Mouldy apples, blinking parakeets

[kev7937]

I get a pretty good crop on this apple every year, trouble is by the time they're any where near ripe the mould sets in or the parakeets and squirrels have taken chunks out.

 

I can't do a lot about the vermin but why the mould?

 

I clear the fallen fruit and knock manky ones out most weeks and gave it a fair thin last winter thinking air circulation might help but still rubbish.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

[Peasgood]

You will have to put up a pic of the mould, there are lots of them.

I would guess scab but could be botrytis or any other mould if the skin is damaged.

[kev7937]

Oops. Thought I had

 

 

 

 

[kev7937]

Pretty sure it happens on undamaged fruit as well but poss is transferred through direct contact.

[nepia]

Only three days ago a client asked me why so many of their apples had fallen in an advanced state of mouldiness. That was in Kenley (Purley).

I'll be watching with interest Kev.

 

 

Jon

[Peasgood]

Apple Brown Rot (Monilinia fructigena)

Usually only on damaged fruit, damage that has resulted in the skin being punctured, bird or insect damage most usual. I guess hail damage is a possible explanation some times.

Close contact will spread it from apple to apple. "One bad apple will spoil the barrel", apples used to be transported in barrels.

[kev7937]

Apple Brown Rot (Monilinia fructigena)

Usually only on damaged fruit, damage that has resulted in the skin being punctured, bird or insect damage most usual. I guess hail damage is a possible explanation some times.

Close contact will spread it from apple to apple. "One bad apple will spoil the barrel", apples used to be transported in barrels.

 

So its the sodding parakeets fault then, the squakey little so and so's, my plums seem to get it or something similar too yet they seem to leave them alone and they just take the pears whole, way before they're ripe, think I've got one or two left right on the tips where I suppose its not stable enough.

 

Fingers crossed they've left the Bramley alone so far and the other eater is untouched.

 

 

Ta

[Peasgood]

Sounds like it is probably mostly down to the parakeets but wasps and earwigs can and do make holes.

 

If there is a lot of it good practice says you should remove infected fruit. Don't leave unpicked fruit on the trees and dispose of mummified fruit. All this will reduce the infection risk (not eliminate it)

[kev7937]

Trouble is there's always four or five parakeets on there every afternoon/evening, I thought about leaving the damaged ones on hoping they may leave the gooduns alone but fear I'm on a losing battle here, contemplating removing it and planting an ornamental, maybe give it another season see how it goes.

[kev7937]

So now the eaters are pretty much all gone the poxy flying green turds have started on the Bramley.

 

Need to chop in my lazy old Tom cat and get a couple of sprightly kittens I think.

 

But that's for another thread.