Apple tree (lat.Malus)  - a genus of deciduous shrubs and trees of the Pink family with sweet and sweet-sour spherical fruits. An apple tree originates, presumably from Central Asia, and in the wild is found in almost all European countries. The genus has 36 species, among which the most common are the home or cultivated apple tree (Malus domestica), the sapwood or Chinese (Malus prunifolia) and the low apple tree (Malus pumila). Cultivated varieties of apple trees, of which there are about seven and a half thousand, have been growing by mankind for a millennium, and almost all of them came from the home apple tree.

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Apple tree - description

Domestic apple tree - a small tree, reaching a height of not more than eight meters, it has a spreading crown, consisting of generative and vegetative shoots. Leaves on short petioles are arranged on the branches again. White flowers with a pink tint form a corymbose inflorescence, they are pollinated most often by bees (apple trees - melliferous plants). The fruits of different species and varieties of apple trees vary in color, size and shape, taste, smell. Inside each fruit there are about ten seeds covered with a dense brown shell. The apple tree can grow on almost any soil, in the forests and on the roadsides there are luxurious trees that no one cares for, nevertheless, they bear fruit from year to year, but nevertheless, proper planting and care of the apple tree is the key to its health, high productivity and longevity.

Diseases of apple trees and their treatment

Signs of apple disease

Unfortunately, there are many diseases that affect the apple trees and destroy their fruits, and sometimes the tree itself, and it is very important to quickly detect the disease and immediately begin to treat it so that you don’t regret that the apple tree has died. In order to be able to correctly determine the nature of the disease, you need to have knowledge about diseases and their symptoms. Each ailment manifests itself in its own way, and if you notice unexpected changes on the leaves, bark, roots or fruits of the apple tree, check the information about the symptoms of diseases and pest damage on our website.

We carefully systematize all information about plants, their diseases and pests, we explain them in detail and in an accessible manner, specialists on our website are always ready to give readers recommendations and useful tips on how to treat an apple tree or any other plant, and how to maintain the health of your garden.

Apple tree turns yellow

When autumn comes, the leaves of all deciduous trees change color and then fall. But how to find an explanation for what leaves of an apple tree turn yellow in June?  When the root system of an apple tree suffers from waterlogging, it will certainly let you know about it by changing the color of leaves from green to yellow. And it will also respond to improper soil moistening in the same way: if you sprayed the leaves of an apple tree during watering on a hot sunny day, burns may form in the place of the drops - yellow spots.

The apple trees in the garden turn yellow due to lack of iron in the soil, when the tree is damaged by pests, if the mole undermines the roots of the mole or rodents damaged its bark, and also if the apple was damaged by scab or brown spotting. That's why the leaves on the apple tree turn yellow, and how to get rid of these problems, we will tell in the appropriate sections of the article.

Gray spots with a light green bloom on the upper side of the leaf are an early sign of scab disease. Yellow spots are a sign of brown spotting or a later symptom of scab. Red spots, or rather, swelling on the leaves of red or red-yellow, are a sign of the presence of red gall aphids on the leaves of the apple tree, and small reddish spots indicate a black cancer, a fungal disease. Stains on a rusty apple tree are a manifestation of yet another fungal disease - rust.

Apple tree leaves curl

Most often, this is evidence of the presence of aphids on the apple tree, which sucks the juice from the plant, as a result of which the leaves of the apple tree curl and fall, exposing the tree. How to treat an apple tree from aphids, we will tell in the section devoted to this pest. The leaves from the apple tree are twisted and showered, and in the case of powdery mildew.

Apple tree blackens

If the branches of the apple tree blacken, then this is most likely black cancer - one of the most dangerous diseases, from which parts of plants above the wound die. Lesions can be stopped. The best remedy in the fight against black cancer is copper sulfate. More on this in the next section. If the trunk and branches of the apple tree look as usual, but black leaves appeared on the apple tree, then this may mean that you missed the onset of the scab tree disease and are now observing the development of the disease.

Apple tree dries

Do not think long about the question, why does the apple tree dry  and take action immediately, because such symptoms most often indicate that the cause of the disease is black cancer of the apple tree, or anton fire, or ognevitsa. This fungal disease affects not only the apple tree, but also the pear. First, dirty-purple stains and squashed spots appear on the bark of the branches and trunk, growing in concentric circles, then the bark cracks, blackens, as if charred, covered with "goose bumps" - spores of the fungus. On the apples affected by the fungus, indented spots of brown color appear, which alternate with light circles. Over time, such a fruit shrinks, blackens and dries, covered with spores of the fungus. Trees that are more than twenty years old usually suffer from black cancer, but you need to protect the health of the apple tree from a young age.

Similar symptoms and a common fungal disease affecting apple and pear - cytosporosis. Like the fireweed, cytosporosis affects weakened trees with damaged bark, so it is important to monitor the state of the bark in fruit trees. Affected parts of the apple-tree affected by cytosporosis acquire a reddish-brown hue, become covered with tubercles with spores of the fungus, and as a result, the apple-tree partially dries up, and in advanced cases the whole tree may die.

To cure an apple tree from black cancer and cytosporosis, it is necessary:

• cut off diseased branches;
• clean wounds on the trunk and branches with a sharp sterile instrument, grabbing 1-2 cm of healthy tissue;
• treat all sections with three percent copper sulfate and cover with garden var;
• close up the hollow;
• collect and burn the affected fruits.

You need to check the condition of the cuts and inspect the trees for relapse every two to three weeks, and do not forget to treat the trunk with lime in spring and autumn.

Premature drying of leaves on the apple tree is most easily explained by drought in the summer and insufficient watering. If the branches and bark are in order, watering is carried out according to the laws of agricultural technology, but nevertheless the leaves dry on the apple tree, then this may be the result of subversive work of moles or a result of a natural violation of the water exchange of trees, when an early warm spring comes after a very frosty winter. There can hardly be anything done. However, do not rush to free the site from such trees: they may move away next year. And carefully monitor the state of the bark on garden trees: its integrity is the key to their health.

