Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: 2peasinapod on October 28, 2009, 19:14

Title: Apple trees
Post by: 2peasinapod on October 28, 2009, 19:14

I have 4 apple trees on the lotty and this year they are cropping nicely but they are very spotty, prob ok for cider but dont look very nice in the bowl  :ohmy:, not that I need perfic fruit or owt,is there somat I can feed them with that will sort it out?

seems to happen more on the sunny side if this helps.

TIA
Mark

Title: Re: Apple trees
Post by: Trillium on October 28, 2009, 19:47

We give our trees a very generous fall dressing of manure all around the tree from close to the trunk (never touching) out as far as the 'drip line' and leave it. The rain will wash down the nutrients. Hungry soil and plants are always most susceptible to diseases and pests. Its not a guarantee you won't see a bit of spotting but it will definitely diminish the amount of spotting and give you trees a good kick in the trunk  ;)

Title: Re: Apple trees
Post by: Ivah on October 29, 2009, 08:24

Is it surface spotting like scab or some similar fungal disease or does it spread through the fruit, if so it could be bitter pit - an annual dressing of lime is supposed to help but I can't get rid of it on my high rainfall acid soil.

Title: Re: Apple trees
Post by: Livifisherman on October 29, 2009, 12:36

Our apples were very spotty this year but that was down to being caught in a violent hail storm when they were small (conkersized).  It damaged nearly all of them to some extent.

Title: Re: Apple trees
Post by: 2peasinapod on October 30, 2009, 01:06

cheers peeps
seems they have been left to their own devices over the last few years, so I will feed em up.
tis surface spotting and they taste ok.