This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Apple tree problems
Emma915
Posts: 95
Please can you help me determine the diseases on two of my apple trees
Last edited: 01 July 2016 21:59:53
0
Posts
Seconded!
snap my next door garden the community garden had about 30 members now only 6 the apple and green gage have aphids again ,,,,, now do I ask them to spray them or do what I useualy do spray and tell them they have asked me to just do what I think is best .. thing is I think that they want help and the click who was on it there is more chiefs than helpers ?as it is I help with bits like tieing things up beans peas ???
Snap. We do not spray either.
The leaf discolouration is one of the Blackspot things to which all plants are susceptible. I just make sure that any affected leaves are removed and got rid of, not composted.
Hang some bird feeders in your apple trees - the tits will get used to having their lunch there
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you. We have had a problem with rats in the past so I daren't put feeders in the trees close to the house. Blue tits frequently occupy the elder trees behind but never the apple trees.
The whole garden seems to be infected with the black spot. It's difficult to get rid of all affected leaves because there are so many and leaves are quite high in the trees (higher than any ladder).
We have an overgrown area next door which is unoccupied and has lots of apple trees, could this be contributing?
The fungus also seems to be affecting the fruit. Do you think for one year it would be worth thinning out the trees, treating them and then collecting and binning any leaves to see if it makes a difference next year?
Emma, have a close look at the tree to see if you have any ants crawling about. If so, they 'farm' aphids and feed off of the honeydew they excrete. Ants actually carry young aphids to fresh young leaves. If you find any, get yourself a grease band which you wrap around the trunk and will prevent ants climbing up. The black spot is probably starting where aphids have pierced the leaves with their sap-sucking parts and may even be being carried by them, although it is mainly from wind-borne fungal spores. It is much worse in wet weather so you are stuck with it this year unless the weather dramatically improves.
Hi Bob
Now this leads to another problem which may be the answer to all, we have so many ants nests in the garden you wouldn't believe. It's difficult to potter in some parts of the beds without ants crawling all over you.
I will certainly try the grease band.
Thank you x
You could try watering nematodes onto the ant nests - "nemasys no ants" is what to look for.
Just ordering online .....
Bloody ants nests have even taken over the greenhouse :-(