Hi can any one tell me what fertilizer the cherry orchards use?? Also I am having a problem with cherry worms . I understand the cherry fruit fly spends months in the soil beneath the tree in the "puparium stage" before emerging from the ground to lay their eggs. Also that there are different times to spray to kill the flies before laying the eggs. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: IS THERE ANY WAY TO KILL THE PUPARIUM IN THE SOIL BEFORE THEY CAN EMERGE TO LAY THEIR EGGS WITH OUT DAMAGING THE TREE & FRUIT? I would really appreciate any help I can get on this. Thank you
Fertilize if and when you have some indication of a need, such as a soil test report showing a deficiency. Follow recommended control measures for cherry fruit fly if and when you have a positive identification. If nobody mentions killing the pupae, assume that is not feasible. USDA Cooperative Extension Service network usually emphasizes fruit crops and others with economic potential. Try searching the web for michigan extension.
http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/opm/displaySpecies.php?pn=150 If you know when they emerge you can develop a program that works. I worked in a commercial cherry orchard we used ipm and traps to monitor the numbers this helped us determine the control measures. There are some parasitic wasps that can control the numbers. One organic grower I knew would remove as much of the dead leaves as possible in the fall and do a light soil cultivation in the fall. "In theory" this help reduce the numbers./ What kind of cherries are you growing in Michigan? The fertilzer you need to use will depend on your soil conditions ie nutrient levels. One common problem we had was born defiencies so we used a foliar spray to solve this. Cheers
Prairigrapes, I have a Montmorency sour cherry tree. I don't know what IPM is or born defiencies you are talking about. Thank you for your information
Hi Julie; That should be boron defeciencies. IPM is intergrated pest management If you go to the MSU site and contact an extension specialist in your area they will be able to give you some help http://ipmnews.msu.edu/fruit/Fruit/tabid/123/articleType/CategoryView/categoryId/83/Cherries.aspx Cheers
Julie, Besides cherry fruit flies there are also plum curculios, which are "worms" in cherries. Both of these need to be monitored/controlled earlier in the summer, or even in May for curculios (again, the MSU Extension person for tree fruit in your area can clue you in to the particular dates you would be likely to have the pests emerging.) You wouldn't be able to control the pupae chemically, and I don't know if scratching chickens would find them? For fertilizing, I wouldn't try to emulate what the orchards use, since you probably have differents goals: theirs is maximum production for the most part; yours should be tree health and quality fruit bearing. If you want a generalist application without soil testing, then spread a 25-lb. bag a "mushroom compost soil" (available from a good landscape supply company or maybe a Fruit Basket Flower Land,) around the tree yearly. This will provide many of the important nutrients such as potassium and nitrogen, and also will provide organic matter for the future health of the soil (and productivity/health of the tree.) You should be thinking about fertilizing in early May.
Hi Julie1940, Did you ever find out how to get rid of cherry fruit flies or even kill the puparium in the soil? I am facing the same problem :(
