Apple trees are beautiful additions to a home setting, with rosy blossoms in the spring and the promise of a bountiful harvest.
Picking fresh, home-grown fruit to share with your friends and family is one of the greatest pleasures of owning an apple tree. However, many would-be apple growers know that a lot can go wrong between blossom and fruit.
Here are the five top apple tree problems that could get in the way of enjoying a successful harvest, together with ways you can combat them.
1. Apple Scab
Experts can diagnose Apple Scab disease by examining the leaves and fruit. The leaves develop round, olive-green spots about half an inch across. The spots feel velvety to the touch. The leaf spots eventually turn brown and then black.
A fruit with apple scab disease develops a “corky” appearance and is inedible.
You can apply fungicides preventatively to suppress Apple Scab infection, but the best action is to plant trees resistant to the fungus.
2. Codling Moths
Codling moths are one of the most prevalent apple pests worldwide. In the past, growers controlled them with insecticide, but spray resistance has caused them to resurge.
The fruit looks fine outside with codling moths, but you see the worms when you cut or bite it. Codling moth larvae tunnel into apples and leave their “frass” or excrement behind.
Targeted insecticides may stop this disease. Growers can use pheromones to disrupt the mating cycle of codling moths and apply a virus that attacks the larvae. These methods are insecticide-free but may need expert application.
3. Fire Blight
Pears and apples often fall victim to Fire Blight. This disease grows in cankers on the trunk, branches, and old fruit. Infested trees often have characteristic hook-shaped leaves and shoots. Rain, pollinators, and pruning spread the disease from the cankers to the leaves and fruit.
Fire blight kills shoots and blossoms. If many shoots are infected, the tree may appear scorched. The cankers make branches die back. Fruit will turn brown and decay.
Trees need to be sprayed for Fire Blight in early spring before the buds open. Arborists have a variety of treatments at their disposal, including a Bordeaux mixture (water, copper sulfate, and calcium hydroxide) or a copper-based spray.
4. Aphids
Two types of Aphids attack trees in Pennsylvania: the Woolly Apple Aphid and the Green Apple Aphid. Both Aphids damage the leaves by sucking out their juice. They make the tree’s leaves yellow and die. Aphids also leave behind sticky honeydew that attracts ants.
The Woolly Apple Aphid is more dangerous to a tree’s health than the Green Apple Aphid. These Aphids cause the tree to form galls (swollen areas) on the roots. These aphids interfere with a tree’s growth.
Aphids have many natural predators, but their numbers could be affected by excessive spraying of insecticides. The best way to fight back against Aphids is to plant rootstock resistant to their infestation.
5. Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is a fungus that prevents apple trees from growing fruit. Growers notice their blossoms and leaves with a light-colored powder in the spring. Infected leaves soon become powder-coated and curl upward.
Powdery mildew is more common in dry years. Home growers must spray their trees with mildew preventative early in the bud stage.
General Apple Tree Care Tips
Apple trees grow in full sun. They also need well-drained soil. Homeowners should not plant them close to other trees or wooded areas. However, they should sit 50 feet or less from another apple tree of a different variety for pollination to happen.
Apples grow best in slightly acidic soil, around pH 6.0 to 6.5. Be sure to get a soil test from a nearby Cooperative Extension Service.
Examine your trees regularly for signs of disease. Talk to an arborist about what types of soil and spray treatments you may need. Be sure to time your sprays, so they will not harm natural pollinators.
After a few years of growing and planning, you may be able to grow a complete apple harvest to share and enjoy with your family.
Help Your Apple Trees Grow
While apples are beautiful trees, they are prone to many insects and diseases. The more you learn about growing apples, the more you realize how complex they are. Growing healthy, fruitful apple trees is a big undertaking. If you are having trouble nurturing healthy apples until harvest time, call Rick’s Plant Health Care at 610-840-2655. We can diagnose your problem and provide professional solutions.
Comments are closed.