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Poorly apple tree

kakajoneskakajones Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg
Can anyone help please. 
I have a fairly mature apple tree that has been giving fruit for about 5 years. This season it has been thriving and looking really healthy, but over the weekend I noticed that some of the leaves were starting to curl and turn brown. I instantly thought it was dry so gave it a very good water on Sunday morning and night. Today, it is looking much worse. Loads of leaves have turned brown and are withering up. I have no idea what's up. Any suggestions what to do? 
The tree is quite sentimental to me, so I'd had to see it fail.

Posts

  • kakajoneskakajones Posts: 4
    I can provide pics, but can't compress them on my phone
  • purplerallimpurplerallim LincolnshirePosts: 3,285
    You need a photo resizer app to make the picture small enough to post.
    As for the tree check for aphids in the curled leaves.
  • kakajoneskakajones Posts: 4
    any clues?
  • JennyJJennyJ DoncasterPosts: 2,826
    If it's been in the tub for 5 years it could have got pot-bound and it'll have used up all the goodness.  Also check that the drainage holes haven't got blocked and made the compost waterlogged.
  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 563
    I would consider planting it in the ground. It looks quite large for the pot and its roots will be very constricted.  It is possible that the roots are no longer able to support the foliage. Are the parts which are dying new growth? 
  • kakajoneskakajones Posts: 4
    I regularly top up the compost, and did so again last night. I had been thinking that it might need a bigger pot for the last few weeks, but they're expensive and I can't plant it in the ground as my garden is concrete .... Feel like I'm.fighting a loosing battle 🙁. Thanks for your advice x
  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 563
    Don't despair. If it is just new shoots which are dying, continue your watering regime and if possible find a larger container. If you put out a plea on a social media site (I only do Facebook for buy and sell - it has been very helpful for this) you might find that someone wants to get rid of a large container, or visit a reclamation yard. You might be lucky and find something cheap or even free. I took some potted bramley apple trees to south west France.  During the summer, I came back to the UK for a visit. When I next saw them the leaves had shrivelled up completely, the tiny apples had dropped off and the bark on the trunk was shrivelled up too! Because you can't buy cooking apples in France and these went on the furniture van I couldn't replace them. I kept them cool and watered and nursed them back to health. They became heavy croppers. 
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