Our neighborhood apple trees are loosing leaves. My adjusted neighbor old tree started the process in July, her mature, but not very old crab apple followed in beginning of August and mine (form young to very young ) are starting to do it now. The worst affected is Gold Rush, and it also has good load of apples this year, so I worry they will never get ripe if the tree defoliates too early. Anybody have any idea what disease it is and if any kind of spray still possible to slow it down? Here is how leaves look like. All three from the same tree.
The wild crabs around our property are doing this and have done it in the past. It has been consistent on years we have drought conditions, and that is what I’m seeing this year. I’ve had 50% of the tree turn yellow and defoliate, and some fruit drop as well, but they do retain a majority of the fruit and they’ll ripen and hang on the tree for a while. I’m in Northern NY, above Utica.
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We had very dry June-July and couple very wet weeks in August, followed by hot spell. Mine started to drop leaves now.
I have two apple trees that are almost bare. My Pristine and especially my Enterprise only has a few brown leaves left. Since we have missed every rainstorm that hit the East coast, my apples are parched and are the most affected.
That is probably marsonina leaf blotch. I actually brought the first sample in to Cornell that they’d ever seen on apple trees just last season, but now it’s pretty much agreed that it has been a problem on trees not receiving fungicide in summer when that season is particularly wet for some time. Cornell was unaware because home owners never submitted samples- or even commercial organic growers, until I did. Conventional growers control it while controlling the more famous flyspeck and sooty blotch. Last year trees defoliated even earlier than this year from the disease (spring was 2 weeks earlier) but it didn’t do terrible damage to their productivity the following as far as I can tell. However, it probably can’t help and may become a greater problem if it happens consecutive years. Fortunately, not all varieties are susceptible.
What isn’t known is the minimum number of sprays required to control it and exactly what the best materials are. I have controlled it with 4 sprays starting at the start of the 2nd week of July with Captan and Indar, Pristine or Flint. Cornell recommends also protecting through June, but I haven’t found that to be necessary. They also recommend that for protecting against sooty blotch and fly speck suggesting that if you wait until July, it will be too late, but I’m pretty certain they are wrong about that as I’ve waited to July for several season now without negative consequence. Of course I spray against scab and CAR in May.
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I have one apple tree. I had found out that apple leaves are similar to pear and peach leaves. Have you ever noticed it?
I have seen what appears to be marsonina on plums.
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Same here this year, though not to the same severity, my plum is not defoliating, but peach is loosing some leaves and I didn’t have leaf curl this year.
In my area that problem would be from Glomerella. Its the same type of fungus that produces bitter rot and may completely defoliate the tree. Glomerella Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot | NC State Extension Publications.
It can be a terrible problem in the southeast during a wet season and its difficult to control, especially the bitter rot.
Orchard sanitation like removing drops and leaves should help some and fungicide is mandatory in my area.
I had the Glomerella on my Idared apple tree last year. Every apple that was on my tree has it. The fruit was useless. It happened a couple of months even before the fruit as supposed to be ripe.