Mystery Disease ???

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rickg
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:46 pm

Mystery Disease ???

Post by rickg »

I'm trying to find out what this is on my apple trees.
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At first I thought it was cicada damage but it's early for annual cicadas and I don't hear or see any. Then I was told that it was fireblight, but I don't have the classic shepherd hook on the young shoots. Then someone said it was scab but I can't find anything on the internet concerning scab that looks like this. Does anyone else have an idea as to what this is??? The trees are Antonovka seedlings 6 to 8 years old that I'm top-working over to assorted varieties. I've also found it on a pear tree. Help!!!

Rick
dmtaylor
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:12 pm

Re: Mystery Disease ???

Post by dmtaylor »

Looks like freeze-thaw damage. Are the cracks confined to the south or southwestern portion of the bark? The theory goes that if very wet weather is followed very quickly by very cold freezing weather, the tree might not have time to adjust its water content, resulting in bursting of the bark, since water expands a lot when freezing.
OrangePippin-Richard
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2010 12:14 pm
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Re: Mystery Disease ???

Post by OrangePippin-Richard »

I agree with dmtaylor. This is not an insect or fungal infection.
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