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  • From: "Mark & Helen Angermayer" <hangermayer@isp.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Trouble in paradise? (apple tree)
  • Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:17:27 -0600

Steve,

I'm still pretty new at this, but our crabapple tree does the exact same
thing. Leaves fall off early and part of trunk dies. I don't know if it's
a coincidence, but the dead bark is on the south side of our tree (I doubt
it's SW injury, because I'm too far south and don't see it on other trees,
however SW injury may be a factor as far north as you are.) My theory is
scab plays a big role in this. Our tree gets scab every year, and we know
scab will cause a tree to lose it's leaves early if it's bad enough. I've
witnessed this with other apples as well as pears. Scab then weakens the
tree and allows other pathogens to do damage to the trunk. I don't know
about the other apple varieties that are dying, but this might explain why
your Sweet 16 doesn't lose it's leaves, as it has high resistance to scab.
My guess is, if it's not too late, you start spraying for scab and it may
strengthen the tree enough to fight off whatever is damaging the trunk
(assuming it's not borers).

Mark
KS

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve" <>
To: "NAFEx" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 9:41 PM
Subject: [NAFEX] Trouble in paradise? (apple tree)


> When I first joined this group last year, I told that I had 4 apple
> trees, 3 of which I have grafted to multiple varieties. (I have other
> fruits; sticking to apples here.)
>
> I'm afraid one of my multi graft trees is doomed. It has taken me a
> while to get around to asking the questions. I took these pictures last
> September on Labor Day Monday! The problem is that the branches on the
> north side of the tree had the leaves turn yellow and fall off early.
> About 3 branches were completely bare by the end of September, long
> before the first frost and long before any leaves were lost on other
> branches and other trees. Twice, over the last 20 years, I have had a
> whole tree (one cherry and one plum, I think) loose the leaves early
> and, of course, it was completely dead in the spring.
>
> Here is a branch that was grafted over to Red Baron:
>
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2fe5ae800000036103AaNmrJi4Ze
>
> As you can see, 80 or 90% of the leaves have fallen on this branch.
>
> This branch was grafted over to Connel Red:
>
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2e3dbc500000036103AaNmrJi4Ze
>
> This still has some green leaves but every day, more and more turned
> yellow and fell off.
>
> Both of these branches and at least one other tried to produce apples
> but they were not edible. Around on the other side of the same tree,
> this Sweet Sixteen branch was all business as usual:
>
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2efdbc900000036103AaNmrJi4Ze
>
> Last of all, here is a picture of the lower trunk. This is the north
> side, directly below the bad branches. I certainly assume this is the
> source of the problem:
>
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2d7dbf100000035103AaNmrJi4Ze
>
> After the picture, I did a little poking around and I believe the bark
> is alive right at the soil line and below. There seems to be a dead zone
> where it looks bad in the picture. Don't suggest that it is lawnmower
> damage. I'm the only one who mows the area and I DO NOT touch the trees
> with the mower. I'm thinking it is simply some disease which is very bad
> news for this tree. I'm expecting the affected branches to be dead this
> spring. I will not know for sure until at least 2 more months. So what
> happened here? Is there anything I can try, to salvage the remaining
> part of the tree?
>
> Steve in the Adirondacks (zone 4 on the map, zone 3 in real life).
>
>
>
>
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