Young apple tree needs help!
Hollyhocks1
Posts: 13
Hiya. I planted a new apple tree (from a pot) in early spring and it has been doing well. Have had a few yellow leaves and thought it may be rust so treated it with the appropriate spray. Now quite a few of the new leaves are turning yellow and have
brown spots and others seem to be falling early. It has lots of new buds and leaves but over the past week many are turning yellow. any ideas?
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Yikes don't know why the photos are upside down! Sorry total technophobe but you get the idea. ?
To do well young trees need the area around the base of their trunk to be clear of grass and weeds so that there is no competition for grass and nutrition. I aim for a clear circle with a diameter of 1metre.
How much water has it been having? I would give it a whole bucket of water at least twice a week, whether it rains or not, from March to leaf fall.
Clear the grass away, give it a really good soaking and mulch with organic matter (well rotted manure, garden compost etc) and continue to water three times a week until the leaves begin to fall.
In the spring (late Feb/early March) give it a feed of Fish, Blood and Bone, and start the watering regime again.
Last edited: 26 August 2017 14:55:42
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It's possible the brown spots are apple scab. You can't spray against fungal diseases on fruit trees any more - good hygiene (clearing up and disposing of the fallen leaves - not on the compost heap) is a good idea to reduce the number of spores around next year.
If you clear a circle round it, and water and feed it, as Dove has said, it should be strong and healthy enough to cope with a bit of scab or other fungal diseases.
Thank you both so much for the advice. I have put into practice all of these things although it has been watered every day with a sprinkler, so, fingers crossed we should be ok for next year.
thanks again.