Dear folks,
I have an ANNA apple tree planted alongside a Golden Dorsett in
my backyard. The ANNA has lots more fruit than the Dorsett but
the fruit begins to rot almost as soon as it starts to form.
A brown area forms on the base of the apple and spreads slowly
throughout the whole fruit. The Dorsett doesn't seem to be
so bad but it has very little fruit at all. I think that my
neighbor's huge spreading tree overshadowing it might have
stunted its growth. However, the trees are about three years
old and although this is hot Phoenix these kinds are supposed
to grow well here. I have checked around at the County
Extension and in several books and I don't seem to be able
to find out whats wrong with that ANNA. Any suggestions?
Marge
Something is happening to my apple tree. The ends of the branches are dying.
The last few leaves on some, not all, branches are turned brown, and the
branch tip can be snapped off. I would say it was drying up, but this has been one
of our wettest summers in a long time. What could the problem be?
Mary Ann
Zone 5b, NY
Could it possibly be periodical cicadas? It sounds like our oak trees and others. The
female saws a slit in the end of the branches and lays her eggs, which kills the end
of the branch. We had the 17 year ones this year.
susan
Mary Ann Mikulski wrote:
In a message dated 8/7/03 6:33:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
christie@PSKNET.COM writes:
<< Could it possibly be periodical cicadas? It sounds like our oak trees and
others. The
female saws a slit in the end of the branches and lays her eggs, which kills
the end
of the branch. We had the 17 year ones this year.
Suppose it could be. We have the cicadas singing now. So if I cut off the
ends and destroy them I'll also destroy lot of future cicadas?
Mary Ann
Maybe fireblight....
http://www.arborcare.com/library/fireblight.html
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4149
Barb in Southern Indiana Zone 5/6 dorsettb@kiva.net
One of the most important things a gardener does is
*look.* The rewards are immeasurable. ~Elsa Bakalar
Fungal disease.
John
> Something is happening to my apple tree. The ends of the branches are
dying.
> The last few leaves on some, not all, branches are turned brown, and the
> branch tip can be snapped off. I would say it was drying up, but this has
been one
This might be the same pest that affects apple trees in Denmark. They still give loads of apples though. It seems to be a mostly unsightly pest and doesn't kill the tree.
Carol
The cicadas I referred to are not the usual summer cicadas. They are called 17 year
locusts but are not really a locust and I'm not sure but I think not really a
cicada. They won't kill the tree, but can kill the twigs at the ends of branches.
You would not believe the damage on oak trees around here the ends of the branches
are brown and dead and some snapping off. Moira is right about cutting off the
stem, not doing much good as the larvae have probably dropped to the ground before
the twig turned brown.
Moira might be right, mine was just a shot in the dark because of our oak trees.
susan
Tony and Moira Ryan wrote:
Mary Ann Mikulski wrote:
> Something is happening to my apple tree. The ends of the branches are dying.
> The last few leaves on some, not all, branches are turned brown, and the
> branch tip can be snapped off. I would say it was drying up, but this has been
one of our wettest summers in a long time. What could the problem be?
> Mary Ann
I do wonder if the wet summer could actually _be_ the problem.
Apple roots are very tough and can often stand in water for 36 hours
before the ends start to die, but if your tree had at any time this year
been waterlogged longer than this, it could have well caused some root
death, which is often follwed by a corresponding reduction in the shoots
- a natural pruning one might say..
The ony other cause I know of for a lot of tip death in apples is a bad
attack of Apple mildew. This covers and kills the ends of the shoots,
which can then be found shrivelled and with a a noticeable coating of
the fungus.The only control is to prune tham off and burn them, which
usually works pretty well as long as one clears them all away.
Cicada damage might I suppose cause death in the odd shoot, but I have
never seen or heard of it on this scale. Ordinarily the shoot beyond the
wound survives, but in a weakened state, so that often a sudden wind
will snap the end off. Only if you were to find one of the
characteristic slits at the base of every dead tip, would I believe
this is the cause.
As to killing a lot of cicada young by pruning off the egg slits, this
is apparently unlikely. As I understand the life cycle, the eggs very
soon hatch after laying and the young crawl or drop (not sure which) to
the ground where they dig in to undergo all the rest of their
development before emerging, often years later, as winged adults.
Why they go through this arkward start and don't just lay on the ground
I hsve never seen explained by anybody.
I Sometimes wish they would change their habits.I have a spindle berry tree
which is a great favorite with them. Every year a lot of the thinner new
shoots break off in the wind as a result, so the poor tree is by now
very misshapen.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
If it was Ireland or the UK I'd be worrying about fireblight - do you have
it in your area?
http://www.fireblight.com/
kathryn
Yes, we get fireblight here, too. SInce I am new to fruit trees, I read up
on the disease. It seems that young fruit trees, esp. apples and pears,
are more susceptible. Pruning during wet weather encourages it.
Alice, zone 5, MA
Next question...
I have an apple tree that is dropping apples right now. I haven't gotten on=
e apple in two years I've lived here thanks to the squirles. I think I've g=
ot the squirles under control and now the tree is dropping fruit. Am I doin=
g something wrong?
Thanks
Brooke
Ft. Worth, TX
Oh, thank you Catherine for the advice on the Bone meal. I'm on my way righ=
t now to get some. (Nitrogen fix for my vegi garden)
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