What is this guy - on my peaches and plums, and what harm do they do? Treatment options?
Looks like some sort of psylla (especially if you notice them jump). They are sap suckers like aphids and soap water spray will kill them.
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Thanks - I was wondering. At least that gets me closer. Any idea how much soap per gallon is typically used on these guys?
I seen Safer brand insecticidal soap suggested. It’s soap specifically designed to kill insects. I bought some but haven’t tried yet. “2.5 oz of the concentrate per gal of water”.
I have also tried dish (dawn) detergent + water. Probably a tablespoon per small squirt bottle (12 oz). I’ve tested on yellowjackets and aphids and it worked, but not on psylla specifically.
Thanks. I’ll steer clear of dawn… has ammonia type compounds in it. Not fond of it, after it tried to land me in the hospital and burn my lungs.
You can use Bronners or a natural glycerine soap too at 5 Tbl per gallon and spray them with a nice mist. The safer definitely works well also
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Nice. I have some bronners around. I feel like I’ve read about some hot temperature/sun concerns for plants when spraying soap… anyone know of any issues there I need to avoid?
Yeah definitely spray almost everything in the predusk evening or early dawn you will hit more pests and less predators and it’s better on your trees and plants.
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Thanks for that education. Sounds like the soap itself is ok in hot weather, just not applied in the hot part of the day/sun. I’ll get them tonight!
I’ve been trying to learn about spraying and insecticides lately, and the more I learn the more I want to minimize them. The SDS on safer insect soap seems to show it is a lot more than soap… ethyl alcohol with a low flash point (interesting they don’t warn against use in some spraying pumps, with a flash point of only 60F), hazardous, carcinogenic (mainly if consumed), and aquatic wildlife toxicity (trees are right next to an open water source).
I’ll first try the Dr. Bronners!
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I wouldn’t consider ethyl alcohol dangerous, unless you are drinking it in excess and driving. 
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Hi! What ‘forces’ blackberries/raspberries to flower? is it ONLY the month for the variety (as in - flowers in June or not at all) or do things like height, daylight hours, nutrients, etc play a role? does tipping encourage earlier fruiting?
i think its cultivar and daylight hours. ive had rooted cuttings try to bloom at the same time as its parent plant does.
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You have have blackberries bloom change after there first year blooming. M snowbank should have bloomed over a month earlier with the other alleghaniensis. I hope its a one time thing because absolutely nothing else i have is blooming at the same time.
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we did a full crop inspection and the finial counts are what we really have for Fruit with the USDA crop inspector
Apples have a 10% crop
Asian Pears depending on Location 40% crop
European Pears 2% of a crop
Pawpaws 60% crop
Persimmons 85% crop
Kiwi’s “0” % crop
Quince 2 % of crop
Medlars 25% of a crop
Chestnuts are OKAY
Walnut are Hit and Miss @ 20% crop
Pecans depend on Location but about 40% of a crop
Saskatoons was about 100%
And Berries had an excellent crop
Jujubes of what trees are a live will produce heavy with 131 dead to the roots
I wish I had a better news but Farming is damn tough
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That’s why its not called “HARVESTING”
Mike
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yea, the difference between growing
“growing fruit tree’s”
and
“growing fruit”
can be real.
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Ouch, that’s rough. Good to hear about persimmons and saskatoons, though!
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Anyone have suggestions for wet ground tolerant dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock for Minneapolis area? I’m seeing B.9 or G.11 as best options, but some info is conflicting. I have a few rootstocks i’m going to plant to overwinter and see what lives. I’d like to find some “malus fusca” to try also, but that may be difficult this time of year.
Have you thought about an interstem tree like MM111 with B9 interstem?
MM111 seems to be on the higher tolerance side wet ground wise. I however think it won’t survive swamp like conditions. It’s still an apple.
I read somewhere about malus fusca i think. That’s an apple that grows in swamp like conditions right? not good fruits, but i was meaning to look into if anyone trialed it as a rootstock?
I would also think about variety choice. Some varieties are more susceptible to fruit tree cancer, like cox orange pippin. Those tend to get more of that on wetter soil.
The interstem idea is something to explore…
Malus fusca is called pacific crabapple a.k.a. swamp crabapple.
I’ll try to improve my odds by making a small mound also. The trouble with mounding is it appears after several years, the mound sinks to same level as everything else. Some previous raised beds i tried are just 3-4 inches above surrounding ground now.