Apple Tree Diseases

"An Apple a Day Keeps The Doctor Away". ~ Pembrokeshire Proverb.

I think this is the best proverb to begin this article as it also explains the importance of planting an apple tree in your garden. Apples are one of the most nutritious fruits that mother nature has given us. They are one of the few fruits which are loved by everyone. Now, due to its high nutritional content, it's necessary that growing kids should at least have one apple everyday. It sometimes becomes very difficult to go to the market and get apples every now and then. So why not make the job easy and plant an apple tree in your own backyard. Apple tree planting is an easy process, but you should also be aware about the various diseases which infect and destroy apple trees on a large-scale.

Apple Tree Disease Identification

Apple tree diseases are more than recurring nightmares which gardeners and apple tree growers face on a daily basis. If you are wondering how to grow an apple tree, trust me, it's not that difficult. Taking care of apple trees, that's what requires real hard work. Luckily, these diseases are easy to deal with, if you know the proper ways. Here's a look at the most common diseases affecting apple trees.

Apple Scab
Its beginning period is in early spring, and its origin point are the leaves. From there it spreads to various other parts of the tree. The effects can be found on leaves, blossoms, sepals, pedicels, petioles and bud scales. As the disease spreads the leaves of the plant begin to twist, bend and ultimately die off. It can be identified as small light brown spots and, as time passes, these brown spots turn black and the harmful cells die. Apple scab is very common during colder months.

Powdery Mildew
It can be counted as one of the most dangerous apple tree leaf diseases. Powdery mildew is also very common in house and garden plants. It normally occurs in the period of high humidity and makes the tree weak from inside by infecting the bark and even the roots.

Black Rot
The black rot doesn't show its true colors until few weeks of fruit maturity. Black Rot symptoms include small brown spots on the fruit which expand and darken with time. The apple undergoes constant change of brown and black shades which makes it shrink and become mushy. The fungus not only attacks the fruit but also the leaves and bark.

Apple Mosaic Virus
The mosaic virus is very common in most apple tree varieties. It starts by appearing on leaves in the form of yellow or cream colored spots. Warm weather is the friend of this virus, and in summer it makes the apple leaves go brown and eventually they die.

Cedar Apple Rust
This disease only originates when eastern red cedar apple trees are nearby. They thrive mostly in moist weather and spread the spores on the crab apples. Cedar apple rust is one of the most common diseases, and it causes a rust effect on the entire tree. It starts with orange spots on the trees which are followed by tiny cup shaped structures on the undersides of the leaves.

Apple Tree Diseases Treatment

Apple trees are not only affected by naturally occurring bacteria but also by various insects and pests who cause major damage to the tree if not taken proper care.

• The best possible way to avoid the spread of various diseases is the pruning of apple trees. Pruning ensures that you don't let the disease to spread ahead and chopping of the infected part as soon as you can.
• If you don't want to use a chemically mixed solution on your tree. Here's an organic insecticide recipe which you can count on.
• To trap pests like apple maggots, get a sticky trap from the market and hang these traps on the branches of your apple tree.
• For all the other diseases, I would suggest trying out organic pesticides. Diseases can also be controlled by affective pruning and fertilization.

Hope this article on apple tree diseases was a good read. So, don't be afraid of growing apple trees in your garden for your kids, just remember to follow the above given points to ensure that your tree remains healthy and fruitful.