What is wrong with apple tree?

[Connie]

Both of my apple tree have some of their tips turning brown. Also some of their limbs have areas that I first thought had been rubbed raw but now they have bristle like areas on their limbs. Here is the best picture I could get. Thank you, Connie

 

[so lucky]

I don't see a pic, Connie. Can you try it again?

 

[baymule]

Welcome Connie! I don't know anything about apple trees, but there's lots of people here that do!

 

[Connie]

I don't see a pic, Connie. Can you try it again?

 

[journey11]

Hi Connie,

I can't tell from your pic, other than it does appear to have some old damage to that branch. When you say the tips are turning brown, is it anything like this:

That's the first thing that comes to my mind...Fire Blight. It does leave a canker or damaged/burned looking area.

 

[Connie]

Yes, the leaves look like that.Does this help? It looks like the bark has been rubbed away then healed with tufts of wood sticking out. When I cut the twig it was a dark streak under the bark. What can I do? The one tree is an heirloom that I grafted and I hate to lose it. The other tree is a gift from my daughter but just a Home Depot tree. Thank you for your help. Connie

 

[journey11]

Yeah, the dark streak under the bark sounds like Fire Blight too. That shows how far it has traveled down the branch.

If it's only a couple of spots, you can prune them out now, cutting back at least 12" from where you last see the damage. Or if it's several, the most thorough way to go about it is to wait until late summer or winter dormancy and prune back a couple inches past the scarred area (called a canker), which will be much more evident at that time. The canker shows where the bacteria have stopped. Here's a link w/ more specific info. Go over the tree good at that time and try to get all of it out. If they're not pruned out, the bacteria can over several seasons make it all the way to the trunk, killing the tree. It enters through the bloom initially and is spread by the bees from other infected trees. Pears and crabapples are very susceptible to it too. There's nothing really effective that you can spray either. Pruning is your best defense.

I am in the same boat. All three of mine have it to some degree. If you can keep it pruned out, your tree should make it fine. Hopefully you won't end up having to fight it every year.

 

[897tgigvib]

Yep, looks and sounds like fire blight.

You'll need to remove the infected areas immediately, a foot down from where you see it on the stems. Burn the prunings immediately.

It all needs to be done sanitary too. Pruning saws and shears should be dipped in a can of rubbing alcohol after each cut.

The cuts should be clean and covered with pruning sealant.

Also, you should be in observation mode in your neighborhood for other Apple, Crabapple, and Pear trees to see if they have it, and that includes local nurseries.

If you have a full blown epidemic of fire blight in your neighborhood it'll be a long tough battle.

 

[ninnymary]

I had an apple tree that had blight. At the time I didn't know what it was and I pulled it out. I replanted another one and now I'm always on the lookout for it. It turns out that my neighbor has a kumquat tree that has it and it travels via the wind to mine. He and my husband trimmed his tree and now I've noticed it has a couple new spots. Gotta get him to trim those soon. Just stay on top of it and keep trimming if you want to save your tree.

Mary

 

[journey11]

Yes, burn the trimmings!