In the Spring, Mother Nature makes many promises - but she doesn't keep all of them.
For the apple grower, the Spring is full of promise! The young, apple blossoms glow in the sunshine. Framing these lovely blossoms are delicate leaves bursting with health and vigor. Every apple tree is exuberant with springtime growth – unblemished and untarnished. This is Mother Nature's promise of a bountiful harvest!!
But in the shadows a mob of hungry creatures lie in wait. They are hungry for a taste of what is unfolding in the Springtime orchard.
The first of this hungry gang to make an appearance in my orchards are the “Tent Caterpillars”. They are greedy. If they are not removed from the trees by hand, they will eat EVERY LEAF from the tree!
Then a large group of other leaf eaters, sap suckers, apple nibblers, bacteria and viruses of various kinds take their turn in a relentless attack! It is a wild relationship of predator and prey.
Fortunately, there are also lots of little helpers in the orchard that keep the gang of predators in check. And thankfully, in spite of all the critters hungry for the taste of apple, there is always some fruit to harvest in the Fall.
Thank you Mother Nature. You always keep some of your Promises...