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  • Apple tree not looking healthy

    Hello

    Could anyone help with my apple tree. Its a M27 Falstaff 2 year old planted last September. At flowing time I noticed some brown blossom. It now has curling leaves and some of the apples have brown spots on them. I thought it might be some sort of canker and have sprayed once with a fungicide (about a week ago). It still looks rather poorly. Any ideas? I have attached photos.

    Thanks

    Richmond

    Attached Files

  • #2
    I guess it could be scab.

    Falstaff is listed as fairly resistant, but it's possible.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Pirahna View Post
      I guess it could be scab.

      .
      That would be my guess also.

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      • #4
        A also think the spots are scab. Nowdays 'everyone' grows Falstaff and its scab resistance - which was only partial resistance to begin with - is being overcome.

        I don't see much 'curling of leaves' other than maybe some mid-day-sun wilting which is not surprising, especially on dwarf rootstocks. However, the most common cause of leaf-curling is aphid colonies on the underside of the leaves.
        .

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        • #5
          Thank you for your replies. Yes I think it is scab going by the brown spots on the applies. I did have aphids a few weeks ago but got rid of them. I am quite surprised that a new tree in a new patch of garden should suffer with scab. We have a small garden so each plant matters and I am rather dissappointed. I get my fruit from Blackmores who have a good reputation so I guess this is nothing to do with them as supplier but bad luck on my part. I have sprayed it again today with the fungicide recommended for scab but I can see that the apples are going to be affected. The good news is everthing else is looking fine - black, red and white currants, blackberry, raspberry and strawberries and my veg is growing!

          Richmond

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          • #6
            scab is a fungal disease -it spreads via spores and it may be that the spores have blown in from another garden.

            Your tree hasn't been planted for long so it might be struggling a little bit with getting settled and fruiting at the same time.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Pirahna View Post
              scab is a fungal disease -it spreads via spores and it may be that the spores have blown in from another garden.
              Yes, wind can carry fungal spores from an old/sick tree for miles.
              Nowadays, in response to the planting of vast blocks of thousands of same-variety trees (e.g. an orchard of ten thousand Gala apple trees on M9) the diseases have changed from a 'jack of all trades' which causes slight damage to many varieties, to a 'master of one' which is expert at causing severe disease on the common or commercial varieties but which is not capable of attacking the more unusual varieties.

              On many of the old/rare varieties I grow (I don't use chemical sprays) I've never seen a single spot of scab (nor other diseases) despite nearby streets having some diseased trees which undoubtedly scatter spores all over my trees.

              Disease and pest resistance seems to vary by location, probably due to the varieties commonly being grown in that area and partly due to how well that variety copes with the local soil type and climate. It is well-known that certain varieties (and certain rootstocks) prefer certain soils and climates and may not do well elsewhere.
              In my experience dwarf rootstocks are more prone to their grafted scion suffering from disease while vigorous rootstocks are less prone to their scion suffering disease.

              Your tree hasn't been planted for long so it might be struggling a little bit with getting settled and fruiting at the same time.
              Yes, a newly-planted tree that has been used to a full spray routine in the nursery often gets badly attacked by diseases in the first few years.
              Sprays affect the 'good' fungi and bacteria as much as the 'bad' ones.
              In a garden situation certain varieties have enough 'good' fungi growing on them that the 'good' fungi out-compete the 'bad' fungi. I might even have read that small mites go round eating fungal spores (but the mites are killed by sprays) and that there is a fungus which parasitizes and effectively eats the scab fungus (but this fungus is not in all areas and is also affected by sprays).
              .

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              • #8
                Thanks FB and Pirahna - thats useful to know.

                Best Regards

                Richmond

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                • #9
                  Apart from the minor scab issues, the tree looks pretty healthy. There is an abundance of leaves, which is usually a good thing.

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                  • #10
                    Another thought......there's a chance it might be bitter pit on the fruit.
                    To rule out the small chance of it being bitter pit, can you post a closer view of some of the affected fruits?

                    Someone I know has a Falstaff and it suffers badly from bitter pit (at least it suffers in their soil which, like mine, is about a foot of dry/light, sandy-gravelley, slightly-chalky, loam, sitting over several feet of sand and gravel, sitting over chalk).
                    Last edited by FB.; 22-06-2014, 06:00 PM.
                    .

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                    • #11
                      thanks for all your suggestions....
                      I learn a lot!

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                      • #12
                        thanks all. I have taken some close ups of the apples - the affected ones do not look good. Bitter pill sounds horrible!





                        Attached Files

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                        • #13
                          Is it possible that you could cut one open, certainly looks like bitter pit.
                          Just making sure there is nothing nasty lurking inside and to see a close up of the damage caused to the apple. just curious.
                          Feed the soil, not the plants.
                          (helps if you have cluckies)

                          Man v Squirrels, pigeons & Ants
                          Bob

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                          • #14
                            I'd be pretty definite that the Right hand side apple on photo 3 has scab. Looks just like my George Cave apples which are always covered in scab.

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                            • #15
                              Here we go inside the apples.

                              Best Regards

                              Richmond


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