How to treat brown spots on apple tree leaves and what they are

Often during the growing season, brown spots appear on the leaves of the apple tree. This could be even the smallest spots or damage to the entire leaf blade. There are a number of reasons why brown leaves appear on an apple tree. The further course of treatment of the tree will depend on their correct identification.

Brown spots on apple leaves.

What is it and what does it look like

Brown or brown spots on the leaves of apple trees can not only spoil the appearance of the apple tree, but also reduce the amount of harvest. If the cause is a fungus, then you can completely lose the entire tree.

Most often, spots appear on the surface of leaves in the midst of summer. They appear unexpectedly and spread rapidly. Most often this happens during prolonged rains. After the disease has spread to the leaves, it spreads to the branches, and by harvest even the fruits become speckled and the apples rot.

FAQ

In the process of growing apple trees, gardeners often encounter situations that go beyond the normal development of the plant. Let's try to understand the causes of the most frequently occurring problems.

Why does the apple tree not bear fruit or bloom?

This problem can have several causes.

• If this is a young tree, perhaps the time for fruiting has simply not come. Some varieties enter this period 7-9 years after planting.
• An unregistered seedling was purchased. The conditions of the region are not suitable for it; the tree directs all its strength to survival. There are no more of them left for fruiting.
• The same situation arises when a seedling is planted in an inappropriate place - swampy, close to groundwater, alkalized, saline, too acidic soils.
• Insufficient or unbalanced nutrition. For example, excess nitrogen, lack of phosphorus and potassium.
• Damage to buds by flower beetle.
• Freezing of flower buds.

Why do apples rot on trees?

Apples rotting on a tree are the result of moniliosis, scab, and bacteriosis. And also the most common cause of the problem is an attack by pests - codling moth, copperhead, flower beetle.

Video: fruit rot

Black rot on an apple tree

The probable cause is black cancer, bacteriosis.

Mold (fungus) on an apple tree

This problem often appears in dense, shaded, damp places. Mold-like formations appear on the tree bark. They may be fungal in nature. In this case, the fungus can grow into the bark, destroying it. It doesn’t matter exactly what the fungus is called, the actions are as follows:

1. It is necessary to clean the bark, cut out damaged areas to make healthy wood.
2. Treat wounds with fungicides - 3% solution of copper sulfate, 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, Abiga-Peak, etc.
3. Apply a protective layer of garden varnish.

But often mosses and lichens look like mold. The tree bark is just a platform for them to live. They can just as easily live on a rock. Mosses and lichens have no roots and do not damage the bark. The phenomenon is undesirable, but not fatal. Scrape them off with wooden scrapers, being careful not to damage the bark. Film, paper, fabric, etc. are first spread on the ground. Then they are washed with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and whitened with lime mortar.

Prevention of the problem:

• Avoid dense plantings.
• Do not allow the garden to become overgrown with weeds.
• Regulatory crown pruning is carried out annually.
• In the fall, the bark of trunks and thick branches is peeled and whitened with lime mortar.

Why do apples fall

This is a fairly common phenomenon that every gardener has encountered at least once. Apples can fall at different stages of development - from ovaries to fully ripened fruits. There may be various reasons for this:

• Lack of moisture. In this case, first of all, the tree gives it to the leaves, taking it from the fruits that fall.
• Excess moisture prevents the roots from being saturated with oxygen. As a result, the nutritional process of the fruit is disrupted.
• Lack of phosphorus and potassium can also cause apples to fall off. It is necessary to maintain a balanced diet.
• Excess nitrogen makes the fruits loose and some of them fall off.
• Natural normalization of the yield. With abundant flowering and formation of ovaries, the apple tree is able to grow only 5-10% of them, and discards the excess. This is fine.
• In some varieties, fruits that have reached removable maturity fall off. The gardener must know this feature and harvest the crop in a timely manner.
• Damage by pests, for example, codling moth.

Why do apple tree leaves turn yellow?

Possible reasons for this phenomenon are varied:

• The tree was planted in a flooded, swampy area, or the gardener was overzealous with watering. When there is an excess of moisture, the leaves begin to turn yellow from the top of the tree.
• When planting, the root collar was buried - the result was the same.
• Lack of nitrogen - leaves begin to turn yellow starting from the lower tiers.
• Lack of zinc, magnesium, iron, sulfur. In such cases, spraying with solutions of complex fertilizers containing the indicated elements gives a quick effect.

