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Cox’s Orange Pippin help please !

paddywarburtonpaddywarburton Posts: 6
in Problem solving
After a promising start to spring some of the leaves on our Cox’s Orange Pippin have started to look sorry for themselves and have gained some visitors, possibly aphids? Any advice on the best treatment gratefully received. 



Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited May 2021
    I can see an ant there too, so you have ants 'farming' aphids.  You can try a grease band around the trunk.  Those are primarily for stopping a different pest but I've found they also work with ants.  Have a look around the trunk and I have no doubt you will see ants running up and down.  Get rid of those and the problem will go away.  Also try hanging a bird feeder in the tree as many birds will eat aphids while waiting for a turn at the feeder.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • paddywarburtonpaddywarburton Posts: 6
    pansyface said:
    What beautiful nails you have, paddy.

    I wish I could keep mine like that. 😁
    I always use a hand double for photos! 
  • paddywarburtonpaddywarburton Posts: 6
    BobTheGardener said:
    I can see an ant there too, so you have ants 'farming' aphids.  You can try a grease band around the trunk.  Those are primarily for stopping a different pest but I've found they also work with ants.  Have a look around the trunk and I have no doubt you will see ants running up and down.  Get rid of those and the problem will go away.  Also try hanging a bird feeder in the tree as many birds will eat aphids while waiting for a turn at the feeder.
    Thanks Bob, we’ll give it a go.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    When we were putting together an orchard in the school the expert told us that Cox's orange pippin is the one that gets all the problems.
    Great idea from Bob.Always worth a go.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    If its just the end leaves you could take them off and bin them, if your tree is big enough. Otherwise you could spray with washing up liquid and water, won't stop it but might slow it down.
  • paddywarburtonpaddywarburton Posts: 6
    bertrand-mabel said:
    When we were putting together an orchard in the school the expert told us that Cox's orange pippin is the one that gets all the problems.
    Great idea from Bob.Always worth a go.
    We were told the same but also that the apples taste fantastic! Let’s hope the grease band helps. 
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    We were told the same about cox's after we had bought a dwarf variety. We have had Woolley aphid on it last year but we're able to clean it off easily as the tree is still small. We only got it as a pollinator for our cooker 'Belle de Boskoop'.

    Aphids are a regular pest, even on the cooker but hopefully the tits will eat them. 
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