Pest and Diseases
Pests and diseases can occur in backyard fruit trees. PlantNet does what it can to minimise soil borne pest and disease susceptibility in the backyard by utilising the best rootstocks available for our varieties.
Pests and diseases can quite often be localised to a particular area and is also dependent on each growing season.
PlantNet recommends that if a problem occurs on your fruit tree, you take a sample to your local nursery so they can analyse it and advise you on the best treatment. Remember that your local nursery is licensed to sell most chemical control treatments to help you solve your pest and disease issues but don't forget there are also organic and eco-friendly treatments available too.
We also recommend you join the Graham Ross' Garden Clinic Club to reap the benefits of the Club including the Garden Clinic Help Line which will have a qualified horticulturist ready to answer your questions.
Apples and Pears
| PEST/DISEASE |
DESCRIPTION |
TREATMENT |
|
Apple Dimpling Bug Adult
Apple Dimpling Bug Damage
|
Greenish/Brown, 3mm long.
Damage is seen as small dimpling on the fruit skin. |
Spray 10grms of soap in 1Litre of waterevery 3 days during pink flowering to petal fall and early fruit set (all states). |
|
Codling Moth Larvae
|
Adult grey/Brown, wing span 12-19mm. Larvae has a black head and is 10-15mm long. Damage can occur from fruit set to fruit harvest, damage shows as small holes on surface. |
Pheromone traps can be used to reduce numbers of moths (refer to PlantNet traps for instructions.)
Links
If damage gets over 3% spray with Biological Products such as Spinosad. |
|
Light Brown Apple Moth
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Young larvae are pale and 1-2mm long, rare to see the adult moth. Damage can occur from fruit set to harvest and shows as small holes on the fruit surface.
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Pheromone traps can be used to reduce male moths. (refer to PlantNet traps for instructions) Links Always spray larvae when young for best results. If damage gets over 3%, spray with Biological Products such as Spinosad. |
|
Queensland Fruit Fly Adult
Queensland Fruit fly larvae
|
Adult is red, brown and yellow. Larvae are white maggots. Damage to the fruit is seen as sunken pin pricks slowly going soft as fruit matures.Damage may occur from early fruit maturity. (QLD/NSW). |
Male attractant bait traps. Refer to PlantNet traps for instructions.
Links Gardening Australia
Exclusion netting can also be used, no bigger than 2mm holes. |
|
Two Spotted Mites
Mite Damage
|
Small insects that sometimes can only be seen with a magnifying glass. Three species (Two Spotted Mite, European Red Mite, and Bryobia Mite) Depending on where you are in Australia may depend on which species you have. These insects damage the leaves of plants. Some of them are found underneath the leaf some on the upper surface of the leaf. Damage is seen as discolouration of the leaf surface. |
They have natural predators and these can be purchased from predatory Insect breeders. Link Bugs for Bugs Mites can become uncontrollable if insecticides used for other pests are over used. Try 100grms of chopped garlic, 2teaspoons of vegetable oil, 2teaspoons of detergent in 500mls of water. {Link www.figtree.org.au } |
|
Plague Thrips
Western Flower Thrips
|
Hard to see with the human eye. Adult female is about 1.1-1.3mm long and infest flowers.
Adult female is 1.4-1.8mm long and will start in the flower but will also damage young fruitlets.
|
It is important to treat the flowering stage. A Natural Remedy to try for moth larvae,mites,and thrips is: 100grms chopped garlic 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil 2 teaspoons of dish washing detergent 500mis of water |
|
San Jose scale
|
Adult female is yellow concealed by a grey/brown scale. It attaches to bark and branches on trees and sometimes fruit. |
The best control is one application at dormancy of Paraffin oil (manufactured for Horticulture) or a soap based product to smother scale. predatory insects are also available. Link Bugs for Bugs. |
|
Alternaria Disease
Black spot
|
Early signs are purple lesions later turning to brown.
More common in QLD.
