The Grounded Orchardist

One of my big jobs to keep on top of at the moment is cutting out powdery mildew from the Apple and Quince trees. Where the new growth has come in a little thickly we are seeing a fair amount of it. Of course the windy, dry weather has helped spore dispersal and the humid conditions that followed have been perfect for the spores to germinate.

If left untreated it will of course spread rapidly through susceptible varieties and create die back…very unhappy trees!!

So, what can we do about Powdery Mildew on our fruit trees? As we organically grow fruit here I have opted to cut it out. It was a job I used to do twice weekly on the farm too. No spray really knocked it back enough. Choose a still day if possible to limit more spore dispersal. Then the prunings need incinerating or going in your council green waste bin….not in your compost! It doesn’t get hot enough to kill the spores.

I can kill a few birds with one stone whilst doing this. In one sweep of the orchard I cut out Powdery Mildew, Tent caterpillars and Mummified fruit which have been missed. I will also start to thin out some of the new growth to allow air to freely move through the trees. Its not the best orchard task but the trees and resulting fruit will thank you for it, aesthetically they look so much better too.