Apple cancer

In addition to black cancer, the apple tree is susceptible to the disease of ordinary cancer and root cancer. Common cancer affects the skeletal branches of an apple tree, branches of the second order and the bark of a tree. With frostbite of the apple tree in winter, damage appears on it, and if fungus spores get into such a wound, the wounds no longer heal. The crust in the lesion dies, dries, and eventually falls off completely. This is ordinary cancer. In winter, the development of cancer freezes.

The disease of apple trees with root cancer begins with the penetration into the fissures of the root system of trees of a rod-shaped bacterium living in the soil, which causes rotting nodules and growths to form on the roots, in which a huge number of harmful bacteria form. Worst of all, if the cancer hits the root of the neck - in this case, the tree will die almost certainly.

With severe infection, trees and skeletal branches, which are useless to treat, need to be cut and burned. Slices and cracks in the cortex with one percent solution of copper sulfate and apply a garden var to the slices. However, the fight against apple diseases always begins with a high level of agricultural technology and attentive care, because weakened and groomed trees fall ill first of all.

Scab on the apple tree

Scab is one of the most common fungal diseases of apple and pear trees, affecting leaves, flowers, fruits and shoots. Favorable conditions for the activation of the fungus is watering the apple trees with sprinkling, frequent rains, fogs and heavy dew. The fungus spends winter on fallen leaves. The first sign of scab is the appearance of light green oily spots on the upper side of the leaves, which over time become covered with a brownish-olive velvety coating. Then the fruits of the apple tree become stained, crack and deform.

How to deal with scab? The best result is the treatment of apple trees and the soil beneath them at the moment the buds begin to bloom with Bordeaux liquid (400 g per 10 liters of water), but if you did not have time to spray them during these periods, then treat the apple trees during budding, but not just four, but one percent solution of the drug. The next (second) spraying of apple trees with a one percent solution of Bordeaux fluid (or another fungicide) must be carried out immediately after flowering, and two to three weeks after the second treatment, a third is carried out.

In case of neglect of the disease, it is permissible to carry out up to six treatments of apple trees with fungicides, however, be careful when choosing a drug so as not to burn the leaves of the trees - select several control branches and conduct a test spray on them.

Good results in the treatment of garden trees for scab and other fungal diseases have given such drugs as Vectra, Skor and Zircon. Do not forget to remove the fallen leaves from under the apple trees in the autumn and dig the soil of the trunk circle. By the way, there are scab-resistant varieties of apple trees: Antonovka, Pepin saffron, Pepin London, Jonathan and others.

Brown spots on the apple tree

Brown-brown spots with an olive tint on the leaves of the apple tree are a sign of scab disease, which we have already told you about. Sometimes brown spots on the leaves of the apple tree can occur due to brown spotting - a fungal disease that manifests itself in early summer and develops at an incredible pace. These spots are reminiscent of burns from excessive or careless use of pesticides. You can deal with brown spotting all the same ways - by spraying with fungicides (Kaptan, Kineb, a one percent solution of Bordeaux fluid).

Rusty leaves on apple tree

This is a sign of a fungal disease - rust, which manifests itself in the middle of summer: first rusty spots appear on the apple tree on the upper side of the leaf plate, they gradually blur, and then star-shaped growths form on the lower side of the leaves. As a result, the leaves fall prematurely, and this reduces the winter hardiness of apple trees and undermines their immunity. Most often, apple rust occurs when juniper grows nearby, and as a preventive measure, cut the juniper branches affected by the fungus in early spring so that the disease does not spread to your garden.

Rust on the apple tree - not a verdict, but a signal for action: fungal diseases are treated with fungicides - Bordeaux liquid, sulfur preparations. Do not delay in solving the problem, eliminate the cause, conduct intensive treatment of apple trees, and most importantly - draw conclusions for yourself and do not repeat mistakes in the future.

Apple tree does not bloom

The reason for this may be damage to the apple tree in severe winter frosts, causing its trunk and branches to become fragile, and a soot bloom appears on the bark. Flower buds are severely damaged by frost and do not bloom in spring, and, therefore, the apple tree does not bear fruit. We are not able to change the laws of nature or climatic conditions in the region, mankind has not yet learned how to manage the weather, but even a novice gardener can increase the cold tolerance and immunity of garden trees to diseases and pests, maintaining a high level of agricultural technology - correct and timely fertilizing, caring for crown, balanced watering, hilling apple trees with snow, protecting the most vulnerable to frost areas on trees.

In addition, the apple tree may not bloom if, during planting, you buried the root neck in the ground, if the branches of the apple tree are located almost vertically (the apple tree only bears fruit on horizontally located branches), and if the tree is deficient in iron.

Apple tree wilt

The reason for this may be moles, undermining the roots of the apple tree. It’s difficult to get rid of them, but it’s quite possible: put a hose on the exhaust pipe of the car or motorcycle, and lower the other end into the detected mole, let the engine run for 30-40 minutes, and at that time you should observe the surface of the plot, and if you see a trickle smoke, breaking out of the ground, immediately fill up the detected passage with earth. The more moves you discover and close, the more confident you can be that moles will not appear in your garden for at least three to four years.

But it happens that the apple tree simply does not have the strength to vegetate, so give it a rest this year, performing all the necessary agricultural procedures, and it is quite possible that next spring it will bloom and yield a crop.

Apple tree crumbles

If you overdo it in the spring with nitrogen fertilizers (urea, humus or liquid manure), then the apple tree will give abundant foliage, but the pulp of the fruit will be loose and many of them will most likely fall off. To avoid this, pour the tree with a solution of superphosphate (25-30 g per ten liters of water) at the rate of one bucket per one m² of the trunk circle. Another reason for the fruit to fall from the apple tree may be a lack of potassium: feed the tree with potash fertilizer, and the problem will be solved. The third reason may be a violation of the water balance - either too abundant or insufficient watering of the soil of the trunk circle.

The reason that the fruits fall off the apple tree may be fruit rot due to damage to the apples by the moth. Read how to deal with this pest in the corresponding section of the article, and fruit rot is destroyed by two sessions of spraying the apple tree with a solution of fungicide Khom at the rate of 40 g of the drug per bucket of water: the first - during the blooming of leaves, the second - after flowering apple trees. Consumption: for each tree, 5-6 liters of solution.

