Does anyone have any ideas? Maybe the photo is not clear?

Or not watering enough. Regardless, apples weren't meant to live in a pot of soilless potting mix.

Would it do better if I plant it into the ground? We were trying to protect it since it's so young. Or is it too late now?

It would definitely do better in the ground. It could be that the showering with 'love and affection' is the problem. Apples are tough and designed by nature to live in the ground and experience the weather. In a small pot it can't make a good root system which would allow it to seek out the water and nutrients it needs.

Hi gardeners -- I wondered if anyone has any other thoughts on what this could be? The plant is still alive, and it does continue to grow new, green leaves, but then they develop those rust-colored spots and then turn brown! I think it has some kind of disease. Any suggestions for treatment would be very appreciated! We asked at the plant nursery but they didn't know what it was.

I am concerned that planting it into the ground will make things worse because of the transplant trauma and also because I have small kids who would them be able to get at it :).

Stressed by excessively bright sunlight and/or high heat.

Get it in the ground.

If your worried about kids trampling, it put a small wire fence around it. I do that because of my dogs, a roll of chicken wire is only a few dollars. Good Luck with your tree

Thanks, everyone! I might try planting outside then. Would this tree be OK with a very sunny spot, or prefer partially shady? My yard is mostly full sun.

Pretty much all fruit trees prefer full sun. I'd try to get it at least 10 hours a day.

If you've been keeping this inside, or on a shady patio, I'd probably build it a sun shade for the first two weeks or so. Maybe let it get morning and noon light but have the sun blocked from the west.

Or since it's still doing ok, you can wait a month and or so and plant in the early fall, whenever the temps and the sun go down a bit.

I even tried doing a bit of research for you to be able to tell you exactly what was wrong but leaves turning red in the summer seems like mostly an indication of a plant that is stressed and unhappy in some way.

It could maybe be a nutrient deficiency but I don't think I'd fertilize it right now, at least without knowing for sure it is nutrient deficient. (You don't really want to fertilize something close to dormancy. The tree/plant gets competing signals of grow! and shut-down! It gets unhappy.). Maybe a gentle compost feeding, though? That couldn't hurt and might help.

Also (and sorry to bring this up) but apples don't grow true from seeds. You might have any apple tree there. Not sure where you're in zone 8b, but it could be possible down the line that the apple might really struggle with the heat and humidity of the Deep South, or if you're in the PNW, it might not like the cool, rainy summers.

All you can do now that I can think of is plant it in the ground, don't over or under water it, maybe get a soil test just to be sure it is good for your apple, and cross your fingers.

ETA: If you are very invested in your apple tree (and it seems like you are) I might call my local extension office and ask them if I could bring the tree in to take a look at. They might be able to tell exactly what's wrong from doing a thorough inspection, as well as giving you specific advice, based on where you are, for what exactly they'd recommend for this tree, both now and in the future. (Apples typically require more care than "set it and forget it" as they get older to maintain optimum health.)

Good luck!

Thank you so much! I also tried to research, but all the images of apple leaf diseases I saw were not quite the same as the redness I am seeing on my leaves. I will attempt to plant in the ground in a sunny spot, with a bit of compost, and hope for the best.

Could you help me understand your statement: "apples don't grow true from seeds"? I understand that it might not grow into a tree with awesome apples (or any), but the tree has sentimental value in any case :).

I live in the SF Bay Area and there do seem to be quite a few homes with very successful apple trees in the neighborhood... not sure what kinds though!

Thanks again!

All I meant by "apple trees don't grow true from seeds" is that some people get say, a Red Delicious apple seed and think they're going to get a Red Delicious apple.

That is very, very unlikely to happen.

However, it sounds like you know that already.

But I would urge you to go down to your extension office with the tree and ask them to inspect it and ask any questions you might have on proper apple care. If I had a tree that meant a whole lot to me, I'd like a professional to look at it just to make sure. Or if you don't feel like going over to your extension office, your local independent nursery might also look at it, especially if you have a relationship with that nursery already.

Good luck to your tree!

Thanks again for the responses -- I wanted to update that the tree is now in the ground and sprouting lots of new green leaves. I think it's feeling better!!

Awesome!

I had a situation somewhat similar to this.

Someone set me a "memory" tree, to plant in remembrance of someone I dearly, dearly loved who passed away.

It was sent to me at a bad time-late May is not a good time to plant things in the Deep South.

But it wasn't happy in the house, or on my porch.

So I planted it and watered it, and the leaves singed and burnt. I built it a sunshade, gave it some compost, and then had to do the most difficult thing you can do-wait, and know you've done all you can, and now it's up to the tree.

Mine clung to life-limped along, sickly, but not dead. By the end of the summer, it started to get it's legs under it. Now it is a more or less healthy little tree.

These trees become something a little more when we plant them, and watch them grow, and fret over them, don't they?

I hope you are able to enjoy your apple for many years to come.

it might be overfertilized, and the nutrients can't leach out to a healthy level because it's in a pot. That's what it looks like to me. Also if you moved it in to the sun suddenly from inside or from shade, it can be sun-scorched. So new leaves are healthy but the pampered ones were burned.