Apple Pest and Diseases
(continued)
Care of Apple Trees
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The main job is
to thin out the fruits. If left to grow naturally, there will be a large
crop of undersized apples, and the tree may well produce nothing at all
the next year. As soon as the fruits set (i.e. a small but obvious apple is beginning to
form), cut out the central fruit from each cluster (typically five
fruits) - this 'king' apple is often of low quality and misshapen.
Remove all blemished and misshapen fruits. |
If the crop looks to be heavy, thin each cluster to one
or two fruits - the distance between clusters should be no less than
10cm (4in). Cordons and M9 rootstocks trees will require only minor
thinning. If a crop is too heavy, and thinning has not been sufficient, one or more
branches may well break. Keep an eye on the situation and be ready to
thin out further or support the branch.
Harvesting Apples
The best test of when an apple is ready to eat, is to sample one - if it tastes good,
it's ready! Another method is to take the apple in the palm of your hand
and give it a slight twist - if it drops off, it is probably ready to eat.
When harvesting apples, take care not to bruise them - this will cause them to rot
much more quickly, and if in storage, the rot will spread to other apples.
Storing Apples
Apples keep for longest in cool conditions (3C / 36F), which are
well-ventilated, dark and slightly humid. Not many of us can
provide these ideal conditions, so a compromise is necessary. A good
option is to store the apples in a shed or garage, with the apples in
plastic bags to retain moisture - leave a 2cm (1in) hole in each bag to
allow some ventilation.
Apple Pests and Diseases
Apple trees are prone to several pests and diseases depending on your local
conditions. Consult the quick guide below and then click on the most
likely cause for more details of cause and prevention. The key to
healthy apple trees is prevention, and prevention consists of
cleanliness - remove and burn any fruit which shows signs of disease,
regularly sweep up and burn fallen leaves, and keep the storage area
clean with an annual wash of soda and warm water. In this way, the use
of chemicals can be avoided.
| SYMPTOM |
POSSIBLE
CAUSE |
| Grey powdery coating on leaves and young shoots. |
Mildew |
| Distorted
young shoots and leaves. |
Aphids |
| Ribbon
like scars on the apple skin |
Apple
Sawfly |
| Holes
in the leaves |
Winter
Moth |
| Maggot inside apple |
Codling
Moth |
| White fluffy areas on the bark, looks like fungus |
Woolly
Aphid |
| Sunken,
discoloured patches on bark |
Canker |
| Small brown sunken areas on the skin of the fruit |
Bitter
Pit |
| Browning
of the fruit, especially those in storage. |
Brown
Rot |
| Brown
blotches on leaves and fruit. |
Scab |
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