Is My Apple Tree Dying?

Hi folks,

Live in the NW, Lancs area. I put a Cox's Pippin in last year, as a year old tree. It went fine, got one apple off it, which I wasn't too bothered about, so I left it to rot down, and let it focus on growing. It put a lot of growth on, despite the harsh winter, but now the top tip seems to be dying off, and the leaves are drooping. Only at the very extreme of the tips does it look like it's dying, but the leaves are drooping up to about halfway down the new growth. We've had dry weather, but I've watered the area with the hose every couple of days, and fed it recently with fish blood and bone.

Anyone shed any light on it? :(

Thanks.

 

Drought, continue watering the base as much as you can. keep free of weeds and mulch.

 

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I got some photos here, to give a better idea.





Is it likely to recover from these parts, or should I just prune off to stop it spreading?

 

Blimey, that doesn't look good, carry on with the watering, theres nothing pressing in the roots is there ? Or are the kids walking too near it on the way to the trampoline ?

 

Hi Ziggy,

No, the kids don't go near it for the trampoline, there was a path between it originally, it's about 10 foot away from the trampoline, but I lifted the path and seeded, so it looks closer than it is. I don't think there is anything pressing on the roots, it did fine last year and over the winter.

There have been a lot of trees in the garden over the years, I dug two stumps out when we moved in, one of which was close by. There are two well established cookers nearby, could that be the problem? I intended to cut the lesser cropping of the two cookers down, when the Cox is a little more established. It isn't looking good at all.

By contrast, I bought a Williams pear this year, and put it in, although no fruit this year, it's put a lot of leafy growth on, and I got a Conference pear to pollinate it with, perhaps graft onto the Williams eventually.

 

Hi NG,

Looking at the pics again, that could be frost damage to the new growth, in which case it should recover. I had a tree sat in a few inches of water on the allotment for a year, it went on to become a fine specimin.

 

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks, that could explain it, we had a frost last week, so perhaps that has done it. I'll just keep feeding and watering it and hope it sorts itself out. No sign of fruit on it this year anyway, so it's only leafy growth that I'll miss out on.

 

When mine was that big, I slit the bark & slid a mistletoe seed under, about 3 or 4 years later....

 

That looks beautiful. I'd like to get a few varieties on each tree, so I end up with about 3 trees with a good few varieties of differing fruits, and so they can pollinate themselves.

 

Sounds like a good plan Sadly had to leave all my fruit trees behind when I moved.

Have got a couple of Blackcurrants on the go in pots and some Gooseberries but haven't got around to top fruit again yet.

Conversation with Sister in law last night made us realise we are too old to plant a Medlar tree from scratch now

 

I've never considered medlars, never tried them either. It's hard enough trying to get kids to eat the recognised stuff, like apples :(

 

It's difficult to judge from the photo but I doubt if it's frost damage and I've doubts about lack of water. It looks like a severe attack of powdery mildew. However whatever the cause if it was my tree I'd prune it back to healthy wood.

 

I can try and get better photos tomorrow if you wish, close ups of the leaves and wood? It's the top and tips where it's affected, mainly on the upright shoot, the lower branches, although short, don't seem to be affected.

EDIT> I've just gone out, and the leaves close to the tips seem to be affected with a powdery grey mildew, so I've just pruned back a good few buds from where it stops being affected. Fingers crossed it manages to recover.

It's been dry and warm, up until recently. I don't understand it :(

 

Bother, didn't think of milldew:wallbang:

Medlars are easy to get kids to eat, just tell them they can't eat them until they have gone rotten

Daughter #1 said my Medlar jelly was the best thing she'd ever tasted.:yess:

 

Will have to try and get hold of some to try first. I grew radish, and no-one is particularly keen :(