Hallo, this is my first post and although used to forums of another kind was pleasantly surprised to find this one, so Hi and well done for setting this forum up.

My concerns are with a 20 yrs old crab apple tree we have. Not sure if it's an edible version or not, but we have had an infestation of the woolly aphid this year which is worse than before. In fact it has taken over a rather large branch and sub-branches (scuse the lack of gardeners techi language here!) and all the leaves have fallen off.

The main part of the tree they have not got to yet, but this rather forlorn lower branch is practically bare now whilst the remainder is still quite green.

They are getting into the main trunk and I can see further up the tree they aare beginning to find homes, but my concern is with the health of this dying looking branch and whether it will revive if treated or whether I have to remove it completely.

Problem is this tree is now becoming quite tall and to either go scrubbing the aphin infestation as I have seen mentioned elsewhere on the net or even spraying that high is going to be extremely awkward to say the least.

Can anyone tell me in somewhat layman's terms quite how I might deal with this please and will I need to cut this rather large (relative to the tree) branch off?

Many thanks

A1

On Sat, 4 Aug 2012 11:53:07 +0000, andrew1
wrote:


Hallo, this is my first post and although used to forums of another kind
was pleasantly surprised to find this one, so Hi and well done for
setting this forum up.

My concerns are with a 20 yrs old crab apple tree we have. Not sure if
it's an edible version or not, but we have had an infestation of the
woolly aphid this year which is worse than before. In fact it has taken
over a rather large branch and sub-branches (scuse the lack of gardeners
techi language here!) and all the leaves have fallen off.

The main part of the tree they have not got to yet, but this rather
forlorn lower branch is practically bare now whilst the remainder is
still quite green.

They are getting into the main trunk and I can see further up the tree
they aare beginning to find homes, but my concern is with the health of
this dying looking branch and whether it will revive if treated or
whether I have to remove it completely.

Problem is this tree is now becoming quite tall and to either go
scrubbing the aphin infestation as I have seen mentioned elsewhere on
the net or even spraying that high is going to be extremely awkward to
say the least.

Can anyone tell me in somewhat layman's terms quite how I might deal
with this please and will I need to cut this rather large (relative to
the tree) branch off?

Many thanks

A1

By the sound of things this is not the first year that your tree has
been attacked by what I'll assume is the apple wooly aphid (there are
several types of wooly aphid). Can you see any swellings (called
"galls") on the dead or dying branches or elsewhere on the tree? These
are a usual indicator of an infestation and result from the aphids
getting under the bark to feed. Getting rid of an infestation totally
is unlikely; rather it's a case of keeping it under control using
nature's helpers.

So let's kick-start the process. There are insecticides which you can
use but the downside is that these are not totally effective because
not only will you not cover the whole tree but the aphids have some
protection from the "wool" and the insecticides will kill beneficial
insects - those that eat the aphids! So get a bucket of soapy water
(cold) and a stiff brush and give all the parts of the tree you can
get at a good scrub.

Woolly bits on areas you cannot reach can be treated to a good wet
with a hose on it's jet setting - this will remove the protective
"wool" if it doesn't dislodge the aphids completely. Make up an
insecticidal soap spray - 1 litre of water, 1 tablespoon of ordinary
washing up liquid and a teaspoon of vinegar - and spray this on
everything you can reach with it soon after the hose treatment and
again as soon as any woolly bits reappear. If you have, or can beg or
borrow, a lance sprayer you'll be able to get at a lot of bits you
can't reach otherwise (and give the sprayer a good clean to boot!).

I know you said this would be difficult and you can't do the whole
tree but you've at least knocked the enemy back a bit and treated your
arm muscles to some exercise . Now you look to nature to help you.

Encourage predators. Hang a bird feeder in the tree during the winter
and spring - peanuts or sunflower seeds will attract tits which, in
spring, will also eat any aphids they find. If you can, sow some
"poached-egg plant" seeds (limanthes) near the tree. These daisy like
flowers attract the insects that will munch away on next year's crop
of aphids. Limanthes is a doddle to grow and will return happily (and
spread if you let it!) for several years.

As to the dead branch, it's difficult to say whether this has "died"
as a result of aphid attach, the normal ageing process or the weather
this year. I have branches on apple trees which look like they're
dying when, in fact, autumn is coming early. If there are no galls on
it, then the chances are it has not succumbed to aphid attack.

It is oft said that if you scrape a bit of bark off a branch with your
fingernail and it's soft and green underneath then the branch is
alive; if its dry and brown the branch is dead. But if aphids are over
the branch, scraping some bark off will simply entice them to attack
the scrape. So have a candle handy and let a drip or two of candle wax
drop onto the scrape to seal it afterwards. If the branch seems still
alive, then leave it on if you want until next year.

Whatever you do, though, DON'T prune the tree now. Wait until it is
dormant in winter. Get yourself some Arbrex tree wound sealant and
having chopped off whatever you want to chop off, paint the wounds
with the sealant to deny access to the emerging aphids in spring.

HTH

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

Jake, that's fantastic and thank you very much for taking the time to explain that in true laymans language in such detail.

I'll get on to this straight away. You're a star.

On 04/08/2012 12:53, andrew1 wrote:
Hallo, this is my first post and although used to forums of another kind
was pleasantly surprised to find this one, so Hi and well done for
setting this forum up.

My concerns are with a 20 yrs old crab apple tree we have. Not sure if
it's an edible version or not, but we have had an infestation of the
woolly aphid this year which is worse than before. In fact it has taken
over a rather large branch and sub-branches (scuse the lack of gardeners
techi language here!) and all the leaves have fallen off.

That sounds like more than just an attack of woolly aphid. But the quick
cure assuming the tree isn't too huge is a stiff brush dipped in meths
and applied to the wounds with the infestation and white fluff.

Brush tied onto a long stick will get you a fair way up with a bit of
practice. Tedious but do a bit at a time and keep at it all summer.

Conventional contact insecticides don't work since the wool is a very
good barrier layer. Systemics will but then you can't eat the apples
this year. And it may take a couple of goes to zap em entirely.

Once they have a tree colonised they are very hard to eliminate.

The main part of the tree they have not got to yet, but this rather
forlorn lower branch is practically bare now whilst the remainder is
still quite green.

They are getting into the main trunk and I can see further up the tree
they aare beginning to find homes, but my concern is with the health of
this dying looking branch and whether it will revive if treated or
whether I have to remove it completely.

I'd leave it on and treat the woolly aphid. At the moment with meths on
a stiff bristle brush (wear eye protection meths really hurts in the
eyes). Then in winter a classic tar oil wash when the tree is dormant
with the modern feeble Jeyes fluid (protect plants underneath).

Problem is this tree is now becoming quite tall and to either go
scrubbing the aphin infestation as I have seen mentioned elsewhere on
the net or even spraying that high is going to be extremely awkward to
say the least.

Can anyone tell me in somewhat layman's terms quite how I might deal
with this please and will I need to cut this rather large (relative to
the tree) branch off?

Try and treat it first. Lopping things off will leave a large wound that
the woolly aphid will definitely exploit (and may let disease in).

A picture would be helpful since the branch might have something
seriously wrong with it as well as woolly aphid. I have never known them
cause all the leaves to drop even with serious infestations.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Thanks Martin, I'll have to come back to you on this as I've just taken photo's which won't upload as they are too big for the forum specs...one problem leads to another! LOL

Thanks, I'll get back to you.

Andrew