Why does the apple tree fall

Losing apple leaves in the fall is a natural occurrence for deciduous trees, but if the leaves fall prematurely, this can be due to a lack of potassium. If, before falling off, the leaves turn yellow, the answer to the question of what caused it can be found in the section “The Apple Tree Turns Yellow”. Actually, almost all stresses, such as illnesses, the invasion of pests or rodents, drought, frosts and so on, apple trees respond by loss of foliage.

Powdery mildew on an apple tree

Powdery mildew is a long-known enemy of gardens and flower beds. It affects shoots, bark, leaves and buds, forming a dirty white loose coating on the apple tree, which gradually becomes brown with dark patches. The leaves turn yellow and dry, the shoots do not grow, the tree ceases to bear fruit and fades away. The mushroom picker can winter and renew its destructive work in the spring with renewed vigor.

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The spots appearing on the leaves of the apple tree - signal for the gardener. So manifest fungal and infectious diseases.

One of the most common is rust.

Having noticed red marks, beginning summer residents often ignore the first symptoms of the lesion. And you need only to find rust on the leaves of the apple tree, look for a solution, how to deal with it.

If you do not prevent the development of the disease, you can not count on a healthy crop. Apples will grow small, tasteless, often rotten.

To regularly collect large, juicy fruits, you should recognize the disease at the initial stage, apply the correct method of treatment and observe preventive measures, and not at the last moment wonder what to do when it is discovered that the leaves rust in the apple tree.

Signs of rust

  Signs of rust.

Symptoms of Rust  become noticeable when the leaves dissolve. This happens in late spring - early summer. First, small yellow-green dots of different sizes appear.

In severe cases, the lesion passes to shoots and bark.

As soon as rust appears on the apple tree, treatment should be started immediately, at the first sign of infection.

Apple Orchard Processing Scheme

Important!  If in the previous season the apple tree was sick with rust, you should start processing the tree in early spring, even before the start of the growing season.

  Spraying.

Processing Scheme:

1. First treatment  falls in the early spring when the buds just started to blossom;
2. Spend the second  before flowering, during the budding period or after flowering, when the fruits appeared, but still have not begun to flow;
3. Third treatment  held 10-14 days after the second.

In order to defeat the disease, in addition to spraying with antimicrobials, it is necessary to create conditions that prevent the appearance of the fungus.

Rusty leaves on an apple tree - what to do? Methods of treatment and prevention

To get rid  from the disease, a system of treatments and preventive measures is needed. By eliminating the sources of infection, you can permanently rid the apple garden of rust.

Work on the fight against infection should be carried out in several areas:

Health Improvement

Fungal infections primarily damaged  weakened trees. For the apple tree's immune system to be strong, you need:

• Rare fruit trees;
• Correct ;
• Timely and competent feeding;
•   and sanitation culture;
• Healthy planting material.

High density stimulates rapid spread of the disease.

The optimal conditions for the development of the fungus are created by increased humidity, so do not be zealous with watering. If it rains heavily, the risk of apple infection increases.

A daily inspection is required for rust on the apple tree in order to make a decision in time on how to fight.

The tree should receive those nutrients that it needs at every stage of development.

If rusty spots are found on the leaves of the apple tree, the introduction of nitrogen into the soil should be reduced, and the dose of phosphorus and potassium should be increased.

In early spring and autumn, after harvesting, it is necessary to carry out sanitary apple trees.

Shoots and bark areas damaged by rust are cut out, stripping sections.

Affected Places  treated with a solution of copper or iron sulfate (4-5%), covered with garden putty.

The trunks of apple trees in spring and autumn must be exposed. In rust, copper-containing preparations and an adhesive (for example, Green Soap) are added to garden whitewash.

New seedlings of apple and juniper should be carefully inspected.

The latter are often brought from abroad already infected.

Destruction of mushroom colonies

  Rust on the juniper.

The bias on the design of summer cottages with evergreen shrubs contributed to the widespread spread of fungus.

Causative agents of rust  settle on coniferous trees and bushes. For an apple tree, the proximity to ordinary juniper is dangerous. Plants cannot be planted nearby.

Colonies form in the skeletal branches of juniper. Shoots thicken, deform along the entire length. With prolonged exposure to infection, they dry up and die.

Mushrooms do not live on apple trees, the main disputes cause damagecarried by insects or wind.

When rust mushrooms appear, it is necessary to carefully examine the junipers planted in the immediate vicinity.

Detecting colonies  pathogen, coniferous shrubs should be treated with fungicide, cut and burn damaged branches. In the case of severe damage to the needles of junipers, it is better to destroy, dig the ground under it, treat it with boiling water and antimicrobial agents.

Important!:  Regular maintenance of junipers will prevent infection of fruit trees.

In the gardening literature, there is often a recommendation to remove all coniferous shrubs from the site in order to protect the fruit garden.

Wind spores of rust can spread up to a distance of 50 km, so the complete absence of junipers in the area is unlikely to protect against disease.

If the decision to get rid of conifers is made, you should create a blocking landing around the perimeter of the site. For this purpose, tall trees with a dense crown are used.

Destruction of spores and the effects of infection

To avoid the development or resumption of rust infection on the apple tree, proceed tothe complete destruction of the dispute.

Apple trees must be sprayed with antifungal drugs.

The plot must be clean.  from weeds. Many of them are able to become intermediate hosts of rust fungi, such as sedge, anemone, euphorbia.

But the presence of bitter wormwood  near sources of infection and the spread of the disease affects the development of rust negatively.

Plant residues allow the pathogen to remain on the site for up to 8 years. Affected leaves of apple trees needles of junipers and pruned branches  must be cleaned and burned.

Barrel circles to dig deeply, shed with urea (5-7%), ammonium nitrate (5-7%) and copper sulfate (4-5%). Drugs should be alternated.

Rust treatment on apple tree leaves

To fight  with rust, drugs based on sulfur, copper and systemic fungicides are used.

Copper-containing preparations

Rust is sprayed with Bordeaux fluid. Apply a 1% solution. You can start spring treatments only after  of how the temperature reaches positive values.

Do not use the solution for treatments in hot weather, at high temperatures.

If these conditions are not met, apple trees may get burned.

