What have I done to this fruit tree? I have finally wrapped each remaining nectarine in remay and tied it up with string. How well that will work, I don’t know, as nectarines are hard to wrap because as they grow the fruit pushes itself onto the branch pretty much attaching to that branch. So it was a tedious task to wrap each one; i was almost glad that half the nectarines had already been eaten by the wasps.
This wasn’t my first attempt at protecting the nectarines. First i put up a remay sheet which was too light when the wind picked up, then i tried a regular sheet but it didn’t allow enough air in, then next I covered with a heavy shade cloth. I was able to reduce the damage to the fruit but the tree wasn’t too happy being covered up like that and if I wanted to check on the ripeness of the fruit, I had to peel back the covering and once done, tuck it and clip it back together. Too tedious. I will do almost anything to protect my strawberries and tomatoes, but I have my limits with everything else in the garden.
The nectarines are not the first bit of fruit the wasps have attacked. We had a cool start to the season so the june bearing strawberries were late. I picked a nice amount for the freezer but finally abandoned the remaining small berries after getting stung several times. Likewise the new raspberry patch, it just wasn’t worth picking the few berries. I can’t stop the wasps from getting at the berries but to pick them I know the trick is to get out early before the sun falls on the fruit. So it is now blackberry season-the last of the berries for my freezer- and I don’t have to cultivate them or be concerned by how many the wasps are eating. I just walk my dog early always bringing a empty tub and visit the bushes lining our local roads, happy to return home with a tub every day or two while the season lasts.
Leave a Reply