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Fruit & Orchards Trees garden

Is my apple tree diseased? Please advise!

4 years ago

Can anyone tell me if my newly planted Fuji apple tree is diseased? I’ve done a bit of research, and my best guess would be apple scab (?) based on the brown spots on the leaves. There are also these light spots going up the trunk (see pics). I’ve never grown an apple tree before so I can’t tell if any of this is an actual problem or not. It’s possible I’m overreacting because the tree is really important to me. I planted it as a memorial for my dog Hercules who died last week. Fuji apples were his all time favorite snack. Anyway, I’m open to all and any advice! Zone 9a. Thank you.

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

4 years ago

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your tree! You are overreacting a tad but that is to be expected from a new apple tree mother :-) Just keep an eye on it and make sure it has plenty of water....it should be just fine.

Sorry for the loss of your pet. What a great - and tasty - memorial!

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Comments (8)

Natalie C
Original Author
4 years ago
Ok cool, thank you so much. I feel like I can relax now that I’ve had someone with garden knowledge confirm that my tree is fine!
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See link on pear scab (aka blackspot). As I mentioned earlier, immunox should take care of it, although as the article says, it's not as severe or devastating as apple scab. Regarding your apples, I posit leafhopper b/c the upper leaves of your apples are curled, a result of the leafhoppers sucking the sap out of them. If you can kill the leafhopper nymphs (often seen on underside of leaves) it will be easier to control damage in future. Insecticidal soap, pyrethrins, and imidacloprid are all apparently effective, esp. the last as it's systemic in leaves -ie suck the sap, and bang your dead:).Honestly, you could probably ignore all of it and be OK, as they're not devastating issues. Here is a link that might be useful: blackspot
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Find another nursery :-) Apple scab is not well controlled (if at all) by dormant sprays. It needs a fungicide applied during the time weather conditions are conducive to its development, generally during mild, wet springs but avoiding when the blossoms are present. At this time of year, the best you can do is practice the proper garden sanitation as jean suggests. There is no such thing as a "disease free" plant and even more so with most fruit trees. That is like saying there are disease free humans.........:-) There are fruit varieties that tend to be more disease resistant than others but problems can still occur. Keeping plants in the best cultural health can help but it is even more important to get ones well-suited to your location. Not all fruit tree varieties work equally well in all areas. And I have never heard of a nursery that would guarantee its plants against any sort of diseases or refund those that may contract a disease down the road - s**t happens and nurseries have no control over that! Check with your local extension service for what fruit tree varieties are best for your area. And then double check those against listed as disease resistant. I've attached an apple scab link for review. FWIW, scab is not usually a huge problem. While it can affect the appearance of the fruit, any blemishes are typically only on the surface and do not affect the fruit itself. It is more troublesome to the foliage, as a severe infestation can promote early leaf drop and repeated years of this can seriously weaken the tree. Gravenstein is my favorite home orchard apple variety and it is extremely prone to scab. I never sprayed my tree and it had only minimal early leaf drop and the fruit was perfectly edible. It is quite possible to grow fruit organically (without spraying) if you select the correct cultivars, tolerate some imperfection and maintain your garden tidily. Here is a link that might be useful: IPM for apple scab
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You should look at the book, kimmsr. Your extension may not have one for your area. It has so much information that can be applied. As a master gardener volunteer for my cooperative extension, I often send out or quote other state's materials. It is always a great idea to contact your county office. Sometimes people don't like the solution to their problem though! and by the way, where do you live, original poster?
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KInd of hard to tell from those pics. Looks like potentially fire blight. I assume they are on dwarf root stock since you have them attached to a trellis wire. I see almost zero growth. Looks like you may have had some poor quality trees from the get go. Did you do a soil test prior to planting? Did you water them in when planting and keep them watered? I dont know your location or what your weather has been like since planting.
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krnuttle
4 years ago
While it is difficult to judge distances from your pictures, there is something wrong with your tree. It is too close to the fence. While small now, it will grow into a tree with a crown that is at least 10' in diameter. It looks like when the tree reaches a spread of about 6' it will be in the fence. At their growth rate this will be in a couple of years.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years ago
The spots on the trunk are lenticels. Google them.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
second pic... why are all those leaves off the tree???

did they fall off due to transplant stress??? .. did you plant it fully leafed out ...

how are you watering.. and how are you verifying there is sufficient water at root depth ...

was the tree potted when you got it ... did you bare root it ... or did you plant the whole gob of potting media ?? .. what is your native soil ... and does it properly drain???

i hope you didnt pick them off because you thought there was a problem ... every leaf is a food making machine.. to grow the roots.. to get your new tree established ... so its usually best to leave all the leaves on ... even if slightly damaged.. they can still process sunshine into food ... btw.. its stressed.. fert is not a proper response at this time....

frankly.. it still looks pretty good.. just perfect watering .. and hope for the best .. and try not to love it to death ...

if you move it right now .... you will stress it further.. but sometimes you gotta do.. what you gotta do ... if you could rig up some shade for a week or two.. after the move... it will help reduce stress related to the replanting ....

i would not expect an actual crop on the tree for 2 or 3 years ... it needs to grow the roots ... to support the crop ... it might work out faster in your zone... but if you expect such.. and it comes in sooner... then you will be happy ... lol .... rather than worrying when it doesnt happen ....

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
rwiegand
4 years ago
In my experience all apple trees are diseased. Nevertheless they produce bushels of apples for 100 or more years.
Kevin Reilly
4 years ago
It’s a healthy tree. It can be pruned away from fence as it grows
Natalie C
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Thanks everyone for the advice. I appreciate it! I’m just going to leave it where it is, make sure it gets adequate water, and prune it later. Thanks again!

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