• Blue bordeaux  - An analogue of the Bordeaux mixture, in the form of granules. Easily soluble in water. Contact drug causing damage to colonies and spores on infected plants. Suitable for handling in bad weather.
• Abiga - Peak  - a copper-containing drug related to contact fungicides. It contains an adhesive, is applied superficially, does not penetrate into the tissues of the tree. Treatments can only be carried out in dry weather. To prepare a solution, 50 grams of the drug is dissolved in a bucket of water.
• Cuproxate  - a tool based on copper acetate with a nitrogen content. A solution of 0.25% effectively destroys fungal spores. Suitable for root watering. It has the properties of fungicide and mineral nutrition at the same time.
• Champion  more often used not for treatment, but for the prevention of the disease. The drug forms a protective film on the plant, prevents infection. On diseased trees, the Champion stops the development of infection, but does not have a destructive effect. 60 g are calculated on a bucket of water. At temperatures above 25 degrees not applicable.

Sulfur based products

It removes rust quickly and efficiently.  colloidal sulfur solution.

To prepare it, use 40 g of powder per 5 liters of water.

The tool works in contact with the infection. During flowering, apple trees cannot be processed.

  Sulfur colloidal.

The drug has the same effect.   Cumulus - colloidal sulfur  in a comfortable manner. The product does not dust and easily dissolves in water.

Fungicides the main answer to the question: "How to treat rust on the apple tree?"

Good rust control results  give contact and systemic contact fungicides, such as:

• Strobi
• "Topaz"
• Poliram
• Tsineba
• Vectra

The actions of the drugs are similar, but the active substances are different. This allows you to alternate their application, avoid addictive dispute  to one remedy.

Amount of substance per bucket of water:

• Strobes - 2 - 3 g.
• Topaz - 2 ml.
• Poliram - 1.5 - 2.5 g.
• Tsineba - 40 g.
• Vectra - 2 - 3 g.

Now you have learned what to do if leaves rust on the apple tree.

Important!:  If at the time of the rust damage the apple trees were treated from other fungal infections (for example, from scab), a separate spraying is not required.

Useful videos

Watch the video on rust on fruit trees and shrubs:

Watch the video for rust on fruit trees:

See useful information about fruit tree diseases:

Watch the video on how to use copper sulfate and choose the right dosage:

A competent approach to agricultural technology, careful monitoring of the garden and timely processing of trees will help get rid of many diseases of the apple tree. The rust on the leaves of the apple tree will also bypass you, and you will not need to decide how to deal with it.

In contact with

Among lichens, representatives of the genera are common Cladonia, Hypogymnia, Parmelia , and among the mosses - Dicranum mnium   etc. Lichen diseases are found everywhere in all berry bushes and trees.

A description of these diseases of apple trees should start with the fact that they develop with thickened plantings, poor ventilation, and poor illumination of bushes. High humidity conditions are created. Such conditions are very favorable for the development of lichens and mosses, pathogenic microorganisms that cause cortical necrosis, stem and root rot. Any plant covered with lichens has a sparse crown and a weak growth of shoots; lichens from one tree or shrub quickly spread to neighboring ones.

Thalli of lichens retain moisture on the surface of the bark, which can cause the formation of frost pits in severe winters, and many insect pests overwinter under the thalli. The distribution of lichens and mosses indicates primarily the weakening of plants.

Seeing a description of the disease of apple trees with photos, you can arm yourself with knowledge of the potential danger and begin to fight it as recommended below.

Control measures.Continuous cleaning and removal of thalli from trunks and skeletal branches and spraying plants in the fall with a solution of iron sulfate (300 g / 10 l of water).

Look at lichen diseases of apple trees in the photographs, which show the most common symptoms:

The main diseases of the bark and trunk of apple trees are caused by fungi and are combined in a group called cancer. Further in the material, these diseases of the bark of apple trees and their treatment are considered with a description of characteristic features.

Ordinary or European cancer of the apple tree.

The causative agent is a mushroom Neonectria galligena (Bres.)   Rossman & Samuels (syn. Nectria galligena Bres.). Elongated brown spots appear on the cortex, which dry out and crack. Underneath, ulcers with raised edges of callus tissue are exposed. Over the years, ulcers increase and deepen, the wood gradually dies. With the defeat of young plants, death occurs in 2-3 years.

An open form of cancer in the form of deep ulcers is revealed on the trunks, on the branches - more often a closed form, in which the influx fuses, and a gap remains. With the mass manifestation of the disease, deep ulcers form on skeletal branches. Sporulation occurs in the affected wood along the edges of the ulcer in the form of whitish-cream, drying out and darkening pads over time. Spores recharge adjacent branches and leaves.

Affected leaves become chlorotic, necrotic brown spots appear on them without fringing, the leaves gradually dry out and fall prematurely. Brown spots appear on the fruits from the side of the stalk, which lead to rapid decay. Infection persists in affected wood and plant debris.

The disease is widespread in almost all fruit crops, ornamental and deciduous trees. With thickened plantings, constant reproduction of plants is possible. The disease often manifests itself on weakened planting material and in places of frost and mechanical damage to the bark of trunks and branches.

Control measures.  The use of healthy planting material without any necrosis of the bark and ulcers on the shoots. Compliance with all agrotechnical requirements for growing this crop. Timely pruning of affected branches with ulcers and their burning. Individual ulcers in the bifurcations of the skeletal branches are disinfected with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and smeared with oil paint on a natural drying oil. Annual preventive spraying of plant bark before leaf blooming with Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga-Peak).

Black apple cancer.

The causative agent is a mushroom Sphaeropsis malorum berck . Black cancer often begins to develop in the forks of skeletal tree branches. First, reddish-brown depressed spots form, then they darken, numerous black fruiting bodies - pycnids appear on the cortex. The affected bark turns black, becomes tuberous and resembles goose bumps, eventually cracks, dries and peels from the wood in whole layers.

Dark brown spots appear on the leaves and fruits, similar to black rot. With the defeat of boles, the disease causes the trees to dry out within 1-2 years from the onset of the first symptoms. With compact planted trees, the disease quickly spreads from tree to tree, from apple trees to pears.

