GET GROWING!
PICK UP THOSE APPLES!
Not picking up fallen fruit can have unforeseen consequences. Image credit: NEWS CANADA.
By LADYBUG
The crabapple tree in my neighbour’s front yard and the apple at the back rewarded her generously with fruit. The crabapples, tiny and tart, were enjoyed by the birds and squirrels. The apples, she shared with friends and neighbours – and the birds and squirrels. She found it hard to get to the fruit on higher branches and those fell to the ground when ripe. Meticulous about keeping her yard neat, she’d pick those up and put them out with yard waste.
One year, she was away in fall. I’d look out our window and see more and more apples collecting below the tree. So I voluntold my sons to collect them for yard waste.
Bringing out a couple of large tin tubs from her shed, they filled them with the fallen fruit. The idea was to haul the tubs to the curb on collection day.
My neighbour was back the day before that. Out weeding in my yard, I saw her go into her backyard and braced myself for her protest that she would have taken care of it. Fiercely independent, she didn’t let anyone help easily.
However, she came back looking distracted. Oh-oh. Had the boys left her yard looking messy?
Was everything okay, I enquired.
“I can’t move those tubs, they are so heavy,” she said. I got up to help. The darn tubs wouldn’t budge. When she did a regular pick up-and-discard over several weeks, she disposed of them easily. But now the tubs were filled with several weeks’ worth of fruit, all of the fruit from the tree, and I realized just how much that was.
My sons were sent out again, to fill yard waste bags with apples, only as much weight as each could easily take, and take them to the curb. My neighbour stood there apologizing profusely for all the work she was making them do, promising to take them out for a treat. I stood there apologizing profusely for causing the well-intentioned, but messy situation in the first place.
That memory surfaced with a press release about how failing to pick up fallen fruits can lead to a myriad garden-related issues.
An expert from Homestars.com warns that it’s essential to collect and remove fruit as soon as it hits the ground or be prepared for ruined lawns and unwelcome guests.
Fruit trees are a staple in millions of yards, but leaving fallen fruit can cause a multitude of problems for Canadians across the country. From attracting pests to ruining grass, there are a variety of ways in which allowing fruit to rot in your yard is a problem. While some of these issues – such as an unpleasant smell – are just annoying, others could actually cause serious issues that need professional intervention.
These issues can be easily avoided by quick collection of fruits, and suitable removal. Ideally, fallen fruits should be picked up before the rotting process begins. In hot weather, fallen fruit can begin to rot within hours, attracting wasps and other pests. Once this process is further down the line (within 48 to 72 hours), seeds from the fruit can be spread into other areas of your garden, leading to new unwanted seedlings growing. If you have a large tree or yield, the fallen fruit can also kill the grass underneath it within a few days, leading to patchy brown areas.
Colleen McGrory, from Home stars.com, says it’s essential to collect and remove fallen fruit as swiftly as possible.
“Yards can be a lot of work in summer when plants and lawns are growing fast and you’re watering often. So it’s understandable that people may neglect to collect fallen fruit when it seems like an unnecessary job.
“However, it’s actually vital to remove rotting fruits. They can attract not only wasps and hornets, but also rats. This could lead to the need for professional pest control — not a cheap job. It can also lead to plants self-seeding, and saplings springing up all over your lawn. So don’t neglect this job. Pick up daily if you can and dispose of your fruit if you can’t make use of it.”
Problems caused by leaving fruits to rot include:
Attracting pests. Wasps, bees, and insects all love fresh and newly rotting fruit. This may affect your ability to enjoy your yard, and could lead to stings or bites. However, the bigger problem is when rotting fruit attracts vermin such as rats. Rats are attracted to the smell of the fruit, and it can provide a good food source for them. A rat infestation can be distressing and also extremely costly, with prices for pest removal starting at approximately $100 – and often can cost much more should they prove tricky to eradicate.
Diseases. Unfortunately, fallen fruit is a breeding ground for many bacteria and fungi if the fruit is left to rot on the lawn. This is problematic, because it could spread to the tree itself, as well as neighbouring healthy plants. If your tree becomes diseased and needs removal, the costs can be more than $200. Fighting to save diseased trees can also be extremely costly, and methods are often ineffective.
Weed growth. Weeds can commonly grow around fruit trees if fallen fruit is not removed. This is because the soil receives rich organic matter, which provides perfect growing conditions for weeds. While removing weeds can be done yourself, it tends to become an ongoing job once they are established in an area. The cost of weedkiller should be taken into account, and the time of your gardener if you have one.
Ruined lawn. Fruit that has fallen onto the lawn will impact the grass in several ways, including by blocking the sunlight and air from reaching the grass, as well as the weight of the fruit flattening the blade. This will damage or even kill your grass if the fruit is not removed. In just one day the grass can begin to yellow; in two days it can enter a dormant state, and after just two weeks of fallen fruit, it can begin to die. The cost of reviving a lawn can be significant, with lawn treatments being expensive and sometimes ineffective. In the worst-case scenario, re-turfing may be necessary.
Plant spread for certain trees. While fruit may be a food source for us, to a tree, its fruits are a way of dispersing its seeds. For this reason, leaving fruit on your lawn can spread the seeds rapidly, until your whole garden is full of fruit tree saplings. Species such as apple trees can spread rapidly through their fruit. If that’s not your aim, it’s best to remove the fruit before you have a forest of saplings in your lawn.
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