My apples look deformed and insect infected - Ask Extension
Good day,
These young apples exhibited these spots almost as soon as the fruit formed. There was also some transparent, gummy deposit at the site of...
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My apples look deformed and insect infected #874055
Asked June 21, 2024, 11:24 AM EDT
Good day,
These young apples exhibited these spots almost as soon as the fruit formed. There was also some transparent, gummy deposit at the site of the spots. The apples appear to be growing in a deformed manner.
(1) do you have an idea what the infestation is?
(2) is it possible to treat it and rescue this season’s crop?
(3) what should I do to prevent a reoccurrence next year?
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Amending to add:
You can cut apples open to look for larvae. They may have already pupated. Pick up and remove and discard all infested apples.
and
Fruit deformities can be caused by stinkbug feeding, rosy apple aphid feeding, or cold damage to buds/flowers in spring.
It is not easy to grow what most people consider good tree fruits in Maryland without close management, including carefully timed and repeated chemical spray applications starting early in the spring for the multiple insect pests and diseases that are common in our area.
Growing small fruits like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are much more successful without a lot of work.
While we generally recommend that people avoid using many insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in their landscapes, you generally need to to get unblemished fruit.
This page can tell you more:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fruit-plant-care/, under the "plant and pest problems" headline- press on the dropdown menu to expand.
Click on the 'Home Fruit' portion of this Virginia Pest Management Guide:
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/456-018.html
See plum curculio and coddling moths.
Spray applications are preventative and start very early in the season as the buds swell and are repeated
in various ways on a schedule so it is too late for this season.
If you choose not to take the chemical spray route (most people don't want to) it is still sometimes possible to get some fruit- you will just need to cut out the bad parts- certainly enough to make a pie or two from a mature tree, and you can leave the rest for wildlife.
Christine
You can cut apples open to look for larvae. They may have already pupated. Pick up and remove and discard all infested apples.
and
Fruit deformities can be caused by stinkbug feeding, rosy apple aphid feeding, or cold damage to buds/flowers in spring.
It is not easy to grow what most people consider good tree fruits in Maryland without close management, including carefully timed and repeated chemical spray applications starting early in the spring for the multiple insect pests and diseases that are common in our area.
Growing small fruits like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are much more successful without a lot of work.
While we generally recommend that people avoid using many insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in their landscapes, you generally need to to get unblemished fruit.
This page can tell you more:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fruit-plant-care/, under the "plant and pest problems" headline- press on the dropdown menu to expand.
Click on the 'Home Fruit' portion of this Virginia Pest Management Guide:
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/456-018.html
See plum curculio and coddling moths.
Spray applications are preventative and start very early in the season as the buds swell and are repeated
in various ways on a schedule so it is too late for this season.
If you choose not to take the chemical spray route (most people don't want to) it is still sometimes possible to get some fruit- you will just need to cut out the bad parts- certainly enough to make a pie or two from a mature tree, and you can leave the rest for wildlife.
Christine
Thank you very much for the quick response and useful advice. I understand the difficulty in growing tree fruit but I’m determined
On Friday, June 21, 2024, 1:50 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