  Lack of various micro and macroelements causes yellowing of leaves

• Hot weather and lack of moisture.
• Damage to roots by moles.
• Fusarium.

Red spots on apple leaves

The appearance of red spots on the leaves may indicate infection with rust or scab, as well as infestation with gall aphids. With a lack of potassium, the edges of the leaves may turn red. Magnesium deficiency causes redness of the interveinal space.

Brown spots on apple leaves

Such signs may indicate infection with phyllosticosis (brown spot). In addition, a copper deficiency is possible, but this is unlikely if the gardener regularly treats the crown with solutions of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture. Another option is leaf burn as a result of sprinkling watering in hot sunny weather. In this case, drops of water on the leaves play the role of lenses that enhance the impact of sunlight.

Apple tree leaves turn red and curl

Most likely, the apple tree is affected by gall aphids. This is easy to check - just unroll the curled sheet. If there are no aphids in it, perhaps this phenomenon is a consequence of a deficiency of phosphorus, magnesium or manganese. Also, the trunk could have been severely compressed when installing the hunting belt, which limited the nutrition of the crown.

How to fight black plaque on an apple tree

As a rule, the black coating is the excrement of sooty fungus. It can also be symptoms of bacteriosis or black cancer. The methods of struggle are described above.

Why didn't the leaves fall on the apple tree in the fall?

This phenomenon is not harmless - it can cause a decrease in the tree’s winter hardiness, productivity and life expectancy. There may be several reasons:

• The tree is overfed with nitrogen in the second half of summer or autumn. This causes a new wave of leaf growth that simply does not have time to ripen.
• Excessive watering or too rainy autumn. It should be remembered that pre-winter moisture-charging watering is needed once, in late autumn. But the rest of the autumn time after harvesting, the tree does not need watering.
• Unregistered apple variety. If you plant a southern variety in the middle zone, then such a tree will not have time to complete the growing season by winter.

Apple tree leaves froze in spring

If only the leaves are frozen, it’s okay. New ones will grow. It is much worse if the wood is damaged. This usually manifests itself in the fact that the tree woke up late after winter, then seemed to recover, but the leaves became small and in the spring they grow later than usual. The effects of freezing appear over the next 3-4 years. You can check the extent of the damage by cutting the weak branches. Dark areas on the cut indicate frost damage in these places. The affected areas can no longer recover, but with proper care the tree can live for another 6-8 years. During this time, you can grow a new apple tree. Proper care means anti-aging pruning, increased watering and fertilizing of the tree.

What are tops on an apple tree?

Tops are highly fattening vertical shoots. The leaves on them are always very large, sparsely spaced. Such shoots never bear fruit. The tops take away food from the tree and therefore must be removed. They appear after the tree has been pruned too hard. If necessary, some tops can be made fruit-bearing. To do this, they are cut to two or three buds. A new fruiting branch can be formed from a second-order branch. Such branches need to be bent to a horizontal level, since vertical ones never bear fruit.

Tops are highly fattening vertical shoots

Treatment of black hollow in an apple tree

A black hollow forms on an apple tree as a result of black cancer. To treat it, you first need to thoroughly clean the hollow of dead wood and bark. To do this, you may need various tools - a knife, a chisel, a drill with a wire attachment, etc. Before starting work, you should spread a film or other suitable material under the tree to collect all the waste being removed. After the operation, they must be burned, as they are a source of infection.

After cleaning the hollow, it should be disinfected with a 2% solution of copper sulfate and allowed to dry for several hours. The surface of the hollow is covered with a layer of garden varnish prepared on the basis of natural ingredients (beeswax, lanolin). You cannot place garden varnish made from petrolatum or containing other petroleum products into the hollow. At the end of the operation, the hollow is filled with polyurethane foam. Previously, cement-sand mortar was used for these purposes, but modern materials give better results. After 2-3 days, excess foam is cut off with a sharp knife.

