To: Pete Benfield <kc5gxc@isp.com>, North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Cc:
Subject: [NAFEX] persimmon caterpillars
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 09:34:31 -0500
At 07:36 PM 4/12/2005, Pete wrote:
\lso...grafted about 30 persimmons so far this spring and am having a
caterpillar problem. They climb up the stock and eat the emerging buds from
the scion.
I haven't experienced that problem yet, but have had a similar problem with
some type of caterpillars defoliating defoliating all the young oaks along
my driveway and those planted in the lawn area. Every year, for the past 3
springs, just as these oaks have just about finished expanding their new
leaves, something devours them overnight - they'll look great when I get
home from work in the afternoon and be naked by morning. At first I
thought it was the neighbor's llamas, then I thought maybe deer were coming
into the yard and browsing them off, but when one of the 10+ ft tall oaks
was totally defoliated overnight, I knew it wasn't hoofed critters.
I've only seen a caterpillar one time - it's like they hide in the lawn,
crawl up the trunks, eat the leaves and either crawl back down or drop off
to hide again.
The young trees have been re-leafing, and don't seem any worse for it, but
it can't be a great thing to happen to them on a regular basis. Last year,
several of the grafted McDaniel burXEnglish oaks had all their catkins and
pistillate flowers eaten off, as well. All look to be gearing up for heavy
acorn production this time, so I'm keeping a close eye out for the
caterpillars.
Occasionally have an outbreak of caterpillars defoliating the walnut
seedlings in the nursery beds, but I SEE those suckers - and they don't
trouble me near as much as the ones eating my oaks.