Only the defeat of the crust looks a little different: the cracks along the edge are deeper, the dead crust does not blacken, but is covered with numerous cracks and easily crumbles. When the disease spreads to adult trees, it is necessary to cut dried skeletal branches every year, which makes the tree crowns look ugly. The infection persists in the affected cortex and in the affected plant debris.

Control measures.  Compliance with all requirements of agricultural techniques for growing fruit crops, the use of healthy planting material. Preventive annual spraying of trees, especially boles and skeletal branches, with a 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga Peak). Timely pruning of dried branches, removal of dried trees, cleaning of the affected bark, disinfection of wounds, cuts, cuts with 1% copper sulfate and oiling on natural varnish.

Cytosporosis, or infectious drying of the bark of an apple tree.

The causative agents of this disease of the apple tree are mushrooms Cytospora schulzeri Sacc. et syd. (syn. C. capitata sacc. et schulz.) and C. carphosperma Fr. - on the apple tree, C. microspora Roberh. - on the apple tree and pear. The disease is manifested by browning and death of the bark of branches, skeletal branches and boles. Numerous convex stroma are formed on the affected tissue in the form of gray-brown tubercles.

First they are submerged, then breaking through, blunt-conical. The affected bark dries, acquiring a finely tuberous appearance from the sporulation of the fungus, but does not exfoliate, but urinates. The fungus penetrates the plant through mechanical damage and from the bark spreads to cambium and wood, causing premature drying of the branches. Fruit trees in nurseries are severely affected by a thickened planting and with frequent pruning of the crown during formation. The spread of infection is facilitated by the weakening of plants from exposure to low temperatures, sunburn, and mechanical damage to the bark. The infection persists in the affected branches and bark of the trunks and spreads using poor-quality planting material.

Protective measures  from apple disease are the same as treatments for black cancer.

Look at the manifestations of this apple tree disease in the photo, where all the typical symptoms of bark damage are clearly visible:

Spring diseases of apple trees actually develop during the winter, but their obvious signs begin to appear after the snow cover has melted and the positive temperatures have been established. The following are apple tree branch diseases that are more common than others: their symptoms are shown and control measures are described.

Study these diseases of apple trees and the fight against them in the photo, which richly illustrate each type of lesion:

Tuberculosis, or the drying of branches, apple trees.

The causative agent is a mushroom Tubercularia vulgaris tode . Conidial stage of the fungus - Nectria cinnabarina (Tode) Fr. The disease occurs on many shrubs and deciduous trees, causes necrotic necrosis (death) of the bark. During the growing season, leaves and shoots quickly turn brown and dry. Numerous brick-red sporulation pads with a diameter of up to 2 mm are formed on the surface of the affected cortex, with time they darken and dry out. The development of the fungus causes the death of the bark and bast of individual branches and shoots. Often, plant infection in gardens begins with redcurrant bushes, for which tubercular necrosis is the main disease. The infection persists in the bark of the affected shoots.

Control measures  same as against common cancer.

Combsman.

The causative agent is a mushroom Schyzophyllum commune Fr. The comber settles on the branches and trunks of weakened, often frozen trees and causes the development of stem rot. It affects many fruit trees and shrubs and deciduous trees. Fruit bodies are formed on the affected cortex in the form of leathery thin hats of a grayish-white color with pronounced zonal stripes. Hats are numerous, sideways attached to the stem or skeletal branches. As a result of the rapid spread of stem rot, affected trees gradually dry out. The infection persists in the fruiting bodies of the fungus and in the affected wood.

Control measures.Pruning and burning fruiting bodies, trimming wood, removing dried branches and individual trees. Disinfection of wounds and cuts with 1% vitriol and coating with oil paint on varnish. Annual mandatory preventive spraying of trees before the leaves bloom, so that the solution of the drug is moistened with bark, 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga-Peak).

The most common disease of the trunk of an apple tree is root rot; only scab competes with it in prevalence. We offer you to learn about the diseases of the trunk of apple trees and their treatment with all the necessary information so that this defeat does not catch by surprise.

Root rot, or honey agaric, apple trees.

The causative agent is a mushroom Armillaria mellea (Vahl.)   P. Kumm. (syn.Armillariella mellea (Vahl.) P. Karst.), causes peripheral rot of wood. The honey agaric grows on the roots of living trees and shrubs, as well as on stumps.

Under the affected bark of the roots, butt, base of the trunks and shoots, the fungus forms a network of black flat cords - rhizomorph, with the help of which it actively spreads. Numerous fruiting bodies are formed on the mycelium in the form of yellow-brown hats with a leg and with a membranous ring under the hat. The fungus is stored in the wood, in the soil in the affected plant debris, penetrates the root system of trees and shrubs, causes the death of the roots and trunks of wood, due to which the lesion is called open-air rot by peripheral rot. The main signs of this disease of apple trees are visible to the naked eye: a variety of annular spots throughout the trunk, covered with brownish bloom.

Control measures.Preventive spraying of trunks and branches with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga-Peak). Removal and burning of affected dried trees with roots. At the first sign of infection, the soil under the trees is shed with a solution of a copper-containing preparation. For industrial cultivation in the nursery, the roots and butt root of woody plants are treated with a tank mixture: foundationazole (0.2%) + HOM (0.4%).

Scab of an apple tree.

The causative agent is a mushroom Venturia inaegualis wint . with conidial stage of Fusicladium dendriticura (Wallr.) Fuck. Dark green, gradually turning velvety spots appear on the leaves on the upper side, the leaves turn yellow and fall prematurely. When infected in the spring and early summer, the spots are large, later, with repeated overgrowths, they are small, inconspicuous. Disputes ovary ovaries, less often young shoots, the fruits become stained and become unusable. With the mass distribution of scab, the commodity qualities of fruits, decorativeness and winter hardiness of trees are reduced. The development of the disease is favored by humid cold spring and an abundance of rainfall in summer. The causative agent is distinguished by narrow specialization, that is, the mushroom only affects the apple tree and does not spread to other trees. The infection persists in the affected plant debris.

Control measures.  Collection and removal (possibly composting) of fallen affected leaves. Spraying trees, starting from the green cone phase and, if necessary, in the summer, taking into account the waiting time, is one of the preparations: 1% Bordeaux mixture, HOM, Abiga-Peak, speed, rake. It is easier to navigate through the phases: before flowering and immediately after flowering.