Shows as sunken Black spots on the fruit surface increasing as fruit grows. |
For Alternaria and Black Spot maintain a healthy tree, this is very important. It is very important to plant trees where there is good air movement so lower humidity. Fungal diseases will thrive in higher humidity. As with apple scab below it is important to do one copper oxychloride or copper hydroxide spray as soon as trees lose their leaves in the winter. Control of apple scab and Alternaria disease through summertime can be done with Mancozeb fungicide. Many home remedies do not have much success with fungal diseases but it is worth checking the links mentioned above. |
|
Apple Scab
|
Young leaves show infection as velvety green spores that turn black with as the fruit ripens. |
Remove all leaves from around tree after leaf fall. Use the same information as for Alternaria control. |
Peaches, Nectarines, Plums and Apricots
| PEST/DISEASE | DISCRIPTION | TREATMENT |
|
Queensland Fruit Fly Adult
Queensland Fruit Fly Larvae
|
Adult is red,brown and yellow Damage is seen as sunken pin pricks on the fruit surface, slowly going soft as fruit matures. Damage may occur from early fruit maturity. (QLD, NSW) |
Male attractant bait traps. Refer to PlantNet traps for instructions.
link Gardening Australia
Exclusion netting can also be used, no bigger than 2mm holes.
|
|
Tw Spotted Mites
Two Spotted Mite Damage
|
Small insects that sometimes can only be seen with a magnifying glass. The most common in stonefruit is the two spotted mite, these insects damage the leaves of plants. They are found on the back of the leaf surface.
Damage is seen as discolouration of the leaf surface. |
They have natural predators and these can be purchased from predatory insect breeders. Link Bugs for Bugs
Mites can become uncontrollable if insecticides used for other pests are over used.
Try 100grms of chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of detergent in 500mls of water. link www.figtree.org.au
|
|
Plague Thrips Damage
Western Flower Thrips Damage
|
Hard to see with the human eye. Adult female is about 1.1-1.3mm long and infests flowers.
Adult female is 1.4-1.8mm long and will damage flower, but will also damage young fruitlets. |
It is important to treat the flowering stage.
Try the mixture as for mites above to control them. |
|
Green and Black Peach Aphid
|
Small insects 1.5mm-3mm long that manifest flower buds and new growth. Damage may be seen as distorted growing tips. |
Try mixture as per Mites and thrips, only if Aphids are found. |
|
Monolepta Beetle (Red Shouldered leaf beetle)
|
7mm long, yellow with a red spot on each wing, tend to travel in large numbers. At its worst in warmer humid climates. Damage is seen as fruit and leaves being chewed. |
Individual beetles can be squashed by hand if seen. Try mixture as per Mites and thrips, only if Aphids are found. |
|
Orange Fruit Borer
Codling Moth
Oriental Fruit Moth Larvae
Oriental Fruit Moth Damage
Fullers Rose Weavil
|
Larvae are brown on top, light grey underneath, 20mm long with a dark brown head and brown stripes along the length of the body. Larvae chew an burrow in to fruit.
Larvae have a black head and are 10-15mm long. Adult grey/Brown, wing span 12-19mm. Larvae has a black head and is 10-15mm long. Damage can occur from fruit set to the harvest of fruit. Damage shows as small holes on the fruit surface to begin with and holes get bigger as the fruit grows.
Small white larvae. Damage is seen on new growing tips where eggs are layed and larvae bores into the tip causing it to wilt and die.
Damage is seen as chewing of older fully expanded leaves.
|
Try 100grms of chopped garlic, 2teaspoons of vegetable, 2teaspoons of detergent in 500mls of water. Use on all three of the above larvae. Link
Pheromone traps can be used to reduce numbers of moths (refer to PlantNet traps for instructions.)
Pheromone traps can be used to reduce numbers of moths (refer to PlantNet traps for instructions.)
Squash them when seen is the best control.
|
|
San Jose scale
White Peach Scale
|
Female is yellow concealed by a grey/brown scale. It attaches itself to bark and branches on trees and sometimes fruit. Scale can kill limbs and trees if left uncontrolled.
Much smaller than San Jose Scale, almost like white dust on the trees bark when first seen. Can kill limbs on trees much quicker than San Jose Scale. |
Both scales are best controlled with one spray of paraffin oil (manufactured for Horticulture) at the dormancy stage. |
|
Rust
Shot Hole
Curly Leaf
|
Small yellow pin head sized spots on the upper leaf surface.
Starts off as small purple spots on the leaf surface turning gradually to brown and then dropping out showing a "shothole" affect.
As new shoots come after dormacy damage will show as curled and blistered leaves. |
Best control for Rust, Shot hole and Curly leaf is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at leaf drop and at mid dormancy.
Control of Rust and Shot Hole through summertime can be done with Mancozeb fungicide.
Best control is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at dormacy and 1 spray at budswell.
Best control is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at dormacy and 1 spray at bud swell. |
|
Brown Rot
|
Damage starts as a small grey to brown spot and as fruit matures it increase's in size. |
Best control is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at dormacy and 1 spray at bud swell. Apply Mancozeb during flowering to early fruit set. (Use the same program for Blossom Blight) |
