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Apple wisdom needed- stress or disease?

CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
in Problem solving
We have two espaliered apples, planted as young plants in spring 2018. They arrived later than expected (bare root) and we then had a dry summer. We watered but probably not enough and unsurprisingly they've been slow to establish. They're coming on in size now, though one is much healthier looking than the other, which until this spring was a bit too close to a neighbour's plum tree (which they've cut down now). However we have still had no blossom on either tree. The worse off of the two has had aphid and scale insect infestations this year, which I've just removed. However while scraping scale insects today I noticed some strange growths on the trunk- loads on the bad tree, but one on the better one. Should I be concerned about disease or can I go back to blaming my poor tree husbandry? Pics in post below.

Posts

  • CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
    Bad tree


    Better tree


    I ought to also have said they're behind a low retaining wall. We have installed irrigation now to help keep them moist.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Thanks for your questions.

    Is the base of your planters open to the ground, so that the roots can go down into the earth? How deep are the planters? Have you ever fed them or put on manure?
  • CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
    @Fire yes it's open to the ground, not a planter just a step up to the veg patch so in theory the roots can spread down and back away from the wall which is probably only a sleeper or so deep where they are anyway.

    I have fed them with some bonemeal... sporadically though 😬
  • CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
    I say in theory because the veg patch has raised beds on it so they could have competition from anything very deep rooted in those, but the closest raised bed is my cutting patch and mainly annuals.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    I think they are probably adventitious shoots, just one of nature's mysteries.
  • CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
    steephill said:
    I think they are probably adventitious shoots, just one of nature's mysteries.
    That would make sense, especially since they've been under stress. The better tree actually made some extra roots into the bark mulch and I hadn't made the connection.

    Thanks! I shall go back to blaming myself instead of worrying about viruses 😉
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    They are still young yet, and if you are still spring pruning for growth, will not get much fruit. Mine are 5 years old and only producing good amounts of fruit this year. Its the first year since it reached its full size, and I have switched to August pruning for fruit, so you have a bit to go yet.😁

  • CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
    @purplerallim that's reassuring, thank you.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have had apples and crab apples over five years in and had very little flower or fruit.
  • CharlotteFCharlotteF Posts: 337
    Thanks Fire, that's good to know. Suppliers seem to suggest trees on dwarf rootstock will fruit within a couple of years but that's clearly a bit of marketing!
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