the tree.
As for the type of fertilizer, I have used the Down To Earth organic fertilizers, (click here to learn more about their fruit tree fertilizers ) which are reasonably priced. I have also seen a number of recommendations for basalt rock dust from Organic Orchardists, which add many micro-nutrients to the soil). For example, the organic apple farm, Chilton Heritage Orchards, recommends to fertilize fruit trees twice in the winter with basalt rock dust, and apply several liquid seaweed spray to the leaves in the summer as described here. (Amazon links to these products are here and here.) I have also seen recommendations to just go to your local granite or other rock quarry.
Cultivar and disease resistance.
This is a key one--- focus on a wide variety of cultivars, with disease resistance in mind. While some plants may be susceptible to certain insects, others may be hardy and survive in your locality. To work with nature, the gardener may have to give up growing that favorite, yet hard to manage plant, and instead choose varieties that thrive in the garden's locality and climate zone. Keep trees of the same cultivar separated to prevent fast spread of disease and to confuse insects.
The Missouri Extension lists numerous hardy apple cultivars here for our state and gives recommendations for other fruits here.
Dropped Apples.
Many insects that eat the fruit off the tree move to the ground via fallen apples and hibernate just below the tree in the winter. Be sure to pick up fruit as it falls on the ground. Burnt Ridge Orchards suggest placing a black garbage bin in the orchard to dispose of the fruit. The black bin will heat up and kill the insects growing there.
Control insect homes.
In the fall, many gardeners mulch the garden with leaves to promote soil development and water retention. However, these leaves harbor insects and spores, and are largely destroyed by simply mowing them over. Another option is to compost them, where the heat will also kill the spores. Hill mentions removing detached bark from old trees to prevent insects from living there.
Bug Traps.
Suggestions include hanging molasses traps for codling moth, and sticky traps for apple maggot flies.
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| Add goo to this bull's-eye to catch flies. |
Encourage Insect Predators.
Provide food and homes for birds and toads. Plant a variety of plants under and around your trees to promote predators to come. Sunflowers bring birds to the area to eat insects. Hill suggests turning over a clay pot and providing water for toads.
Deter insects with herbs.
Planting garlic may reduce aphids. Smelly herbs may deter insects from approaching the trees. Sage is my go-to here, as it produces plenty of seedlings for me which I can easily transfer to the orchard.
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| Sage seedlings transplant easily into my orchard. |
Thankfully, as you can see, there are plenty of maneuvers to manage insect populations so that we can preserve our fruit. For more information, you can see this bulletin from Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education and this one from the Missouri Extension.
Click below to learn more about these garden products I use and mentioned in this post:
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