[David.]

One of my 2 apple trees does not have any blossom this year on the SW side and now has been dropping leaves from the same side.

The apple tree next to it flowers later and has had no problems.

Went for a walk last week to the crab apple tree where I collected enough crabs to press 10 gallons of juice last year, and that doesn't have any blossom on the SW side either!

[richyrich7]

Perhaps it was caused by a cold wind from the SW, well that's my theory anyway  

[ziggywigs]

I agree RR7 that it cold or frost damage could be the problem here.

[Trillium]

Is there a farm to the southwest side? If so, some residual herbicide spraying might have drifted onto your trees. Happened to a friend of mine who wondered why one side of his garden died off.

[WG.]

I'd have thought the SW was the least likely direction for a cold / freezing wind.

[Gwiz]

i would think that its pesticide or micro climate damage as well.

[David.]

No pesticides used to SW of the tree (and the one next to/touching it has no damage).

Looked again this morning when out checking for wind (from the SW)damage and more leaves are coming down. They are being snapped near the base of the leaf stem. No leaf damage on the tree next to it.

I did initially wonder if this tree (Russet) was a bit ahead of it's neighbour (Beauty of Bath) when there was a frost (in March? - I think we only had one so I should remember) following a really mild spell and it lost it's blossom buds and got it's first leaves weakened.

Seems like I've lost around 100 lbs of apples this year, but is there anything I can do to prevent this happening next Spring?

[Gwiz]

dont know if this would be practicle for you, but i remember back years ago to my apprenticeship, and the apprentice master taught us that the old comercial growers used to spray the trees with water when they knew it was going to freeze.
as water freezes it gives of a little heat ( latent heat of freezing) this used to protect the buds under the ice.
strange, but apparently true. i remember being told about the latent heat of freezing in my physics class at school. this shows why the back of a domestic freezer gets warm, or so i was told.
what do all our friends on here think?

[WG.]

Cue for Salkeela there.

She is the living authority on specific heat capacity of water.  I say living 'cos Newton, Kelvin and Maxwell are all dead.

[richyrich7]

dont know if this would be practicle for you, but i remember back years ago to my apprenticeship, and the apprentice master taught us that the old comercial growers used to spray the trees with water when they knew it was going to freeze.
as water freezes it gives of a little heat ( latent heat of freezing) this used to protect the buds under the ice.
strange, but apparently true. i remember being told about the latent heat of freezing in my physics class at school. this shows why the back of a domestic freezer gets warm, or so i was told.
what do all our friends on here think?

Very true Gwiz watering can save your buds, also you can do it after a frost if  your up early enough.

[Trillium]

the water treatment does work as that's the common treatment in Florida to protect all the citrus trees against any frost. At one time they used to use smudge pots for a warm steam, but found that the water was better and easier to do. Fruit tree growers north of us in Ontario, a fairly colder area, do the water treatment as well.

[Gwiz]

i knew that bit of useless information was worth remembering!!