Branch on Apple Tree discoloured?
somapop
Posts: 71
Hi all. I've noticed a branch on one of my apple trees (I have two - one Bramley and this one...eating variety of which I've currently forgotten the name, but likely Cox) has started to turn a bit off colour, is reddening and the branch stem looks a little suspicious.
I wondered if the branch had become infected, but no other branches on the tree (and it's been like this a couple of weeks) are affected.
Might this be down to the branch being grafted in earlier years (this tree was planted over a year ago, but has grown pretty substantially)?
I don't really want to cut it back if it's merely a grafted branch that has 'turned' for Autumn earlier than the others.
Many thanks!
The suspicious branch:
The difference in colour between the leaves on the suspicious branch and the leaves on the rest of the tree.
Posts
Rather difficult to say because of the sharp shadows and also because I'm not very sure how far up the tree we are talking avout. However, would you say that this rings any bells?
http://intermountainfruit.org/htm/dbm/crown-root-rot
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
It's only affecting one branch which is approximately 4 feet from the base.
The link sounds like similar symptoms, but this isn't affecting the base. Part of the branch looks like it was 'shaved' some time ago, then recovered (as in the pic) hence thinking it might be a graft? But if this was removed wouldn't it affect fruit formation?
Not sure whether to just hedge my bets and cut the branch off? I'll post another picture tomorrow which might help?
Many thanks.
I've added a few more pics below - not sure if they will help.
It's a bit bewildering - although the leaves have reddened and are falling off, there are new tiny buds appearing (as on the 'healthier' looking branches). As I mentioned above, my only worry about lopping this branch off is that it might be the branch that was grafted on in order for the tree to produce fruit (that may be wildly off the mark however).
On the pics it's the branch on the right (forked at the top). It's one of the lower branches, although this year the tree has grown in staggering proportions:
Immediately after that indented mark (the bit I think might be the graft...or the start of the canker) the leaves have wilted, reddened and started to fall off:
You can see below how the branch looks wilted compared to the rest of the tree:
Hi - yes they are falling off. The remaining leaves (all pretty much reddened) look utterly wilted but oddly, the twigs/spur branches on this branch look healthy and new buds are appearing. Something else - new tiny leaves are growing (as they are on the other 'healthy' branches of the tree), but these are red, whilst the new leaves on the other branches are green. Whether this indicates a disease or confirms the branch is grafted from different stock I don't know! Even if it's grafted and removing it might cause the tree to not produce fruit, it's directly next to another apple tree (Bramley) amongst many other plants etc...so should pollinate...?!
One small twig (spurred off from the section which looks either 'grafted' or 'cankerous' was dead wood however. Only a small twig though.
No crook like twigs at the moment Buddyboy.
Crook shaped bits at the end of branches would suggest fireblight. Good that it isn't that. Red leaves might just be red because it is a strange time of year to start growing new leaves.
It doesn't look like canker, which involves cracks and sometimes oozing liquid.
I'd leave it alone till next spring and see how it is then.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
I probably wouldn't have worried too much, but in this pic below it's the darkened, sunken bark which looks suspicious (that is mentioned in canker). Again, I've no idea if this might be the graft on the tree. The tree (3rd year since planting) has grown so much this year I've lost track of it's original shape, size and details!
You can just about make out what looks like white specs on the lower part of that 'sunken' section of branch. However, there hasn't been any sap/ooze at all.
I'll take another pic later and post it - I'm not convinced there's any crook like appearance, but I've never really seen it on context with tree branches.
Many thanks!
^^ I'll have a look out for younger shoots and report back!