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My apple leaves are curling and 2 branches are sagging like they are too heavy. Did not flower this year, so no fruit on it. Does anyone know what could cause this?
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was the lawn recently treated or are there row crops nearby?
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Welcome!
Looks like Leaf Roller worms. They will not kill the tree though. Drooping could be heat stress.
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No crops or lawn treatment done. None of my other trees seem to be curling. Braeburn apple tree is the only one curling. I live in South Central Michigan, zone 6. Thanks for responding.
To be honest- Those leaves look fine. If they curl any further, then take more pics and check back with us. If they hold steady, then there’s no real problem. Often times with apples, you can just pluck/snip off insect-curled leaves and more will grow. But if fireblight attacks, then that would be a completely different problem.
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My apple leaves nearly always curl like that probably from heat/drought stress. But they are productive and bear every year. No biennial bearing like some suffer. Looking at the trees they look stressed. But bearing tells the real story.
Sagging branches is likely just the weight of new growth. You solve that by pruning to stiffen up the limbs. Best done during the dormant season but can be done now. Once there is fruit it just gets worse, much worse. You could support them but that’s a poor choice in most cases.
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Has the tree been fertilized recently. Looks like soft new growth and if it is that can cause some sagging.
Thank you ! Such great advice. This is my first time growing a small orchard. I watch them like a hawk to make sure they are healthy. They are maybe not old enough to fruit. My Cherry tree blossomed and had some fruit growing, now those cherries the critters must of got. My Peach tree had 2 blossoms but no fruit formed. Maybe nest year I’ll get some blossoms.
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Two of my apples: Claygate & what I hope will prove to be Orléans Reinette, have some leaves curled by a caterpillar or spider. Once their life cycle is done, I don’t see any more the rest of the season. Looks odd; seems otherwise of little moment. Every year on both, come to think of it, since the second leaf: since 2018 on Claygate; since 2020 for OR(?)
If you have a variety that likes to spread, you may want to prune for more upright growth in the next month if its structure troubles you. I have done that for Redfield, for instance, every other year.
I hope it’s not near a walnut tree…