[tangojulie]

Does anyone know of a diagnostic service for home gardeners?

One of the things that attracted me to this house 7 years ago was the old espalier apple in the garden. It has obviously had periods of care and periods of neglect in its life, but over the last few years it has done pretty well.  However this year I have suddenly noticed that it's very poorly.

For one thing, it has no fruit at all (well OK, two apples).

But the worst thing is the leaves. The newer leaves have brown blotches in apparently random places - not just at the edges, between the veins or anything like that, more as if someone had trailed a dirty paintbrush through them leaving odd shaped marks all over. On the older leaves these brown patches have spread and most of the oldest leaves are totally brown. They remain a normal shape and pretty much a normal texture, the older leaves are a little drier but not much more so.

There is nothing obvious to be seen on the stems.

The bark doesn't look any different to the way it always has, but the tree is so old its bark is pretty wrinkly and crinkly and I'm not sure I'd be able to see anything that was wrong.

All parts of the tree seem to be equally affected.

I have googled like mad but the only things I can find that look like it are other people asking 'what's the matter with my tree?'.

In view of its age I'm reluctant to take it out if it can be saved, we don't need the apples as we have more than enough on another tree. But if it's something nasty that is likely to spread then it will have to come out to protect the other tree.

So does anyone know of anywhere I can send some samples for identification?

[Baldy]

It might be worth uploading a few pictures here - there are some very knowledgeable people on this forum.
.. (not me though...)

Cheers,
Balders
 

[tangojulie]

Photos here

The final one shows the progression on the young/old leaves. This stem was cut a couple of days ago and has dried out a bit since.

[Jay The Digger]

It looks like the leaf is being starved of moisture as the tips are the first to dry and curl.  Are the roots in a rain shadow against a wall/fence? 

More worryingly it may be the early stages of fireblight, which is serious for any other apples or pears nearby.  When the leaves die, do they fall or stay attached? This is a good pointer. 

If in doubt keep an eye on the branches and the moment any oozing or cankers develop, get rid of the whole plant.

Do you have a poorly hawthorn nearby?  It may be the cause and should also be put out of it's misery.