I ran soil analysis 2 years ago on this and several other sites around the property and this was the only site to show such high PH and calcium levels. Avg. pH here (NW PA) seems to be 5-5.5.
I am not so concerned with what the exact type of rot is. Each year many shriveled apples are left hanging on the tree and I assume my nemesis is also infecting the wood leading to the die off. Not going to do any spraying anyways.
What I would like to do is balance the soil in hopes it helps the tree manage the affliction. The obvious thing would be add the epsom salts as PSU suggests but afters some reading here thought better to ask the group first. Maybe tree is not able to use the Ca+ or the low phosphate could be bigger issue? Any different suggestions or insight?
Many apples are very prone to rot. I removed literally hundreds of varieties from my Maryland orchard due to their propensity to rot. You need to spray to avoid rot. The soil balance would be good to work on but I doubt it is the major factor in the rot.
This year I am using Luna Sensation which is supposed to do very well against apple rots. So far I have little rot but there is still a long ways to go…
Thanks Scott. Honestly I am not so worried about the rot. Tree pumps out tons of apples each year… if I can eat 50 of them I’m happy. More concerned with mitigating any stress caused by the soil imbalance.
In terms of spray, I don’t really know much about them either. Maybe I’m just used to picking through the partly rotten apples, and the worms are just extra protein right?
We’ve had a similar situation with an old apple tree on the north-western side of our wine cellar shed. It is more yellow-orange with a red cheek and some russeting, most intense flavour, very likely Orange Pippin. It gets some rot and starts falling from the end of July until September. A lot of the fruit gets punctured by wasps - likely due to the sugar content, but the wood also started deteriorating some 5 years ago. Now, it is on the road to recovery with nice new growth, although the saw and fungicide treatment left it with a single branch 1.5 years ago.
I have also grafted it onto a vigorous seedling in a different location with full sun exposure and the place is quite windy, so hopefully it will do better up there.
Looks similar to the century + Cox Orange tree in one of my pastures here in North Central PA. In a good year it is easily my favorite apple- quite aromatic and complex flavored. Now and then I’ll come across one that the seeds rattle. The last few years have been difficult though. It is my understanding that Cox is prone to pretty much every disease known, but neither I nor the previous owners have ever sprayed this tree.
you know i held back on waxing lyrical re flavor in my initial post but yea - this apple led me to get why one might become an apple sommelier. sweet and sour flavor bomb that just makes everything else pale in comparison.
We’ve suspected something like Cox but I’ve not had one to compare so I planted one on M26 this spring. Did not know about seed rattling, I’ll listen for that this year.
You mentioned the tree pumps out a ton of apples each year. Apple trees under stress do not produce a lot of apples. Also, that tree looks very old. If it was stressed, it would not have made it this long. It looks to be 50 years old or more. Also, your soil test results look close enough. Mature apple trees can grow deep roots and go get the minerals they need.
Your hollowed out but still producing trees are beautiful. Like Japanese bonsai. I am so impressed that stressed or decaying plants will continue to follow it’s “prime directive”, whatever that may be, and reproduce. Which is great for us apple eaters.
