Apple tree infestation

Sergeant Fail · June 2019

Hey everyone, I planted this apple tree last year and over the last week or so it's become infested with black aphids (I think that's what they are) and all the new growth has shrivelled up. Is it too late to knock them off with water or would I be better off performing some major surgery?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/hj/61ap6uuhwgzx.jpg

Dovefromabove · June 2019

Give the foliage a good hosing ... you might have to do it a few times with a few days in between ... the little b****rs breed at a ray of knots
.., did you know they’re actually ‘born pregnant’ 😨

but it they’ve not gone any permanent damage to your tree so just keep washing them off

Plant the types of flowers that will attract ladybirds, hover flies and lacewings to your garden ... they will predate on them ... and hang feeders for blue tits near your trees all year round ... when the aphids arrive in my garden the birds and their fledglings just hoover them up
I’ve not had to do anything else about aphids for years and we have no damage to our fruit trees, roses or anything else.
😊

Sergeant Fail · June 2019

Thank you Dove. Can you suggest any ladybird attracting plants that wont be chomped on by slugs? They're another persistent blight in our garden.

We have a few blue tits that visit the front garden but they never seem to come round the back

Dovefromabove · June 2019

I find ladybirds all over the garden ... hoverflies love umbellifers ... plants with flowers like fennel, cow parsley, ammi ... that sort of thing ... and they’re flicking to my achillea Moonshine at the moment.
I find that bluetits can’t resist sunflower hearts ... the sort without the black shells ... so hang a few feeders with those in up in the back garden and hopefully they’ll pop around to the back 😊

Apple tree infestation

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