Video: super putty for treating cuts, wounds, hollows

It is safe to say that most of the problems associated with diseases or pests of apple trees are caused by gardeners due to failure to comply with basic preventive measures. Other problems occur due to non-compliance with agricultural technology, incorrect selection of varieties and choice of planting location. With a proper systematic approach to growing and caring for an apple tree, you can always count on a decent result.

• Author: Pyotr Vladimirovich Sadovnikov
• Print

Hello! My name is Pyotr Vladimirovich. I am 63 years old. By education, he is a mechanical engineer. Rate this article:

1. 5
2. 4
3. 3
4. 2
5. 1

(28 votes, average: 4.4 out of 5)
Share with your friends!

Causes of brown spots

It is very important to identify the cause of the disease in order to carry out proper treatment in the future. They can be different: from violations of care requirements to serious illnesses. It can be determined more precisely by appearance and accompanying signs.

Fungal infections

This reason is one of the earliest and most common. Fungal spores enter the plant tissue, at first they look like brown spots and then become zigzag-shaped growths. They spread very quickly because the spores are light and can be carried by the wind.

Fungal infection.

Sickness and lack of minerals

Infestation with copperhead, as well as a lack of minerals in the soil, can manifest itself in the appearance of spots, plaque, and ultimately the complete fall of leaves. The reason for this, in addition to a lack of nutrients, is most often the wrong place for planting the crop.

Infestation with copperhead.

Scab

Scab is one of the most dangerous apple diseases. A fungal disease spreads quickly and affects all areas of the apple tree. The best conditions for the spread of fungal infections are low temperatures and high levels of moisture over a long period of time. Treatment measures must be taken immediately to prevent infection of the entire garden, because this happens very quickly. Prevention and protection should be started as early as possible, during the period of fruit bud opening.

Scab on an apple tree.

Weather

The appearance of spots on leaves can often be noticed on crops that grow in the Northern regions. this may be due to sudden frosts and thaws, lack of sunlight, poor crown thinning and large amounts of moisture.

A sign of lack of sunlight.

Lack of feeding and fertilizers

The apple tree reacts very subtly to the absence or excess of any elements. This manifests itself primarily in the appearance of the vegetative parts. Therefore, fertilizers must be applied regularly and on schedule. Only good nutrition will help ensure normal development of the apple tree.

Signs of lack of fertilizer.

Diseases

All diseases of apple trees are divided into 4 large categories - infectious, non-infectious, viral, bacterial.

Non-infectious

Young shoots dry out and the damage spreads from top to bottom. The bark becomes sticky and damp, flowers and buds turn brown and begin to die. Exudate may be released.

Main non-infectious lesions:

• Burn - the disease received this name for its visual resemblance to drought damage to leaves. Brown necrotic areas form between the leaf veins and spread towards the periphery.
• Chlorosis is a disease that occurs as a result of malnutrition of the apple tree. The main symptom of the development of the disease is a change in leaf color (it becomes less intense). Most often, chlorosis develops as a result of a lack of iron, but the apple tree may also lack other microelements - for example, nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur. Chlorosis is common in grapes.
• When rosette occurs, the leaves take on an abnormal shape and become narrow and small. At the top of the shoot a rosette of 10-20 normal leaves is formed. Sick plants are characterized by poor growth, low yields, and mediocre winter hardiness. If you do nothing, the trees will grow, but poorly. The main cause of rosette is a lack of zinc or excess phosphorus.

We invite you to read: Making a floor in a barn

Infectious

The next group of apple tree diseases is infectious. Let's look at them by category.

Fungal:

