Back in April, I was walking around our property checking on things, and taking photos for our records and sharing on social media. I was excited to use the time to snap photos of all the potential baby apples I hoped to see.
We planted our apple trees 6 years ago now, and last year was our first year to have anything to pick. Two.
Just one that was edible. Finally - this year we have multiple potential apples, on more than one of our 5 trees. But then I saw something that made my heart stop and my skin CRAWL!!
No, I did not stop to take a photo, so this is not my photo (see photo credit), I was in full-on panic/fight mode - know what these are? Tent worms!! And yes, our one poor tree (with the most pollinated apples) looked pretty much like the photo...
After my initial Ronald Weasley reaction, I noticed the web extended into the tree trunk protector so I carefully (but somewhat manically) ripped it off to reveal a vast tent worm nursery. I realized I had flung it towards another apple tree, thought to myself, "that was dumb," picked it up and walked to to our trash can area where I bagged and sealed it. Having done that, I looked through our current stash of treatment options (some organic; some admittedly not). Nothing that was the right course of action, though, so I returned to the active crime scene and began hand-picking/squishing each and every caterpillar I could reach.
I then (and only because I knew I had a hat on) held the young tree-trunk and shook it. More creepy-crawlies started falling from the higher regions. Shake. Stomp, stomp, stomp. breath. Repeat. I moved out a bit and repeated with the lower branches I could reach to get different movement and shook again. And again. Until I could no longer see any tent worms along the branches. Where I saw ones on leaves, I climbed a ladder and sacrificed the leaf - pulling it off and using it to eliminate the threat upon it.
I returned to my bakery work inside, but set up an alarm to go off every 30 minutes at first, then every hour, to hand-pick those I missed from the shake-down, until my checks came up empty-handed.
That evening, I drove to our local garden shop and bought a bottle of Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew (This is not a paid sponsorship; just sharing what I used). I took the hint and treated all of our fruit trees/bushes, whether there was visible damage or not.
Fast-foward to June...we continue to check our precious investments, but thus far we remain in the clear.
Gardening/Farming is a rather a romantic notion. One that is appreciated and dreamed about by starry-eyed people who understand the value and appreciate knowing where their food comes from. The reality can be harsh. It is work with a steep learning curve and big risks...but also rich rewards, and it's in that drastic contrast the romanticism exists.
We are blessed to live near many existing, working farms. If you can say the same, thank a farmer the next time you run into one around town.
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