November Healthy Harvest Habits

In November, our attention turns to pome fruit trees. Have you noticed that the fruit on apple or pear trees has dark holes, smaller “stings”, and crumbly brown stuff coming out of the holes? Have you ever cut a fruit that looks like that open, and found a surprise inside near the seeds? This is Codling moth.

The May edition of Healthy Harvest has more details on this pest if you need to refresh, and you can also take a look at this University of Minnesota article.

In August, Healthy Harvest mentioned that good yard hygiene is helpful in managing Codling moth.

This month the next step is winter banding!

DIY Codling moth pest management begins in November!

Winter banding helps to interrupt the breeding cycle of Codling moth. Codling moth larvae typically crawl up the trunk of a tree to form a cocoon, and later emerge as moths. Wrapping the trunk with cardboard means larvae will cocoon in the chambers of the corrugated paper, and can be safely removed from the tree before hatching and exiting in the Spring.

1. Clean up all fallen fruit and leaf litter from under the infected trees to remove overwintering habitats for the moths.

2. Wrap a cardboard ring around the base of the tree and attach snugly.

Applying in November catches caterpillars that come out of soil late fall and try to nest in bark for overwintering.

Ensure the cardboard ring is at least 5cms wide and is placed 30-45cms above the base of the trunk. Attach the cardboard to itself with staples or packing tape.

Codling Moths will spin their cocoons in the cardboard and can be removed before they turn into moths.

Remove the first round of cardboard from the tree in May, and replace with a fresh one. Dispose of cardboard in garbage – not garden or municipal compost.

Looking for more information on caring for fruit trees and growing fruit from a recommended source?

Join Not Far From The Tree, home growers, arborists and small scale orchardists from across North America and around the world in 5-star-rated organic fruit tree care education with Orchard People’s interactive, instant access courses.

Find courses like: Certificate in Fruit Tree Care; Fruit Tree Pruning Masterclass; Managing Fruit Tree Pests & Disease; Soil Essentials for Fruit Trees; and so many more!

Or, tune in to the Orchard People podcast! Join live and submit your questions to an expert guest, or catch the show later on your favorite platform.

Watch the live video on the Orchard People YouTube page at 1:00 PM on Tuesday and watch the recorded video on the YouTube Video Podcast Playlist.

Listen on RealityRadio101 at 1:00 PM on Tuesday and download the audio podcast after the show.