• Cytosporosis or stem rot is another fungal infection that affects certain parts of the tree bark. First, dark ulcers form, then they deepen and begin to occupy larger and larger areas, change color, increase in size, developing into large red-brown ulcers. Typically, sections of the bark die off along with the branches.
• Scab is one of the most common diseases that first affects the leaves, then spreads to the stalks and flowers. It appears as a brown coating on the leaves, which begin to dry out and fall off. Fruit filling often stops because cracks and spots slow down their growth and reduce the quality of the apples. Spring treatments with Topaz and the use of Hom after flowering are recommended.
• Cancer - the names Antonov fire and anger are also used. The tree is completely affected, but infection of the trunk is considered the most dangerous (the apple tree may die). The fungus enters the heart of the tree through wounds that form at the site of sunburn or as a result of freezing of the crop. Cancer can overwinter in the bark and rotten apples; the fruits become covered with depressed spots, after which they begin to rot and acquire a black tint.
• Rust is caused by the fungus Phragmidium. The first symptoms of infection appear in the summer, when the foliage has time to develop well. On the upper plate, rounded convex spots of brown, orange color or simply rusty stripes with spermogonia form. At first, the clusters of spores are almost invisible, but then they open up like a star and release a mass of small spores. The lower part of the leaf is affected by small yellow spots. With severe lesions, the foliage first dries out and then begins to fall off. Rust on the pear is common.
• Milky sap is a disease of the trunk and leaves. First, the leaves begin to bubble and deteriorate, then the pathogen penetrates deep into the wood. The milky shine gradually kills the tree, as a result of which branches and foliage fall off, and the plant becomes weak and sickly. Pathology can be detected by airy silvery-white cavities on the foliage and dark spots on the trunk and bark.
• Fruit rot - manifests itself in the form of rotten brown spots on already ripening fruits. These spots quickly increase in size and begin to cover a significant part of the fruit, negatively affecting its taste characteristics. The apples rot and fall off, the pulp becomes inedible.
• Phyllosticosis - affects apple and pear trees, manifests itself in the form of brown, dark gray, yellow spots of angular or round shape. Usually the spots contain black dots - pycnidia. The affected tissues gradually die, the epidermis peels off as a thin film. Most often, phyllosticosis appears on thickened plantings with high humidity.
• Polypores are a deadly threat to trees. Visually, the mushroom can look like a hat, a sharp growth, a hoof, or layers of other shapes located on branches and trunks. The visible part is very small, the problem is that the roots of the tinder fungus affect the bark of the crop, causing rotting processes that gradually spread throughout the entire apple tree. The main cause of infection is bark defects through which the pathogen penetrates.
• Lichen - a green coating first forms on the shady side of the trunk, then mushrooms join it. Sometimes spores remain near a crop for many years and become active only under appropriate circumstances.

Cracks in the bark of weakened trees are the main route for lichen infection. Predisposing factors are freezing of trees, thickening of branches, sunburn, and pest infestation.

• Sooty fungus affects the bark, fruits, and leaves. Superficial fungal mycelium forms on the trees, and the affected areas turn black, as if covered with soot. The sizes and shapes of the spots vary. Leaves colonized by the pathogen reduce their assimilation activity, shoot growth is inhibited, there are fewer fruit buds, and crop resistance to low temperatures suffers. Thickened, unventilated plantings are favored by soot deposits. You can also observe sooty deposits on pears; read the control measures in this material.

The next group of infectious lesions is bacterial. Main diseases:

1. Fire blight is a disease of young trees. It often ends up in the garden with planting material purchased in unverified places, received as a gift, and so on. The shape of the leaves changes, the foliage dries out and turns black, young fruits rot and deteriorate. The only method of treatment is the complete destruction of the source of the disease.
2. Bacteriosis - the leaves turn black starting from the edges, the shoots are gradually affected and completely die. The disease cannot be neglected, since the infection eventually enters the trunk and branches through the cuttings and can lead to the death of the entire garden. Shorten the affected shoots by 40 cm; preventive spraying gives good results.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with Wine made from white Taifi grapes

And the last group of apple tree diseases is viral. This:

1. Mosaic disease is accompanied by the appearance of necrotic spots, which expand and cause the death of the leaf blade. Plant growth and development slow down, shoots may break off during grafting or pruning. The virus is often transmitted by aphids - from a diseased crop to a healthy one. Diseased shoots are burned.
2. Proliferation or paniculation – excessive growth of branches, “witch’s broom”. This disease affects not only apple trees, but also pears and quince. On actively growing shoots, dormant buds awaken, from which thin, erect side shoots then appear. The harvest is declining, the quality of the fruit is declining.
3. Flattening of branches - some viruses cause proliferation of stem tissues and deformation of shoots. The severity of the changes may vary; they manifest themselves in the form of flattening of apple tree branches. In the initial stages, symptoms may be almost completely absent.

