It is hard to tell you without pictures, since your trees have been outdoors. You should really try and see if they are mites. If those webs are from regular spiders, please, don't kill them:-) If you take a closeup of those webbs, someone like Rhizo well educated in that field could identify for you:-) Leaves will fall of green if you have underwatered it. Leaves fall off green, curled, and not flexible if they are infested with mites. Leaves will fall off green if the roots all of sudden just shut down. I would really make sure you have the right pest identified since it would not suprise me to see mites attck your tree in such a weakend state, nor would it suprise me to see a few regular spiders take up residence since some have in mine already. Regular spiders could of made an appearence on your tree since it has been outside looking for a hiding spot or food. Please make sure you do not have them confused. If you are 'certain' they are mites, then we can take it from there. Happy growing! Mike

I would let it do it thing. It will branch when it is ready. When it is about 5 feet tall you will need to take a bud from the top and graft it to the bottom of the tree if you ever want fruit. wood maturity is messured by the tree as the number of leaves that bud is from the roots. At 5 feet you may have a leaf node count of 100.. the leaf node count will start at 100 even though the bud has been moved to the base of the tree.

where are you???? 8 foot fence wont stop the deer up here in MI ... but you would see hoof prints ... rabbits make cuts like that.. but unless your name is Alice.. and you live near wonderland.. i doubt 3 foot rabbits ... squirrels.. in nesting season could do such cuts.. but unless you are down under.. its not nesting season ... ergo.. ipso.. presto.. i would suggest koala or panda ... ken ps: more info.. and even better .. some pix... pps: and can we rule out drunken insane neighbors????

The only one I've used is brand name Natria Insecticidal Soap, its safe on fruit up to the day of harvest. You can make your own but experts think the manufactured versions are more effective. (you can find all kinds of recipes online, I've never tried a homemade mix, though, to be honest ). If you cant get to a store and want to treat it right away homemade is certainly better than nothing, Another thing people do, is wipe down every leaf and stem with rubbing alcohol. Note for both soap and neem oil, its really important, to spray them in the evening when the sun is down and its not hot. If you put them straight out in the sun after spraying them down they can burn.