Jocelyne Sewell
Morning Star Columnist
Oh how I wish we had those rainy days again. It looks like there is a lot of sun and no rain in sight.
So far, I have used all the grass clippings for mulching and it makes a big difference for keeping the soil moist. I even mulched my big fig plants that are all in pots and need a lot of water.
Since I don’t spray with chemicals, it keeps me very busy to check the apple tree for codling moth damage. I have pruned all the suckers and thinned the apples so that they don’t touch each other, which is a very good spot for the moth to lay its eggs.
Also, to make it easier, I removed the leaves that are touching the apples. This way, with a fast look, I can spot any apples that show damage.
Codling moths can be attracted to fermenting sugar-based lures, for which a lot of recipes can be found on the internet. A common lure involves molasses diluted about 1:7 in water. Natural yeast will ferment this mixture, making it attractive to codling moths. Beer and diluted fruit juices are also sometimes used for making moth lures.
For controlling codling moths, these mixtures should be placed in an open container, such as a cut plastic milk jug, and hung on or near fruit trees. Adding a few drops of soap or other material that breaks surface tension may increase moth captures. I am in the process of getting this done and am checking the tree a couple times a week. Having a red delicious apple tree makes the work harder, because I like to pick the apples after the first frost, which may mean having three generations of moths.
The cherry tree is easier to handle as we use the Kootenay cover. The net has little holes small enough to deny entry to the cherry flies but still lets the sun and the rain in. The net is put on in May and removed as soon as the cherries are ripe. This way, the birds don’t damage the fruit and the wasps don’t have access to it either. Our cherries should be ripe within two weeks with no worms inside.
The tomato and pepper plants love this heat, although it is killing me. The only way I can manage this hot weather is to get up at 4:30 a.m. and have a nap in the afternoon. I go out again after supper until dark. The fight then is with the mosquitoes. With the weather, the bugs and everything between, you have to love to garden and know what you are eating is good for you and not full of pesticides and insecticides.
Jocelyne Sewell is an organic gardening enthusiast in the North Okanagan and member of Okanagan Gardens & Roses Club in Vernon, B.C.