Growing fruit trees on your Toronto property is one of the many joys of owning your own home. Although it can take several season for a young fruit tree to start producing fruit, the wait is definitely worth the effort you’ll need to put into protecting your trees from pests. However, don’t despair, it doesn’t take much to protect your trees from the most common critters.
Easy fixes
Two of the most common pests are the apple maggot and cherry fruit fly. Luckily there is an easy fix for these bugs – the trick is to catch them in the spring before they hit your tree. The apple maggot and fruit fly overwinter in the ground and then emerge from the soil in the springtime. A great way to trap them is to simply paint an apple-sized ball red, coat it with vaseline and leave it at the base of your apple tree. All it takes is one ball, but it is enough to attract the bugs and get them stuck to it.
The Codling Moth is another big enemy of the apple tree. It can wreck havoc with your fruit and your tree. Scraping loose bark in the early spring and then spraying with an oil-controlling substance works well. But, for an easier fix try filling a plastic jug with a cup of vinegar, a banana peel and one sugar cube. Shake well and attach it to your tree. The moths love this mixture and drown when the go to check it ou.
Pruning and Cleanliness
Before the leaves sprout on your tree in the spring, take advantage of its leave-less state to see whether there are any diseased branches that need pruning or whether you can improve its shape.
Also be sure to remove any old fruit from on the tree or around the base of the tree to prevent it from causing disease or rot to spread to the tree and/or roots.
With these very simply measures you can have healthy and happy fruit trees in your yard every year and you can enjoy your own delicious harvest every fall.
Easy fixes
Two of the most common pests are the apple maggot and cherry fruit fly. Luckily there is an easy fix for these bugs – the trick is to catch them in the spring before they hit your tree. The apple maggot and fruit fly overwinter in the ground and then emerge from the soil in the springtime. A great way to trap them is to simply paint an apple-sized ball red, coat it with vaseline and leave it at the base of your apple tree. All it takes is one ball, but it is enough to attract the bugs and get them stuck to it.
The Codling Moth is another big enemy of the apple tree. It can wreck havoc with your fruit and your tree. Scraping loose bark in the early spring and then spraying with an oil-controlling substance works well. But, for an easier fix try filling a plastic jug with a cup of vinegar, a banana peel and one sugar cube. Shake well and attach it to your tree. The moths love this mixture and drown when the go to check it ou.
Pruning and Cleanliness
Before the leaves sprout on your tree in the spring, take advantage of its leave-less state to see whether there are any diseased branches that need pruning or whether you can improve its shape.
Also be sure to remove any old fruit from on the tree or around the base of the tree to prevent it from causing disease or rot to spread to the tree and/or roots.
With these very simply measures you can have healthy and happy fruit trees in your yard every year and you can enjoy your own delicious harvest every fall.