Look at these diseases of the apple tree trunk in the photo, which shows the typical symptoms of a fungal infection:

Apple tree disease in which leaves curl

Powdery mildew- This is an apple tree disease in which the leaves curl and dry quickly, and the shoots stop their growth.

Look at this apple tree disease with a photo and description, it is also told about possible measures to combat fungal infection in a personal plot:

The causative agent is a mushroom Podosphaera leucotricha salm . On young inflorescences and leaves as early as May spots of grayish-white plaque may appear, the spores of which overgrow growing leaves and shoots. The affected leaves curl and dry, the shoots are deformed and stop growing. Affected buds do not form fruits, and with a later lesion, a rusty mesh of cork tissue appears on the fruits. Powdery mildew is manifested more often in dense gardens or because of their poor light and blowing plantings. The disease is common on the apple tree, but occurs on the pear, only to a small extent. The infection is retained by the fruiting bodies in the affected leaves and bark and by the mycelium in the buds of the shoots, from which the primary infection of the young leaves begins.

Control measures.  Compliance with all requirements of agricultural techniques for growing fruit crops, timely removal of heavily affected shoots from young trees, collection of fallen leaves and composting. Preventive spraying of trees with the appearance of the first symptoms of powdery mildew.

Rust of the apple tree.

The causative agent is a mushroom Gymnosporangium tremelloides Hartig. (syn. G. juniperinum Mart.) , affects mainly leaves, less often shoots and fruits. Orange-red rounded pillow-shaped spots with small black dots appear on the leaves on the upper side, and orange cone-shaped etia are formed on the lower side, which turn brown over time. The apple tree is an intermediate host. The mushroom hibernates and develops on juniper Cossack. In the spring, brown outgrowths with brown mucus appear in the cracks of the bark, and spores remake the leaves of the apple tree. With the massive spread of the disease, the leaves prematurely turn yellow and fall off. Infection persists in juniper plantings.

Control measures.  Spraying trees before flowering or immediately after it with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga-Peak).

Brown spotting of the leaves of the apple tree.

Pathogens - Mushrooms Phyllosticta mali Prill, et Del. and Ph. briardi sacc . When the first fungus is affected, large angular dark yellow spots with a lighter middle and a thin brown rim appear on the leaves. When the second pathogen is damaged, the spots on the leaves are rounded or angular, light yellow in color, without bordering, with a diameter of up to 6 mm. In the necrotic tissue, small dotted black fruiting bodies of the wintering stage form over time. The leaves turn yellow and fall prematurely, which affects the ripening of wood shoots and their frost resistance. The infection persists in the affected fallen leaves.

Control measures. Spraying trees in the spring before flowering and immediately after its completion with a 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga Peak), collecting and removing fallen leaves.

The causative agent is a mushroom Ascochyta piricola sacc ., affects both the apple tree and the pear. The spots on the leaves are round, grayish, merging with each other, do not have bordering. Over time, black scattered fruiting bodies of the wintering stage form in the necrotic tissue. Affected leaves prematurely turn yellow and fall off. The infection persists in the affected plant debris.

Control measures  same as against brown leaf spot.

The uniform yellowing of leaves between the veins is associated with a large deficit in the supply of nutrients to young growing leaves. The cause of this can be frost bouts and the death of the bark or the spread of root and stem rot, as well as necrosis. With a strong manifestation of chlorosis, browning and drying of leaves, the death of branches and trunks are observed in the future.

Control measures.  Timely identification of the causes of chlorosis. Preventive spraying of trees in the spring, before the leaves bloom, with a 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga Peak). In case of mechanical damage and freezing, pruning, removal of fruiting bodies of fungi, fungi, all saw cuts and cracks are disinfected with 1% copper sulfate and coated with oil paint.

Look at these diseases on the leaves of the apple tree in the photo, where all the characteristic signs of damage are visible:

Moniliosis  It is called the disease of apple seedlings, since it mainly affects young trees in the first and second year after planting. On adult plants, fresh branches that are not protected by bark are affected.

Pathogens - Mushrooms Monilia cinerea Bon. f. mali Worm, and M. fructigena Pers . The first pathogen causes a burn, in which flowers, ovaries, fruit twigs and leaves turn brown and dry, but do not fall for a long time. The second pathogen causes fruit rot.

Rot appears at the sites of damage by the apple moth. Numerous gray sporulation pads in the form of concentric circles form on rotting tissue over time. Spores are spread by wind, rain, insects and mimic neighboring fruits. Infected fruits mummify (dry out) and turn black. Remaining hanging on the branches, they are a source of constant infection.

Look at this disease of apple trees in pictures that illustrate its gradual development with symptoms typical for each stage:

Control measures. Harvesting carrion, removing mummified fruits, pruning dried branches. Spraying trees in spring, before flowering and immediately after flowering, with a 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga Peak). With a strong spread of monilial burn and fruit rot, a third spray is carried out with the same drugs 10-12 days after the second spray.

There are diseases of apple trees with twisted leaves, which need to be recognized as soon as possible, since they are a danger to other garden crops. Check out these apple leaf diseases in the descriptions later on on the page: this will quickly recognize signs of their appearance.

Pestalium spotting of the apple tree.

The causative agent is a mushroom Pestalotia malorum Elenk. et OM . The spots on the leaves are grayish-brown, round, merging. Over time, numerous black sporulation pads form on necrotic tissue. Affected leaves turn brown and dry prematurely. The infection persists in the affected fallen leaves.

Control measures.  Spraying trees in the spring, before flowering and immediately after it, with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (KhOM, Abiga-Peak), collecting, burning fallen leaves.

Tobacco necrosis virus on apple tree.

Tobacco necrosis virus Tobacco necrosis virus (TNV)   manifested by a systemic necrotic reaction. Irregularly shaped necrotic spotting appears on the leaves, which is concentrated, necrotic, veins darken, the leaves die prematurely. Deformation of leaves, dwarfism of plants, lack of flowering can be observed. The virus infects vegetable, technical, fruit, flower and decorative crops. The circle of host plants includes representatives of more than 40 families. It is transmitted with plant sap and zoospores of Olphidium brassicae.

