Weeds, Orchard Sox and Canker

Marilyn prepares to thin the fruit on this young Asian pear tree and to apply Orchard Sox

Marilyn prepares to thin the fruit on this young Asian pear tree and to apply Orchard Sox

You’d think we’re just a bunch of happy gardeners who love spending time in our local park caring for our pollinator garden and our community orchard. Turns out the team of volunteers at the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard are garden warriors, willing to face down the sweltering heat in order to get the job done and to care for our fruit trees and pollinator garden. This weekend we did so by weeding, applying orchard sox and troubleshooting for disease. So ready for battle, we divided up into teams and tackled a number of jobs in our orchard park.

Sherry was leading the team battling weeds in the pollinator garden. Get 'em while they're young!

Sherry was leading the team battling weeds in the pollinator garden. Get ’em while they’re young!

Getting the Weeds Early On

Team One was made up of the dynamic duo of Sherry and Gail. They were responsible for the battle with the pollinator garden weeds! Our strategy is to get ’em while they’re young before they can cause a bigger problem. Gail worked on deadheading the gorgeous, lush edible sage in the garden. Sherry did her magic with weeding. Some of us are surprised that weeds don’t just pick up and run when they see her. They don’t have a chance due to her meticulous eye and able hands.

While Sherry tackled the weeds, Gail wrangled with the fragrant sage, pinching off the spent flowers.

While Sherry tackled the weeds, Gail wrangled with the fragrant sage, pinching off the spent flowers.

Orchard Sox are applied to baby apples when they are just about the size of a nickel. They stop insects from laying eggs under the growing fruit.

Orchard Sox are applied to baby apples when they are just about the size of a nickel. They stop insects from laying eggs under the growing fruit.

Applying Orchard Sox

Team two was Marilyn and Lindsay and their job was to apply Orchard Sox on the baby fruit of our apple and Asian pear trees. These little nylon “sox” prevent insects, including apple maggots and coddling moth, from laying eggs under the skin of the baby fruit. They protect the fruit on our trees, keeping them blemish free and ready for autumn harvest.

Stacey digs out the remains of an apricot tree that was sick with canker. The canker may have spread from a declining poplar tree seen in the background.

Stacey digs out the remains of an apricot tree that was sick with canker. The canker may have spread from a declining poplar tree seen in the background.

Clamping Down on Canker

Team Three including Stacey, Susan and Lynn had a sad job. One of our beautiful apricot trees had a serious canker problem with goop oozing out of the tree all over – on the branches and trunk. And so, that tree had to be removed. The scary part is that canker may have spread from a neighbouring poplar tree which we cannot remove. Canker spreads from tree to tree in damp weather. The city is due to remove the diseased tree at some point. Lets hope it is soon!

Stacey with the roots of the diseased apricot tree. We carefully remove any diseased trees, bag them up and ensure they will be put in the garbage, not compost, so the disease will not spread.

Stacey with the roots of the diseased apricot tree. We carefully remove any diseased trees, bag them up and ensure they will be put in the garbage, not compost, so the disease will not spread.

lynn, Stacy and Susan check the roots of the apricot tree to see if there was canker in the roots as well.

Lynn, Stacy and Susan check the roots of the apricot tree to see if there was canker in the roots as well. (Photo credit: Lindsay Stuijfzand) 

Next time, we have the happier task of expanding mulch circles for our fruit trees. See you then!

Susan for Button 1Susan Poizner is one of the founders of the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard and the author of the award-winning fruit tree care book Growing Urban Orchards. She is also the creator of the online fruit tree care educational portal atwww.orchardpeople.com.