North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Hector Black <hblack1925@fastmail.fm>]

A friend sent these questions to me asking if I would post it on the Nafex site.  I guess he figured one had to be a mamber.   Thanks for your replys - I will forward them to him.

    Hector Black, zone 6 middle TN.   He is in same zone.

----- Original Message -----

From: hblack@toolkitmail.com

To: hblack1925@fastmail.fm

Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 8:09 AM

Subject: [Fwd: NAFEX list]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: NAFEX list
From:    "John Hepler" <JHepler@TWLakes.net>
Date:    Wed, June 29, 2005 12:45 am
To:      hblack@twlakes.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Hector--
Could you forward this to your nafex list for us? A sad
problem here. I have a pretty good guess as to what to do, and we  have to
get on it.

yr pal,  Sandy
************************

We are hoping you can help us identify a problem with our apple trees.

The trees were planted mostly about 18 years ago. They are in good
health, apart from some twig blight (a form of fire blight) which has
gotten into some of the trees in recent years.


Up until last year, most of the trees bore well each year. Then last
year, and again this year, there was a good fruit set but most of the
crop dropped off early. By the end of May most trees are virtually  empty.
  Several early trees have a good number of apples but are now  very small
(average size of 2" and under at maturity); in the past  these were decent
sized.

A similar problem has afflicted our apricot tree, which has set well  the
past few years but then lost all its fruit within a month or so.  Some of
the apricots fall off almost immediately after the bloom;  others grow for
a month and look to be doing well, then suddenly drop  off. We suspect,
but are not sure, that an insect such as plum
curculio may be responsible for the apricot problem. (Curculios are
definitely getting into the peaches, but these don't fall off the way  the
apricots do.)

Apples had not been affected until last year, so we do not know if it  is
the same thing affecting both crops or two separate problems.

We are trying to figure out why, and also to find out possible
solutions for the problem. Pertinent information follows.

(1) The soil for the apple trees looks good, and soil tests taken  2004
did not indicate a problem, according to the top fruit expert  from U of
Tennessee.

(2) We are located fairly high on a ridge, with a nice microclimate,  so
late freezes have not been a problem.

(3) We grow organically, so there are a variety of insects around.

(4)  Trees are well trimmed; we keep a nice variety of meadow
grasses/weeds cut underneath.

5) The apricots have dropped off early every year, and the apples  dropped
off early last year and this year. However we also have
peaches, pears, and cherries, and these crops all seem unaffected by  the
problem.

6)  In the past 5 years we have applied lime twice, and CaSO4 once,  to
the apples but not much to the peaches or pears.

7) we have terrific green growth and assume low nitrogen is not the problem

Any suggestions appreciated. Thank you for any help you are able to provide.

js hepler

Title: NAFEX list

Hi Hector--

        Could you forward this to your nafex list for us? A sad problem here. I have a pretty good guess as to what to do, and we have to get on it.

        yr pal,  Sandy

        ************************

> We are hoping
> you can help us identify a problem with our apple
> trees.
>
> The trees were
> planted mostly about 18 years ago. They are in good health, apart from
> some twig blight (a form of fire blight) which has gotten into some of
> the trees in recent years.
>  
> Up until last
> year, most of the trees bore well each year. Then last year, and again
> this year, there was a good fruit set but most of the crop dropped off
> early. By the end of May most trees are virtually empty.  
> Several early trees have a good number of apples but are now very
> small (average size of 2" and under at maturity); in the past
> these were decent sized.
>
> A similar
> problem has afflicted our apricot tree, which has set well the past
> few years but then lost all its fruit within a month or so. Some of
> the apricots fall off almost immediately after the bloom; others grow
> for a month and look to be doing well, then suddenly drop off. We
> suspect, but are not sure, that an insect such as plum curculio may be
> responsible for the apricot problem. (Curculios are definitely getting
> into the peaches, but these don't fall off the way the apricots
> do.)
>  
> Apples had not
> been affected until last year, so we do not know if it is the same
> thing affecting both crops or two separate
> problems.
>
> We are trying
> to figure out why, and also to find out possible solutions for the
> problem. Pertinent information follows.
>
> (1) The soil
> for the apple trees looks good, and soil tests taken
> 2004 did not indicate a problem, according to the top fruit
> expert from U of Tennessee.
> (2) We are located fairly high on a ridge, with a nice
> microclimate, so late freezes have not been a
> problem.
>
> (3) We grow
> organically, so there are a variety of insects
> around.
>
> (4) 
> Trees are well trimmed; we keep a nice variety of meadow grasses/weeds
> cut underneath.
>
> 5) The
> apricots have dropped off early every year, and the apples dropped off
> early last year and this year. However we also have peaches, pears,
> and cherries, and these crops all seem unaffected by the
> problem.
>
> 6)  In the
> past 5 years we have applied lime twice, and CaSO4 once, to the apples
> but not much to the peaches or pears.
>
> 7) we have
> terrific green growth and assume low nitrogen is not the
> problem
>  
> Any
> suggestions appreciated. Thank you for any help you are able to
> provide.

        js hepler