Apple show near Chicago

[sherwindu]

My club, Midwest Fruit Explorers is putting on a show this weekend at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle Illinois (off of highway 88). Hours are 10am to 4:30pm on Oct 15 and Oct 16. Parking is $7, but our show is free, and you get to see the Arboretum, as well. We will have over 100 varieties of apples grown by our members on display. There will be other fruits, berries, and nuts too. There will be a demonstration of a working cider press. Our knowledgeable members will be there to answer all questions on how to grow these interesting things in your back yard.

Sherwin D.

[Dan J.S.]

Whenever I wanted to grow apples on my property, my neighbors would tell me I am risking an explosion in bee population. I am worried about that, since I have kids. How do you professionals get around this issue?

[dr-solo]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at

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[dr-solo]

bees pollinating are HAPPY bees. they wont do anything and wont sting unless you sit on them. however, I would strongly encourage you to plant dwarf apples on appropriate dwarfing rootstock for your area. buying cheap dwarf and lousy rootstock leads to dead trees in 3-4 years.

apples need to be sprayed periodically. apples that drop and/or rot will attract sweet wasps and they might not be overly friendly. all dropped or rotted apples must be picked up and removed. and if you got neighbors with big ass apple trees with rotted scarred lousy fruit, forget it. they are a breeding ground for all the diseases that will attack your apples. Ingrid

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at

up: the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the recommendations I make. AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

[sherwindu]

Hi Dan,

Apples trees do not attract any more bees than any other flowering plants like ornamental trees or flowers. I do not see large amounts of bees in my home orchard, but yellow jacket wasps are plentiful when the fruit begins to ripen. This can be controlled by keeping the fallen fruit off the ground, and disposing of any rotten fruit on the trees. I also use wasp traps, which keeps the population under control. I have had two stings in the past 15 years of raising fruit, but that could happen without fruit trees in the vicinity. Generally, the wasps and bees will not bother you, and buzz harmlessly around your body. You have to be careful if they build a nest in the trees as they will try and defend it if it is disturbed. Anotherwords, using common sense can deter any serious problems. You are going to have insects in any backyard with a garden or orchard, but they should not be a big problem. We have club members who actually have hives in their backyards, but seem to have things under control. I actually find myself doing a lot of hand pollination in my area where the bees either come out too late, or are just not around.

Sherw> > My club, Midwest Fruit Explorers is putting on a show this weekend at the > > Morton

[sherwindu]

You seem to have a nice assortment of fruit growing.

I wonder about the trees you have in pots growing in zone 5. Do you move them to a more protected place for the winter? I lost a 'Chicago Hardy' fig this year in a pot that I had buried in my garden. It could have been the layer of ice that formed at the top of the pot and choked off the plant, but I was very dissappointed in the loss. Figs are very susceptible to cold damage and I know people that bend them over and cover them with mulch, etc. for the winter, or put them in the garage until spring. Come visit us and tell us about your experiences.

Sherw> then please tell people figs can be grown in zone 5

[dr-solo]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at

up: the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the recommendations I make. AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

[Dan J.S.]

Thank you for your answers!!!