Preventive spraying is the best way to combat fungal diseases.

The first is done in the phase of kidney swelling - you can use the drug "Hom", it is recommended to carry out the procedure on a warm, fine day.

Do not thicken the plantings, monitor the humidity level - pests love moisture and multiply quickly in conditions of high humidity.

The second treatment is done before flowering using a solution of copper sulfate. Third - after flowering, you can use the same preparation as the first time. Purchase seedlings only from trusted places, otherwise you may buy an infection along with them. Find out about varieties of self-fertile cherries here.

How to treat and how to treat apple plantings

Depending on the causes of the spots, you need to choose the appropriate treatment method. They can be comprehensive or one-time.

Application of fertilizing and necessary macro- and microelements

Depending on which element is missing, the signs may differ slightly from each other. Therefore, you need to carefully examine additional symptoms to determine what exactly the plant lacks:

1. A lack of calcium manifests itself in the form of spots on the leaves. But, in addition to this, the tips of the leaves begin to gradually curl and then completely fall off. The deficiency can be corrected by applying fertilizers containing elements of calcium sulfate.
2. A lack of boron on an apple tree is manifested by yellow spots and the appearance of dead areas on the leaf plate. It is very easy to fix the deficiency; you just need to spray it with a weak solution of boric acid.
3. Low amounts of magnesium may appear as yellow and brown dots that spread out into large spots and begin to curl up. In order to solve this problem, you will need dolomite flour or potassium magnesium, which is added to the tree trunk circle.
4. The lack of phosphorus is felt most of all in the spring. Even at the very first stage, this is already evident: new shoots do not appear and the buds do not even open. In summer this can be seen even more clearly: the leaves turn yellow and curl. Superphosphate will help avoid this.

Fertilizing the apple tree.
If you feed the apple tree in a timely manner and follow all the principles of care, its appearance will return to normal within a month or a month and a half.

Destruction of fungal diseases

If the cause of the spots on the leaves is any of the fungal diseases, you will need to proceed to treatment immediately. These are fungicidal drugs that quickly act on the spores and fruiting bodies of the fungus. You can use Topaz, Topsin and Fitosporin, Nitrafen solution or stronger penconazole-based products for spraying.

Spraying an apple tree. It is very important to use all chemicals only according to the instructions. You need to choose the right time for spraying, prepare the exact concentration of the drug and do not forget about protective measures.

Copper-containing drugs

Substances containing copper are used to compensate for the deficiency of this element. It is important to use all medications according to instructions to prevent burns.

Here are the most common of them:

• Blue Bordeaux is a dry substance in granules that is very effective even against colonies;
• Abiga peak is a drug containing copper. It acts by contact and is used in solution only in good weather;
• Cuproscat is a mixture of copper and nitrogen. Used in small concentrations as a root watering. Acts as a top dressing and rust remover;
• Champion is a substance that is used only in spring and autumn, creates a protective film on the leaves and prevents the appearance of fungus on tissues.

The drug Kuproxat.
It is very important to strictly follow the instructions so that burns do not appear on the leaves.

Sulfur-containing drugs

Another way to get rid of brown spots is sulfur preparations. Most often used:

• a solution of colloidal sulfur, which is applied to the leaf before and after flowering;
• Famulus is a substance containing sulfur that is dissolved in water and used for irrigation.

Before using one of these drugs, you need to pay attention to the instructions and expiration dates indicated on the package.

Treatment of apple tree leaves with biological preparations

Biological drugs are based on biological toxins. Their action is softer and more gentle, helps prevent the appearance of fungi, improve immunity and eliminate the consequences of damage caused.

The best biological solutions are Trichodermin, Planriz, and Phytodoctor. They are easy to prepare at home and are not considered very toxic or dangerous to humans or beneficial insects.

Treatment of apple trees from diseases and pests

For preventive treatments of apple trees, fungicides, insecticides and folk remedies are used.

Table: treatment of apple trees from diseases and pests

Prevention

There are a number of preventative measures that will help keep apple plantings clean and tidy. Among them:

• the correct distance between seedlings of fruit crops, shrubs and especially from coniferous trees;
• quickly cut off all affected areas and clean them to the bare bones, cover the cut areas with garden varnish;
• carry out preventive spring spraying;
• use folk remedies at the first appearance of the disease.

