Our apple tree has some pretty looking fruit, but I haven't looked too closely. This tree is a disease resistant "Sparta" variety, although a few years ago it finally succumbed to the dreaded western Washington apple maggot. The cycle goes like this: the larvae winters in the soil, hatches into a nasty fly at the exact time the tree sets fruit, then lays its eggs in the little apples. Then they hatch, eat the apple, and do it all over again. Nice.
I checked with the agricultural Extension, and the timing and chemicals to control this thing is daunting. And why risk decimating the bees along with the "maggot" just when they are pollinating gardens in the spring? In fact, the Extension does not recommend growing orchard fruit at all anymore. They suggest you buy it at the store or farmer's market in season. No surprise, the fear is this disease will spread to the commercial apple growers in eastern Washington. Since neither John OR Sizzle likes to eat the Sparta apples, I should take their advice and cut the thing down.Most horses like carrots, and sweet apples too. (The Sparta is not sweet.) But after years of toting bags of carrots to the barn, I finally found the perfect and inexpensive little treat for a spoiled horse: Frosted Mini-Wheat's! I don't think Sizzle ever tasted anything so good in her long life. Yum.
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