Control measures.  The use of healthy planting material, compliance with all requirements of agricultural cultivation culture. Timely pruning of leaves, branches with symptoms of viral infection, removal and burning of heavily affected young trees. Disinfection of garden equipment (knives, secateurs) in alcohol, cologne, 1% solution of potassium permanganate after working with affected plants.

Look at these apple leaf diseases in the photo, which shows all the signs at different stages of the lesion:

Diseases of young apple trees are most often of mixed nature. Several pathogens cause them at once. The most dangerous disease of the bark of young apple trees, which can develop after an unsuccessful wintering. If diseases of apple bark in adulthood are usually slow and the gardener has time for its effective treatment. But for young seedlings, things are different. Trees can die in a matter of days.

Bacterial cancer, or bacterial necrosis, of the bark of an apple tree.

The causative agent is a bacterium Pseudomonas syringae van Hall. (syn. Ps. cerasi Griffin) . It causes bacterial necrosis, both on stone fruits and on pome crops. The disease resembles a burn. In spring, browning of the buds and bark of the branches, blackening and drying of young shoots and leaves are observed. Black spots appear on the leaves, cracking along the edges of the leaf blades. The affected bark swells, swellings appear in the form of soft blisters, often sunken spots with a purple-cherry border are formed.

The wood of branches and stems decays, a sharp sour smell of fermented juice appears, and the trees die. Bacteriosis usually begins with linear cortical necrosis and goes into wide bands. In the chronic form of cancer, ulcers form on the branches and trunks, which gradually increase. Gum liberates abundantly from ulcers. Affected wood turns brown and dies, ulcers dry up. On a cut in the wood, caverns filled with mucus and gum formations are visible. The infection persists in the affected branches, and the bacteria are spread by wind, insects, tools during pruning, and mainly with infected planting material.

Look at the manifestations of this disease of the bark of apple trees in the photo showing the characteristic signs of damage:

Control measures.  The use of healthy planting material, compliance with all agrotechnical requirements for growing crops, timely removal and burning of affected branches and dried trees.

Disinfection of cuts, small ulcers and necrosis of the cortex on the boles with a solution of 1% copper sulfate and smearing with oil paint. Preventive annual spraying of trees in the spring, before the leaves bloom, Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes (HOM, Abiga Peak).

Witches' brooms, or proliferation

These are diseases of the fruit of the apple tree, which damage the ovaries at the stage of budding.

The causative agent is phytoplasm Apple proliferation, Apple witch’s broom . Symptoms of the disease appear in July-August. On the affected shoots of the apple tree, sleeping kidneys wake up en masse and thin, erect lateral shoots with short internodes grow. The leaves on them are small, with short petioles and large stipules, the edges of which have sharp, atypically large denticles.

Fruits on infected branches develop small, on long stalks, flattened and tasteless. Sick trees bloom later than others, they have greening and ugliness of flowers, leaf buds open late, and the leaves turn yellow and fall prematurely. Often, abundant root shoots develop near the stem. Affected seedlings have a compact appearance, due to reduced growth and bushiness of the tree. The disease is spread by vaccination, budding, planting stock, and possibly seeds. In addition to the apple tree, quince is also affected. The infection persists in the affected shoots.

Recommended control measures will tell you how to treat this disease in apple trees.among which the most important is the use of healthy planting material, compliance with all the requirements of agricultural cultivation culture. Timely pruning of branches with witch brooms, removal and burning of heavily affected young trees. Disinfection of garden tools - knives, secateurs in alcohol, cologne, 1% solution of potassium permanganate after working with affected plants.

Sampling the peel of the apple tree  Is a non-infectious disease of the fruit. Slightly depressed brownish spots of corked tissue appear on the fruits, their slight deformation is often observed. Late spring frosts during flowering gardens negatively affect the development of flowers, ovaries and young leaves. Frozen flowers and ovaries turn brown and crumble, the leaves become deformed and dry, and partially damaged fruits grow, but their skin becomes porky.

How this disease of apple trees manifests itself is shown in the video, where the most striking signs are demonstrated:

Control measures.  With the expected decrease in temperature during the flowering of gardens it is recommended to make bonfires and create a smoke screen. Young trees and shrubs can be covered with spandbond or lutrasil.

Damage to the apple tree at low temperatures.

In winters with low temperatures, frequent thaws and insufficient snow, fruit bark, cambium, trunk wood are damaged in fruit trees, frost cracks appear on the stem and skeletal branches. Sun-frost burns are observed during sharp daily temperature fluctuations, when the bark heated by the sun thaws during the day and freezes again at night. Light spots of irregular shape appear on the south and southwest sides of the trunk. In spring, slow budding of the buds is observed, and in summer - a weak growth and drying of the shoots. At the end of summer, the bark cracks and falls, the wood of the affected skeletal branches and boles dies. Mushroom and bacterial infections spread on weakened trees. Very often the trees completely freeze the root system, and the affected trees dry out at the very beginning of summer.

In most cases, branches and shoots break off under the weight of the first wet snow or large snow cover. In some years, branches break under the weight of fruits or strong winds. This also often happens when transporting or planting trees, especially large trees. Therefore, from autumn, it is better to tie young plants with twine or rope and periodically shake off snow from them. The first time after planting or transplanting the plants should be tied to a support, this will protect against bending and fractures of the trunks. Any mechanical damage and saw cuts of trunks and branches should be disinfected with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and coated with paint on a natural drying oil. It is in the places of saw cuts that the wood cracks and dies, and the trees gradually dry out.

Watch the apple tree diseases and their treatment on the video, which shows the basic principles of agricultural technology and tree care at different times of the year:

Have you noticed orange-yellow spots on the leaves of the apple tree? In a healthy tree, the leaves do not change color and shape. Lesions are a symptom of a disease or plant attack by a pest. Rusty spots may indicate a fungal infection of the fruit tree, especially since apple and pear are the most vulnerable species of garden plants. How dangerous is the disease, what consequences can it lead to? Why does it affect apple trees and is there a risk of damage to other garden crops? Let's get it right.

