Fall field notes

Cold Hardy Apples and Crabapples: Fall Field Notes

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Field note · September 2026

Palmetta apples feeding wasps in early September

Oak Summit Nursery · Southern Manitoba

palmetta apples, a few left on this tree are making a food source for the wasps. I'm fine with the wasps if they keep some distance, they're very attracted to sugar and over ripe fruit, and they have this cool way of hollowing out an apple. it's only a few fruit so I chalk it up to food for wildlife, and I think it's only the fruit that were overripe. I haven't needed to spray any of our fruit trees yet, but I understand that it may be needed eventually depending on the pests to keep everything healthy, we have bee hives on our property and plenty of wild pollinators, and we aren't a commercial orchard, a few spots on the apples are ok just give me the bees.. there's a song about that right