No Fruit. Many Bugs!

Last year at this time, we were preparing for our first annual AppleFest at Dawson, a celebration of the many mature apple trees on campus as well as the newly planted fruit trees in our orchard south of Henderson Hall. This year many of us were looking forward to a second community educational experience with our apple trees. Regrettably, our gardening coordinator, Upper School Science teacher Elizabeth Drozda-Freeman, reports that there are no apples on our trees this year. Why? 

Interestingly, the single-digit temperatures we had last November has killed many trees across Boulder County (http://goo.gl/z4tVSd), and damaged others that will make a comeback. In addition, it is likely that the cold snap last May affected their fruit production: Late freezes kill flower buds that have already emerged, and the flowers are what form the fruit. On the bright side, we removed some of the dead shrubs on campus, and in doing so enhanced the beauty and openness of several areas on campus. 

We have observed some other interesting phenomena on campus late this summer as students have returned to our gardens in conjunction with their curriculum and in preparation for our school’s first Farm-to-Table Dinner on September 20. Specifically, we have noticed a huge number of bugs in our gardens! Kale bugs (aphids) and harlequin bugs are challenging us to keep our plants growing and productive through September as they can weaken the plants and make them more susceptible to secondary problems. We also have plenty of pest-controlling insects in the garden, such as wasps, lady bugs and praying mantids, but the pest explosion was big this year. Harlequin bugs (http://goo.gl/gv8JgR) are not native to Colorado: they are tropical in origin and have been moving north in the U.S. over the past decade, causing new problems for local gardeners, including us. Happily, the ingredients desired for Sunday’s event are in good supply. 

Though we are not thrilled with dead trees, active bugs, or a lack of fruit this fall, these challenges also are good learning opportunities for our community and a reminder not to take our beautiful campus or the wonder around us for granted.