Apple tree browning leaves - Ask Extension
Hi,
My dwarf Dayton apple tree has some browning and wilted looking leaves - it appears to start from the base and spread down the midrib. A coupl...
Knowledgebase
Apple tree browning leaves #869011
Asked May 18, 2024, 12:01 PM EDT
Hi,
My dwarf Dayton apple tree has some browning and wilted looking leaves - it appears to start from the base and spread down the midrib. A couple groups of leaves have completely browned. I am new to growing apple trees - any ideas what the issue is and any recommendations on what I should do? The tree is not quite 6 feet tall, and the fence in the background of the pictures is 4ft.
I planted the tree last year, it flowered this year and has a few apples growing.
Thanks!
James
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello James,
The symptoms pictured resemble those of fire blight, a very common and serious disease of apple and its relatives. Some apple cultivars have more resistance to this (or other diseases) than others. The affected branch tips will need to be pruned out to avoid the bacterial pathogen moving further down into older wood and causing more dieback.
Preventative pesticide sprays are usually needed to avoid infection from this and other common diseases of apple, as well as to manage insect pests before their damage affects a crop. Fruit trees are high-maintenance plants and multiple pesticide sprays are needed annually to protect both overall tree health as well as to preserve the harvest. You can opt to use organic sprays if you prefer (though as a group they generally do not work as well, or may require more frequent re-application), but unsprayed trees will likely suffer from periodic dieback and loss of the crop due to pests, diseases, or an overlap of both.
You can learn more about cultivating apples, including what pesticide regimen to use as a guide, in the information and links within our Growing Apple and Pear Trees in a Home Garden page. Be aware that fungicides don't work for every disease, and none will be able to cure existing infections; they serve as a preventative, protective barrier to infection only. Broad-spectrum fungicides, like those containing copper as an active ingredient, will sometimes suppress bacterial spores so they don't cause infection; otherwise, they only work on fungal pathogens, not bacterial pathogens.
Disease issues aside, all young fruits should be removed from a tree during its first 2-3 years in the ground, to avoid depriving it of too many resources while it establishes. Pruning to establish good scaffold branching for future harvests is also a goal of the first few years of care for the tree, though in this case, the removal of a lot of growth required to discourage the spread of fire blight might be enough stress for the tree for this year, and regular pruning might resume next year; that said, young apples can put on lots of growth, so might still benefit from light pruning to start establishing good branching.
Miri
The symptoms pictured resemble those of fire blight, a very common and serious disease of apple and its relatives. Some apple cultivars have more resistance to this (or other diseases) than others. The affected branch tips will need to be pruned out to avoid the bacterial pathogen moving further down into older wood and causing more dieback.
Preventative pesticide sprays are usually needed to avoid infection from this and other common diseases of apple, as well as to manage insect pests before their damage affects a crop. Fruit trees are high-maintenance plants and multiple pesticide sprays are needed annually to protect both overall tree health as well as to preserve the harvest. You can opt to use organic sprays if you prefer (though as a group they generally do not work as well, or may require more frequent re-application), but unsprayed trees will likely suffer from periodic dieback and loss of the crop due to pests, diseases, or an overlap of both.
You can learn more about cultivating apples, including what pesticide regimen to use as a guide, in the information and links within our Growing Apple and Pear Trees in a Home Garden page. Be aware that fungicides don't work for every disease, and none will be able to cure existing infections; they serve as a preventative, protective barrier to infection only. Broad-spectrum fungicides, like those containing copper as an active ingredient, will sometimes suppress bacterial spores so they don't cause infection; otherwise, they only work on fungal pathogens, not bacterial pathogens.
Disease issues aside, all young fruits should be removed from a tree during its first 2-3 years in the ground, to avoid depriving it of too many resources while it establishes. Pruning to establish good scaffold branching for future harvests is also a goal of the first few years of care for the tree, though in this case, the removal of a lot of growth required to discourage the spread of fire blight might be enough stress for the tree for this year, and regular pruning might resume next year; that said, young apples can put on lots of growth, so might still benefit from light pruning to start establishing good branching.
Miri