It is very important to inspect the garden in a timely manner to identify the first signs of disease.

Features of the disease

To understand why rust fungi are more “active” in certain years, you need to know the characteristics of their reproduction and life activity. This will help you predict the risk of disease in time and prevent it from entering your garden.

Rust fungi, which are the causative agents of this unpleasant plant disease, behave rather unusually: to go through the entire life cycle, consisting of several phases, they have to change the “victim” several times.

As a rule, the mycelium lives in conifers, preferring junipers to all plants of this family. But he does not disdain pine or spruce. If there are such plants in the garden or near it, then at a certain stage the rust fungus moves to fruit trees and bushes, affecting strawberries, other fruit and ornamental crops, as well as cereals and even lawn grass.

The rust cycle usually looks like this:

• Once on a coniferous plant, the fungi quickly colonize young shoots and cones, in which myceliums form;
• They can only reveal their presence at the initial stage by rare red spots on the needles, which from a distance can be mistaken for the consequences of sunburn, causing drying and yellowing;

Initial stage of infection

then swellings form on the branches, gradually turning into soft jelly-like growths of bright orange color;

Mycelium on juniper

• these growths are myceliums in which spores ripen;
• with wind, insects and other ways, spores are easily transferred to neighboring plants, where they begin to develop;
• after flowering, characteristic rusty spots with black dots appear on the leaves of plants affected by the fungus, which also spread to the petioles;
• in autumn, in place of these spots on the back of the leaves, outgrowths form in the form of small horns filled with young fungal spores;

Growths on the underside of leaves

• they are torn off by the wind and scattered around the area again;
• spores that fall on conifers remain there for the winter, and in the spring they continue their destructive activity.

Fortunately, a huge number of rust fungus spores do not survive the winter, especially if it turns out to be severe, with prolonged frosts. Therefore, even if a disease affected your garden last season, it may not appear next season.

But the weather has become completely unpredictable lately. For example, the winter of 2019-20 in most regions of the country was quite mild, with uncharacteristically high temperatures and high air humidity. Spring, on the contrary, did not indulge in warmth. This led to the fact that most of the spores of the rust fungus survived the cold period practically without loss and attacked gardens and vegetable gardens with unprecedented force.

Popular articles How to properly transplant a pine tree to a plot

Preventive treatment of the entire garden

Caring for apple trees varies depending on the season. Preventive measures will reduce the risk of developing and spreading infection.

Spring

Spring treatment is carried out before the buds begin to bloom. For spraying, a solution based on “Zircon” is used. Remove dry and damaged branches. Wounds and cracks are covered with drying oil or garden varnish. The soil is disinfected with a solution of urea and ammonium nitrate. Immediately after flowering, treatment should be carried out with such preparations as “Kuprozan”, “Zineb”, “Horus”, “Hom”, “Vectra”.

Summer

In the summer, with the arrival of consistently warm weather, trees are treated with fungicides: “Gamair”, “Raek”, “Fitolavin”, “Zircon”, “Fitosporin”.

Autumn

In autumn, all fallen leaves are raked and removed away from the garden or burned. The trunks need to be whitened, and the trunk area should be deeply loosened. Spraying with a solution of copper sulfate is also recommended.

Pregnancy and chronic tonsillitis.

The health of the expectant mother and baby requires close attention. Complications caused by the disease can lead to dangerous consequences, including miscarriage or provoke premature birth. Self-medication in this case is dangerous: it is necessary to undergo treatment with an ENT specialist in the clinic. The doctor will prescribe washing the tonsils, treating them with ultrasound and gargling with antiseptics that are safe for the expectant mother. Physiotherapy is contraindicated for pregnant women.

If you are just planning a pregnancy, it is worth carrying out planned therapy for prevention in order to reduce the negative impact of pathogens on the tonsils. At the planning stage of pregnancy, it is recommended that both parents undergo an examination to reduce the risk of this disease in the child.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew (powdery mildew, ash) is a disease caused by powdery mildew.

