Jonas Gold Apple tree leaves dropping and fruit not growing.

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by swindonseagull, Aug 4, 2019.

  1. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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    Good Morning,
    My Jonas Gold apple tree has in the last few weeks dropped most of its leaves and the fruit seems to have stopped / slowed growing.
    The leaves have brown edges, as you can see on the photos, the tree is 3 years old...
    Has it got a disease? have I not watered it enough? did I not prune back enough last winter.....
    If I prune back this winter will it be ok next year?

    Strangely there is a more mature apple tree ( 6 years ) about 5 meters away that's flourishing.

    Help please ladies and gents.

    IMG_2994.JPG

    IMG_2995.JPG
     
  2. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Looks to me like the tree is dying.
    But wait and see what others say.
     
  3. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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    Hope not its only a few years old.
     
  4. Marley Farley

    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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    Certainly doesn’t look a happy tree if that happening.. Tending to agree with Pete.. It take it it in the ground.?
     
  5. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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    What do you mean 'Intake it in the ground'?
     
  6. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Just a guess but I think @Marley Farley might mean is, "I take it that it is in the ground"?

    ie. not pot grown.:smile:
     
  7. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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  8. Marley Farley

    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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    Oops sorry got a dodgy keyboard.. Has it been in the ground long.? Has it cropped well in the past.?
     
  9. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    I tend to think that if it was alive that wrinkled apple would have fallen off, but if its still attached it looks like the tree is dead.
     
  10. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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    Its 3 years old, in the ground....we did cut it back last winter but not much, being inexperienced I was worried about cutting it back to much.

    The wrinkled fruit easily falls off if touched.

    Is there anyway to tell if its dead?

    Last year it only produced a handful of apples , this year it is loaded....until the leaves dropped...
     
  11. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    Until I saw the wrinkled apple, I thought the tree might have suffered from Bacterial Blossom Blast earlier in the season, as that would leave it without many leaves and fruits would be continuing to fall prematurely.

    Is there only that one wrinkled apple, or are most of them like that?

    P.S. Cutting back too heavily can cause BBB
     
  12. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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    Just given the tree a shake and maybe 20-30 apples fell off...is that any clue?

    There are a few wrinkled ones but some that look normal just growing a lot slower than the other trees in the garden.
     
  13. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Is it very dry where you are, it was very dry last summer and again this year, up till now, I've noticed a few street trees have died around here this year, and lost one or two myself.
     
  14. swindonseagull

    swindonseagull Apprentice Gardener

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    The tree has fake grass ( OKOK I know its a gardening forum) around it, The tree was watered but not to much, maybe its underwatered.?
     
  15. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    But were they wrinkled ones? If so, either the tree has shut down (died), or it's due to something like it's never extended its root system and is sitting in dry soil. If the apples are firm, it's something else.


    EDIT: Just read above post, is that fake grass porous? And even porous coverings can cause rainwater to be shed away from plants grown through it.
     
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