Apple scab and Plum

pclark42

Hi

During the late summer, I posted pics of the leaves on my two young apple trees and asked why they were curling up and brown, then actually falling to the ground, I think I got various answers, the main one (and I asked at the nursery too) was feeding, even though it rained a bit I was told a bucket of water is best, and a good feed, I think I was recommended to use Q4 which I did on a regular basis, yesterday I inspected the apple trees, and as usual, the newer upper leaves look great, but he ones lower are still the same, now scab was mentioned! what do you do to combat this? I have also made sure that the graft is well above the soil line to stop disease...please suggestions.

And now the Victoria Plum. Again 2 years old and was growing fine apart from a strange horizontal branch, but suddenly at the beginning of September every leaf fell off, it is now just bare, it looks as if there are buds along each branch ? the tree is nearly 2 metres tall.

fidgetbones

The leaves do fall off plums pretty soon after the plums are ready. Mine  are old established trees and are bare.  They come into flower earlier in the spring than the apples.

pclark42

Thanks, that's one pressure off

BobTheGardener

For Apple Scab, all you can do is reduce the chances of reinfection by collecting and burning or disposing of all affected leaves and fruit at the end of the year (don't compost them.)  If you then mulch the ground beneath the trees (I use homemade compost), you will also cover any spores on the surface, further reducing the chances of any getting on to the emerging flowers and leaves in spring.  In my experience, well-watered and well-fed apple trees have fewer issue with scab and those I have which struggle for water do have more issues in general.  There are no longer any commercial fungicides available which are safe for use on fruit trees, so all you can really do is keep the trees as healthy as you can with regular inspection and extra tlc.