Signs and course of the disease:

• White mushroom mycelium develops primarily on the leaves at the bottom of the tree. The upper part of the plate becomes covered with a powdery coating, which is easily washed off by hand, but reappears within a few minutes.
• After the spores mature, drops of liquid (dew) appear on the surface of the leaf.
• The plaque darkens, acquires a yellow, gray or light brown tint, and the spores affect all leaves of the tree crown and young shoots.
• Leaves curl and fall, young shoots dry out. Fruit ovaries do not form or become covered with plaque and die. The fruits stop developing, turn pale, become covered with a brown mesh and fall off.

Causes of infection:

• dense plantings;
• lack of formative pruning;
• the presence of weeds in the tree trunk circle;
• unharvested last year's fallen fruits or leaves;
• presence of aphids or ants.

Methods of preventive protection and control

The best prevention of spotting on an apple tree is to follow proper agricultural practices and regularly care for the plants. Spot prevention includes:

• regular crown thinning;
• loosening the soil under the tree to improve the flow of oxygen to the roots;
• tree disinfection, which is carried out in the first days of spring and in the last days of summer - 600 g of urea is dissolved in a bucket of water, the branches and trunk are lubricated with the resulting liquid;
• cleaning up fallen leaves and fruits.

If spotting occurs on a tree at least once, once a year, in early spring, it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying of the plant with fungicides or folk remedies.

Spotting on an apple tree is an alarming sign that requires immediate response. Timely measures taken will help restore the tree, preserve its productivity, taste and benefits of the fruit.

Protection of apple trees with biological products

Biological products are an alternative to chemicals, but have a milder effect on plants. It is recommended to use products based on biological toxins to spray young seedlings in order to increase immunity, protect against diseases and eliminate the effects of rust.

Preparation of solutions of biological products

You can prepare a biological solution for treating apple trees yourself. To create a solution, no special preparation or knowledge is required, since it is enough to mix the components in the correct proportions.

See also

Description of the Super Prekos apple tree variety, cultivation and productivityRead

"Trichodermin"

To prepare the Trichodermin solution, you need to use the powder of the same name and, having separated 50 g, dissolve them in 1 liter of clean water. The resulting mixture is stirred, filtered and the volume is adjusted to 5 liters with water.

"Planriz"

The drug Planriz contains rhizosphere bacteria that actively suppress the development of rot and form protection against harmful microflora. To water the plants, you need to dissolve 100 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. Planriz is also suitable for pre-sowing seed treatment in a ratio of 10 ml of substance per 1 kg of seeds. The properties of “Planriz” are useful when applied to planting holes and periodically used during the growing season.

"Phytodoctor"

To use the drug "Phytodoctor" you need to dissolve the powder in water and treat the area around the roots. “Phytodoctor” is included in the category of biofungicides and stops the proliferation of fungus. The product is valued by gardeners due to the following advantages:

1. Long-lasting protection throughout the growing season.
2. Versatility of use (for disinfecting seeds, destroying infections, increasing plant immunity).
3. The properties of “Phytodoctor” help increase the yield.

"Fitosporin-M"

The product “Fitosporin-M” in powder form dissolves in water and is used to treat rust on apple leaves, treat seed material and for preventive purposes. Trees can be treated with the drug in any weather, but it is worth considering that rain can wash away some of the beneficial components from the vegetation.

What to do if apple tree leaves turn yellow

Yellowing of the crown occurs for a number of reasons:

• pest attack
• lack of water caused by heat
• illnesses
• overflow

If yellowing and spotting occurs, we can safely talk about scab infection.

Action plan for detecting yellow leaves on an apple tree:

1. Collection and destruction of fallen yellow leaves.
2. Treatment with Bordeaux mixture 1%. You can buy it in a specialized store or make it yourself: dilute 100 g of copper sulfate and lime into 1 bucket of water.

It should be treated as soon as the first yellowed leaves are noticed. Then spray 2 more times every two weeks.

You can also treat with copper oxychloride: 40 g of copper oxychloride per 1 bucket of warm water.

It happens that the leaves turn yellow due to a lack of vitamins:

• If there is not enough phosphorus, the leaves turn yellow and fall off in the summer, starting from the lower branches. In this case, phosphorus fertilizers are required.
• With a lack of magnesium, the crown first becomes light green, then turns yellow and falls off. For treatment, foliar fertilizers containing magnesium are used.

