I have five apple trees for about five years. They have been unsuccessful, in the sense that each year the leaves become blotched and the apples are scarred. I noticed this year when the blossoms came on the trees the presence of black flies. I sprayed them with soapy water, but feel it was already too late. I am uploading before photos of a typical blotched leave and a scarred apple.
What advice can you give me to solve this problem.
What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
Moderator: appledude
What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
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Re: What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
Where are the trees located? State, climate zone?
Re: What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
Does this effect the entire tree? The brown (?) spots may be an indication of cedar rust however I do not know if the condition of the fruit would be effected like in your photo (somebody more knowledgeable please comment). If it is a problem where you live, the best, so called "organic" spray, would be Bordeaux spray (copper). I would spray the entire tree and the ground out where your trees are. I would not go with the brands they sell in the stores. I order mine from eBay. I will post later in the day specifically what I buy.
Here in central PA cedar rust is a problem.
Here in central PA cedar rust is a problem.
Calville Blc,Hewes,Nehou,Fearns P,Siberian,Cox OP,Spitz,Ananas Reinette,BdB,Kingston Blk,Tremlett's,Muscat de Bernay,Ashmead's,Rambo,Stayman,Macoun,Jefferis,Winesap,Red Berlepsch
Re: What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
The trees are located in Ireland, near the sea - climate is temperate - a lot of rain - but no extremes.
Thanks for the information given above. I will follow it up. By the way when should spraying be done? The trees bloom in May or June ...
Thanks for the information given above. I will follow it up. By the way when should spraying be done? The trees bloom in May or June ...
Re: What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
The reason I asked your location was to discover the reason there is a mossy looking ground cover under the trees. This might be baby tears or some sort of moss, but whatever it is, it looks like the ground covers one sees in high rain fall areas or a case of extreme over irrigation.
I can see slight iron deficiency on one of the leaves. The cracking on the apple itself looks like a physiological problem rather than a fungus or other microbeial pathogen.
Also I suspect these trees might be growing in some shade from other trees, a building, a steep hill or just heavy cloud cover through-out the growing season. Apple trees grow best in full sun with no shade from sunrise to sunset.
If you irrigate the trees, I would only do so when the upper 3 inches of the soil becomes dry, and then I would water deeply. I’m guessing that in your climate, this might be only once every month or two, if ever. One cannot give a time table, as there are too many variables involved.
The leaves on the trees look as though the soil has been leached of nutrients. Think about fertilizer, a complete fertilizer.
Just some points to thinks about:
Apples need full sun.
Apples do poorly when grown in a lawn or other landscape where watering is tailored to meet the needs of surrounding landscape plants or grass.
Apples do well in a soil with a Ph. of 6-7.
Apples do best when the ground below the tree is clear of all plant material, which means: Clear the weeds or ground cover away from the trees and have a bare soil area at least 1m in diameter.
You can spray in the spring before new buds appear. I would check with a local apple grower, horticulturalist, your local university or others who know the apple diseases and can recommend sprays and controls available to you.
Best of luck, I hope I helped some...
Hugh, Montana USA
I can see slight iron deficiency on one of the leaves. The cracking on the apple itself looks like a physiological problem rather than a fungus or other microbeial pathogen.
Also I suspect these trees might be growing in some shade from other trees, a building, a steep hill or just heavy cloud cover through-out the growing season. Apple trees grow best in full sun with no shade from sunrise to sunset.
If you irrigate the trees, I would only do so when the upper 3 inches of the soil becomes dry, and then I would water deeply. I’m guessing that in your climate, this might be only once every month or two, if ever. One cannot give a time table, as there are too many variables involved.
The leaves on the trees look as though the soil has been leached of nutrients. Think about fertilizer, a complete fertilizer.
Just some points to thinks about:
Apples need full sun.
Apples do poorly when grown in a lawn or other landscape where watering is tailored to meet the needs of surrounding landscape plants or grass.
Apples do well in a soil with a Ph. of 6-7.
Apples do best when the ground below the tree is clear of all plant material, which means: Clear the weeds or ground cover away from the trees and have a bare soil area at least 1m in diameter.
You can spray in the spring before new buds appear. I would check with a local apple grower, horticulturalist, your local university or others who know the apple diseases and can recommend sprays and controls available to you.
Best of luck, I hope I helped some...
Hugh, Montana USA
Re: What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
Thanks a million. I will look into all the issues you raise and take appropriate action.
The trees get good sun and are not in the shadow. However I have a feeling that the soil in which they are planted is deficient in nutrients and I will attend to that. I imagine they get as much rain-water as other trees in my area - which do alright. I mentioned in my post the numerous black flies which I saw on the blossoms last year - which I sprayed with soapy water. I wonder whether these had any bearing.
Thanks again
The trees get good sun and are not in the shadow. However I have a feeling that the soil in which they are planted is deficient in nutrients and I will attend to that. I imagine they get as much rain-water as other trees in my area - which do alright. I mentioned in my post the numerous black flies which I saw on the blossoms last year - which I sprayed with soapy water. I wonder whether these had any bearing.
Thanks again
Re: What is wrong with my apple trees - blotched leaves etc
Another note.
One nice feature about apple trees is that they drop their leaves in the winter and become dormant. This gives the grower a chance to rethink the tree’s culture and also rids the leaves of insects and pathogens. Many of these insects will lay eggs in the tree’s bark or soil and some of the pathogens will lie dormant only to reemerge again in the spring. However, the upside of all of this is that this gives the grower a chance to apply winter/early spring controls, and gives some time to think things through.
Agricultural chemicals that are available to the public for pest and disease control vary from country to country, and even then, the names of these chemicals vary from country to country.
Generally speaking, the trees would benefit from the application of a material to kill insect eggs, and then the application of a material that would arrest dormant fungal disease spores. Oil is good for the insect eggs, and copper for the fungal spores. Understand that this is a very shallow explanation, and the complexity is enormous, that is, if you want to really dig into it all.
Here is a link to a spray schedule. http://www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/facts ... edule.html
You may need to search the net to find the names of these products in your own country. Understand that disease/pest control in apples is a process of attrition, in that total control is never possible, but anything you do will help some.
Hugh
One nice feature about apple trees is that they drop their leaves in the winter and become dormant. This gives the grower a chance to rethink the tree’s culture and also rids the leaves of insects and pathogens. Many of these insects will lay eggs in the tree’s bark or soil and some of the pathogens will lie dormant only to reemerge again in the spring. However, the upside of all of this is that this gives the grower a chance to apply winter/early spring controls, and gives some time to think things through.
Agricultural chemicals that are available to the public for pest and disease control vary from country to country, and even then, the names of these chemicals vary from country to country.
Generally speaking, the trees would benefit from the application of a material to kill insect eggs, and then the application of a material that would arrest dormant fungal disease spores. Oil is good for the insect eggs, and copper for the fungal spores. Understand that this is a very shallow explanation, and the complexity is enormous, that is, if you want to really dig into it all.
Here is a link to a spray schedule. http://www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/facts ... edule.html
You may need to search the net to find the names of these products in your own country. Understand that disease/pest control in apples is a process of attrition, in that total control is never possible, but anything you do will help some.
Hugh