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Funny bud-like growths on apple branches

sb98desb98de Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
 Hi there, pruning the apple trees today, noticed that on only one section of only one apple tree there are some sort of funny outgrowth on the branches/twigs I'm cutting off, sort of look like buds but a bit different, looks like it could be a disease to me but I'm not an expert in that. I looked through every possible page I could find with common diseases etc, can't find anything similar. See several pictures attached, taken of two different twigs.
I'd appreciate any help, just to find out if this is actually a disease and something that might possibly spread to the rest of the tree or even to the other trees around.


Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Scale insects, probably Brown scale:
    You can scrape them off with your thumbnail or a plastic spatula etc.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • sb98desb98de Posts: 2
    Thanks Bob, that does actually look very similar, but I've tried it, and they don't really come off. The only way I can get them off is basically pinching them off by force, but it's just green inside, so looks like this is actually some sort of a growth from the plant itself, I just don't get why and what it is...

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    In that case, they are probably just buds.  Remove those on the main trunk which you don't want to grow into branches (usually those at the bottom) and leave the rest.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited January 2021
    This may be of help ... the fruit buds look quite different to leaf buds. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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