Fertilizing should be done over the entire area of ​​the roots, otherwise it will be of little use.

The first signs of damage to the apple tree

Black spots on the leaves are not the only symptom of impending danger. The diseases are accompanied by the sequential appearance of the following symptoms:

• the leaves in some places have dried out, turned black and curled;
• Cracks, swelling, and deformation appear on the tree bark;
• leaves fall prematurely;
• During the growing season, some branches dried out;
• the fruits began to rot before ripening.

The disease poses a particular danger to young shoots and small seedlings whose health has been undermined by transplantation or weakened by wintering.

Rusty leaves on an apple tree - what to do? Methods of treatment and prevention

To get rid of the disease, a system of treatments and preventive measures is necessary. By eliminating the sources of infection, you can forever rid your apple orchard of rust.

Work to combat infection should be carried out in several areas:

Improvement of the orchard

Fungal infections primarily damage weakened trees. In order for the apple tree’s immune system to be strong, it is necessary:

• Rare planting of fruit trees;
• Proper watering;
• Timely and competent feeding;
• Care and culture of sanitary treatment;
• Healthy planting material.

High planting density stimulates the rapid spread of the disease.

Optimal conditions for the development of the fungus are created by high humidity, so you should not be overzealous with watering. If there are prolonged rains, the risk of infection of apple trees increases.

A daily inspection for rust on the apple tree is necessary in order to decide in time how to fight it.

The tree must receive the nutrients it needs at each stage of development.

If rusty spots are found on the leaves of an apple tree, the application of nitrogen to the soil should be reduced, and the dose of phosphorus and potassium should be increased.

In early spring and autumn, after harvesting, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning of apple trees.

Shoots and areas of bark damaged by rust are cut out and the sections are cleaned.

The affected areas are treated with a solution of copper or iron sulfate (4-5%) and covered with garden putty.

The trunks of apple trees must be whitewashed in spring and autumn. In case of rust, copper-containing preparations and an adhesive (for example, Green soap) are added to garden whitewash.

New apple and juniper seedlings should be carefully inspected.

The latter are often brought from abroad already infected.

Destruction of fungal colonies

Rust on juniper.
The emphasis on decorating summer cottages with evergreen shrubs contributed to the widespread spread of the fungus.

Rust pathogens settle on coniferous trees and shrubs. For an apple tree, proximity to common juniper is dangerous. Plants should not be planted nearby.

Colonies form in the skeletal branches of juniper. The shoots thicken and become deformed along their entire length. With prolonged exposure to infection, they dry out and die.

Myceliums do not live on apple trees; the main damage is caused by spores carried by insects or wind.

When rust fungi appear, it is necessary to carefully examine junipers planted in close proximity to apple trees.

Having discovered colonies of the pathogen, coniferous shrubs should be treated with a fungicide, damaged branches should be cut out and burned. In case of severe damage to the needles, it is better to destroy the junipers, dig up the ground underneath them, and treat them with boiling water and antimicrobial agents.

Important!: Regular care of junipers will prevent infection of fruit trees.

In the literature on gardening, there is often a recommendation to remove all coniferous shrubs from the site in order to protect the orchard.

Rust spores can be carried by wind over a distance of up to 50 km, so the complete absence of junipers on the site is unlikely to protect against the disease.

If the decision to get rid of conifers has been made, barrier plantings should be created along the perimeter of the site. For this purpose, tall trees with a dense crown are used.

Destruction of spores and consequences of infection

To avoid the development or resumption of rust infection on the apple tree, they begin to completely destroy the spores.

Apple trees must be sprayed with antifungal drugs.

The area must be clear of weeds. Many of them are capable of becoming intermediate hosts of rust fungi, for example, sedge, anemone, and spurge.

But the presence of wormwood near sources of infection and spread of the disease has a negative effect on the development of rust.

Plant residues allow the pathogen to survive on the site for up to 8 years. Affected leaves of apple trees, juniper needles and pruned branches should be removed and burned.

Dig the trunk circles deeply, spill with urea (5-7%), ammonium nitrate (5-7%) and copper sulfate (4-5%). Drugs should be alternated.