Fruit Trees

November, December time to apply Grease Bands and prune fruit trees.

This year I had a poor crop on my fruit trees and it all down to me forgetting to place grease bands on the trunks off the fruit trees, so this is not me pretending to know everything quite the opposite, as much as anybody I learn from my mistakes or forgetfulness one or the other.

Here is a bit more info thanks to Royal Horticultural Society (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=518)

Grease bands and tree barrier glues (horticultural grease) are mainly used to protect fruit trees, such as apple, plum, pear and cherry from winter moth caterpillars. These caterpillars can feed on enveloping fruit buds and so can reduce the amount of fruit produced. On ornamental trees the damage cab be tolerated as it will not affect the long term health of the plant. The caterpillars are also a significant food source for nesting birds in the spring.

Note that sticky barriers give no protection against codling moth (the cause of maggoty apples), plum moth (the cause of maggoty plums) or other types of caterpillars. Those moths have winged females that are active in midsummer.

Mottled umber moth (Erannis defoliaria), winter moth (Operophtera brumata) and March moth (Alsophila aescularia) have wingless females which, after emerging from the pupal or chrysalis stage in the soil, must climb the tree to mate and lay their eggs. The caterpillars of these moths eat the leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs during late March to early June

Grease bands and tree barrier glues trap the wingless females before they reach the branches and lay eggs. Winter moth is the most troublesome of these moths, it emerges as adults during November to mid-January

When to put up grease bands and barrier glues

It is important to time the fitting correctly so that it protects your tree from the winter moth;

Grease bands and tree barrier glues should be placed on trunks and tree stakes about 45cm (18in) above soil level in late October, before the adult moths begin to emerge in November

Moth activity declines after January, but as some species with wingless females are active until April

The grease band or glue needs to be kept sticky and free of detritus from late October until April

Glue/ horticultural grease is more likely to work on trees without smooth bark as moths can crawl under bands.

Products

Choose a product that fits your tree best;

Smooth-barked trees: ready-prepared sticky papers can be used (e.g. Bayer Boltac Greasebands, Growing Success Glue Band Traps, Vitax Tree Bands, Neudorff Greaseband or Agralan Glue Bands)

Trees with fissured bark: apply glue/grease directly onto the bark (e.g. Vitax Fruit Tree Grease or Agralan Insect Barrier Glue), this can also work on smooth barked trees

Ornamental trees do not need to be protected. Winter moth damage to these trees can be tolerated and the caterpillars are a major food source for nesting birds.