Following a tree June

As many will remember I have joined in with Lucy at Loose and leafy and many others and I am following the progress on the apple tree in my garden.....


Over the last month the leaves have become larger and denser and creating a deeper shade.


On first appearances the leaves look quite healthy


but closer inspection shows that there is some leaf curl and some of the leaves have been eaten. As I was writing this post, I looked for the causes on the internet and even though it was dusk I decided to go out and see whether I could identify the culprit - look what I found!



 Can you see the black caterpillar on the left - sorry the picture isn't very clear! I think it is possibly the tortrix moth has anyone come across this at all? This article from Which is useful to read if you are having similar problems.


 The article mentions that these caterpillars can affect fruit production so maybe this is the cause of the tree having no blossom or fruit this year. I took this image of fruit from our neighbours tree just to remind me what we are missing!


I couldn't resist taking an image of these cherries from their tree too!  How quickly the blossom at the beginning of April is transformed into this wonderful cherry crop, which is being enjoyed mainly by the birds!

Thank you Lucy for organising Following a tree!
Sarah 

Comments

  1. oh dear I hope you get rid of the squatters on your tree! those cherries look delicious!

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  2. It is sad that your tree doesn't seem totally happy. I hope that you can work out what the problem is and sort it out. The cherries look good, I hope that you picked and ate them! xx

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  3. I'm sorry about the caterpillars and their damage. I understand how disappointing it can be when a fruit tree is not producing.

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  4. I can't believe the colour of those cherries! The cherries on my trees are still hard green drops - except for the ones that turned brown and dropped off, no idea why that happened! Each tree seems to do its own thing, in its own time, so hopefully your apple tree will be bearing fruit by next year!

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  5. Dear Sarah,

    How sad that the tree has a pesky caterpillar - I remember my Dad used to put sticky traps up in his apple trees to catch the Codling moth which can do damage to the crop. Hope you get yours sorted.
    How delicious the red cherries look - they must taste good too.
    Enjoy the rest of the week
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  6. Although having caterpillars on your tree may not be good for the crop - it is certainly interesting. Wondering what a tortrix would look like at the moth stage I went googling - and found all sorts of different kinds. It will be great if you can take a picture of whatever yours look like if they get as far as sprouting wings. Maybe you will find some in their chrysalis stage too?

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  7. That sounds like a challenge that I shall have to attempt! If I'm quiet on the blogging front you know I'm still hunting! At least I haven't got far to go! Sarah x

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  8. Mmmmmm your cherries look gorgeous - one of my favourite fruits. Sorry about the problem you're having with your tree and hope it gets sorted soon. So annoying. x

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