Great link on apple tree maintenance
 

http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/A3565.PDF

I've been looking for something like this; besides pruning, it covers
the use of insect traps to control insect damage and/or to know when to
spray (instead of preventative spraying.) Most .edu web sites mention
how good pest management works but they don't give you any details.

Best regards,
Bob

Hi again Bob,
I have used pheromone traps in the past but found them expensive. I now
use
sticky ball traps. I have not found them that useful for monitoring bug
types since
the traps are a collection of mangled shapes, which makes identification
less than
perfect. However, the sticky balls do help to control the bugs. I have
seen these
types of traps in many orchards, and maybe it works for them to help
monitor what's
in their fields. My feeling is that by the time you see the bugs, it may
be too late to
do anything about it. Also, I spray fungicides, and it's pretty hard to
monitor those
types of problems. I don't overdo the spraying thing. Even if I wanted
to, I cannot
find the time or opportunities (must have a calm day with no rain in the
near forecast)
to do it often. I did miss a spraying on just one tree (a Cox's Orange
Pippen) and
coincidentally or not, that tree is showing signs of distress. For lack of
a better plan,
I try to do a combined fungicide and pesticide spray about every three
weeks during
the growing season, with dormant oil in the early spring. It seems like
when I let that
three week window get extended, I'm in trouble, some way or another.

Sherwin Dubren

zxcvbob wrote:

http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/A3565.PDF

I've been looking for something like this; besides pruning, it covers
the use of insect traps to control insect damage and/or to know when to
spray (instead of preventative spraying.) Most .edu web sites mention
how good pest management works but they don't give you any details.

Best regards,
Bob

Hi again Bob,
I have used pheromone traps in the past but found them expensive. I now
use
sticky ball traps. I have not found them that useful for monitoring bug
types since
the traps are a collection of mangled shapes, which makes identification
less than
perfect. However, the sticky balls do help to control the bugs. I have
seen these
types of traps in many orchards, and maybe it works for them to help
monitor what's
in their fields. My feeling is that by the time you see the bugs, it may
be too late to
do anything about it. Also, I spray fungicides, and it's pretty hard to
monitor those
types of problems. I don't overdo the spraying thing. Even if I wanted
to, I cannot
find the time or opportunities (must have a calm day with no rain in the
near forecast)
to do it often. I did miss a spraying on just one tree (a Cox's Orange
Pippen) and
coincidentally or not, that tree is showing signs of distress. For lack of
a better plan,
I try to do a combined fungicide and pesticide spray about every three
weeks during
the growing season, with dormant oil in the early spring. It seems like
when I let that
three week window get extended, I'm in trouble, some way or another.

Sherwin Dubren

zxcvbob wrote:

http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/A3565.PDF

I've been looking for something like this; besides pruning, it covers
the use of insect traps to control insect damage and/or to know when to
spray (instead of preventative spraying.) Most .edu web sites mention
how good pest management works but they don't give you any details.

Best regards,
Bob