orchard musings

work these past few days
has consisted of pruning
cleaning beneathe the trees
and hanging plastic cups in the trees
plastic cups upon which i apply some sticky goo
(a product called "tangle trap"
derived from petroleum)
which no doubt captures insects
(there is at least some toxicity
for there is warning that this stuff
should not get into the eyes
and may cause a rash if left on the skin)

i found myself questioning
the preferability of this method
of pest control
by a rough estimate i have spent
about $80 and about 40 hrs total
in the past two weeks
on the project of pest control alone

how does this compare with
the practice of spraying with
insecticide???

after the cups are in the trees
and ready to go
there's nothing else to be done

it was the practice when spraying
prevailed that 3 or 4 sprayings were necessary
throughout the growing season

in terms of manual labor
spraying is easier
but the spray is toxic
i recall feeling ill for a few days
after the sprayings

one has to place some value in manual labor
it is good to work and get tired

i bring no machines into the orchard
other than lawn mowers when necessary

from the insect point of view
the judgement must be nuanced with
the ackowledgement
that even though i wish to do things
in a nontoxic way
the insects do die
they don't get poisoned
but they find themselves caught
in a mess from which they cannot extract themselves
and their last struggle is toward death

i also have to realize that "good" insects
are sacrificed in the method
insects which cause no harm whatsoever
to the orchard

rachel carson described a method
whereby the determination is made
of the pest in question
the pest most likely to be causing damage
to the produce
gathering up these pests and submitting
as many as possible to x-rays
which "neutralizes" their reproductive power
then introduce these back into the population
this "trick" limits the population by rendering the
natural reproductive cycle somewhat impotent

it was a consensus that the insecticide used
to control pests that loved the apples
as much as anyone else
was drastic
after a spraying or two
there were hardly any insects around
the trees were not abuzz
the sound of the orchard was one
of eerie quiet and sterility
this was beneficial to the apples
but one has to wonder of the
hidden health effects of such measures

so i justify my method
and i rationalize
i realize i don't get all the bugs
i realize i get a very small percentage
of any of the bugs existing
in and around the orchard

there will be plenty of bugs
for the birds to eat
despite my efforts at control

it is my hope that
fewer "maggotflies" as i
have learned to call them
will take advatage of the
new blossoms and find their little
homes there
that's all i can expect

by observation i have learned that
the best apples grow highest on the trees
at the tops of the trees the wind
is a natural deterrent to insect habitation
and sunlight is maximum

so then i found myself thinking
maybe what i should do is
force the growth of the trees
naturally upward
and at harvest time
just use tall ladders

rather my approach to pruning has been
to prefer the branches which are somewhat
horizontal and thus make the need for ladders
a matter of occasion rather than necessity
most of my trees are accessible to picking
by standing on the ground

the best natural friends of the apple tree
are sunlight wind and space

rather than rest on the knowledge
i have thus far attained
my interest this year will be
to be more precise in knowing
what the actual insect or insects are
which find such happy homes
in the apples
and discern whether there might be
a way to focus my attentions
on them

i enter into the biosphere
maybe i cause as many problems
as the insects and the worms

a few weeks ago i was describing
my method to a visiting monk
and his response was
it's a matter of survival
take no prisoners
agriculture is somewhat ruthless
by it's very nature
there are enemies
and we have the power to destroy the enemies
and that is the means to an optimal harvest

by assuming the gentle approach
i may be fooling myself
i have only the comfort of knowing
that only insects will die
nothing else will die from the goo
i've noticed the birds
have no time or interest at all
in the plastic cups
and that at the end of harvest
i can be assured that no residual
chemical effect is left in the fruit

my challenge is to know more
to be open to refining the practice
i use now
or even learning of a more gentle
and viable method

my goal:
maximize harvest
minimize damage

what a delicate dance i must dance
the orchard keepers' ballet