The fruits in my back yard are faring worse and better than last year.
Last year, my peach tree produced a nice crop of fruit. Some of the peaches even approached grocery store size. And they were tasty. This year, some affliction struck the tree, and all the peaches shriveled into wrinkly brown lumps. I’m disappointed. I like peaches. But at least I’ve been able to get some good ones at the grocery store.
Last year, my Northpole Apple trees and Golden Sentinel Apple trees produced fruit too, but all the fruits dropped. It looked like the trees were being attacked by something. This year, I decided to use heavy-duty poison on the apple trees. The first time I sprayed it, I soaked the wooly aphids I saw all over the trunk. The second time I sprayed it, small white flying insects swarmed out of the leaves. The third time I sprayed it, I saw no insect activity at all.
I had five apples form this summer. One dropped at the end of July. It was too small to save. One dropped yesterday. I may be able to eat part of it, but it looks like it will be sour, and there is a massive hole eaten in it. Three remain, and by golly, at least one of them is going to make it to ripeness if I have anything to say about it.
There are two on one tree:
And one on another tree:
[So now that you’ve sprayed the apple trees three times are you still able to consume the fruit? I mean, aren’t they toxic now?! Yea, yea, I know – how do I think the big orchards do things…]
Could the crazy hot summer we had have disrupted the growing plans of all these fruit trees? Our fig bush in the back yard had walnut-sized but rock hard fruit on it from early spring on – which was already unusual, as these guys need heat, sun, and moisture to mature – until about two weeks ago. Then EVERYTHING burst and ripened at once so, of course, there were more than one could eat in a reasonable amount of time. Many began to rot; others were being eaten by insects (flies, wasps); Sonny occasionally expressed interest in them but has been consistently “discouraged” (our Cocker Spaniel used to LOVE the figs, to the point we never saw any we could eat ourselves). Eight have finally made it to human lips or to a bowl in the refrigerator – not all that much considering the size of the bush. I share your disappointment.
By golly! – a term not used nearly enough, in my opinion.
You and my parents need to get together to talk about fruit tree frustrations. They also deal with bugs and spray, and also birds snitching their cherries and deer trying to eat stuff right off the trees.
I, of course, will silently mourn the wooly aphids.
Dang….I mean, by golly…. I didn’t realize those apple trees grew that tall! Will you need a ladder to get that apple?
And what kind of apples are they? Granny Smith? Golden yellow?
Your patience with plants amazing me. I’m trying to think of something I’m really patient with and I’m coming up with nothing.
I can reach the apple if I stand on tippy-toe.
The apples that remain are both from Golden Sentinel trees, which are relatives of Golden Delicious apples. I hope they taste good. 🙂