Rust on the leaves indicates the appearance of the disease

Rust on the leaves of an apple tree

Rust of apple trees is an infectious lesion caused by the fungus Gumnosporandium tremelloides. Usually, the first symptoms of the disease appear in mid-summer: small protrusions appear on the leaves and quickly grow over the entire surface. Soon, brown streaks or round spots appear on the outside of the leaves.

Black spots are visible on the spots - they appear in places under which there is a cluster of spores.

Periodically, this nursery opens up and throws a new portion of pests on the plant. Multiple yellow-brown spots occupy 2/3 of the leaf surface, the tree quickly discards the affected leaves and already in August - September its branches are exposed.

What is the danger of rust?

Rust often affects leaves, but the fungus can spread to the branches, bark, and fruits of the plant. Young shoots are at risk - some of them die off, and those that develop will not produce healthy growth and fruits in the future. The development of shoots can last up to 3 years, but then the bark in the affected areas and on the trunk begins to crack. Apples do not ripen - at some stage (each plant individually) they slow down growth and fall off.

Rust weakens the tree resulting in a poor crop

The sick apple tree does not receive the nutrition necessary for normal growth, as a result of which photosynthesis and metabolic processes slow down, and the plant does not have enough moisture. As a result, gardeners get a poor-quality crop - the fruits are small, they do not have the usual juiciness, the core is often rotten.

Causes of the disease

The most vulnerable apple tree, which grows in the same area with juniper, because this plant acts as the causative agent of rust. In the cold season, fungal spores accumulate and winter in juniper needles - they can remain in a preserved state for several years. With the onset of heat in spores, the phase of active development begins - they settle on the leaves of apple trees and infect plants.

Rust is a common disease in the southern and coastal regions. In a humid climate, spores develop faster, and a strong wind carries them to a distance of 40-50 km, affecting fruit trees in this perimeter.

How to deal with rust?

Yellow-brown spots should be treated so as not to harm the tree:

Juniper must be removed from the garden to remove rust.

1. If the cause of the lesion is juniper, it is advisable to remove it from the garden and deeply dig the soil in the place where it grew.
2. Branches and leaves on which stains appear have to be removed. Cut them off 10 centimeters below the affected area.
3. After removal of the diseased areas, the plant is treated with Bordeaux liquid (1%) or other meld-containing solutions. The apple tree is sprayed three times, every two weeks.
4. A common mistake of gardeners is that they begin to heal a tree in late summer, when the apple tree has already dropped its leaves. Such measures will not give effect.

Rust treatment is most effective in early spring

The best time to treat is early spring before the buds open. First you need to clean the wounds on the shoots (cut as described above) and disinfect the sections with a solution of copper sulfate. After that, you can spray the tree:

• spraying - in the phase of "green cone";
• spraying - in the "bud" phase;
• spraying - after flowering of a tree.

How not to harm?

Do not treat stains and other lesions on the leaves with Bordeaux liquid in the heat. At high air temperatures, the pesticide begins to evaporate actively, its concentration on the leaves of the fruit tree increases several times. An apple tree can get burns, and a gardener can get poisonous fumes. Breeders recommend spraying plants in the morning or evening when it is cool outside.

Processing plants in wet weather will not give a positive result, because the solution drains from the foliage along with dew drops.

Spraying is carried out when the apple tree is dry. After rain should pass at least 6 hours. There will be no positive effect from processing the fruit tree at temperatures below +5 degrees, and the apple tree may get burned.

The same thing happens if you spray a plant in the heat or immediately after rain. In such climatic conditions, copper sulfate, which is part of the Bordeaux mixture and similar preparations, is allocated in excess. It causes burns of leaves, shoots, trunk.

Do you want extra problems? Then do not plant conifers in the same area with fruit trees. And if you are at risk, choose varieties of apple trees with strong immunity to scab and fungal infections, surround the plants with other varieties of fruit trees and properly care for the garden.

Apple tree is one of the most popular fruit trees that can be found in almost any garden and vegetable garden in our country. This is due to the unpretentiousness and rather high crop yield. In addition, many wonderful dishes can be prepared from the apples themselves and are easy to keep for the winter.

Most often, the apple tree does not require much effort from the gardener and grows "by itself" perfectly, but some may encounter the appearance of small yellowish or black spots on the fruits and leaves. Most likely, it will be a disease called - rust.

Description and symptoms of the disease

Rust is an infection of a tree with spores of a fungus that begins with leaves and, if not properly maintained, can pass to the branches and fruits of the tree. If you do not start the fight against fungal spores in the early stages, then the apple tree, which is covered with rust, will begin to wither and may simply die. Light spores of a fungus called Gymnosporangium tremelloides are carried by the wind at distances from several centimeters to tens of kilometers and are most dangerous for young shoots. Some of them die under the influence of the disease, some become non-bearing, and the rest yield a harvest of diseased fruits. In addition, spore carriers can be birds or insects flying from a diseased plant to a healthy one.

Determining if the apple tree is rusty is quite simple: you just need a visual inspection. First, small round spots of yellow-brown hue appear on the top of the young green. Over time, they grow in diameter and in quantity, until they begin to turn into small growths. Gradually, not only leaves, but also branches of trees are covered with growths, and the first fruits already grow with spots. Affected apples may be dry on the outside, but completely rotten inside.

Of course, if you notice the first signs of the disease in time and begin to fight the fungus, the risk of getting a sick crop is minimal. To do this, it is enough to regularly pay attention to the young shoots of the tree and not miss the moment the first spots appear.

However, rust is not the only reason for the appearance of round spots on the leaves of the apple tree. Sometimes such a change in the color of greens indicates a lack of certain substances. If spots on the sheet appeared, but they do not resemble rusty metal in color, then you need to carefully study their shade. This will help to understand what exactly should fertilize the apple tree. Spots can be of various colors.

• Yellow spots.Such marks on the leaves of the tree, together with a change in the color of young shoots to dark brown, indicate a lack of nitrogen in the soil.
• Bluish tintand a sharp cessation of growth of young shoots signals a lack of phosphorus. If you do not add a special additive to the soil, flowering and ripening of the fruits may not occur.
• Brown spotson the drying leaves of an apple tree - this is a lack of potassium. Large leaves will begin to fall off, and new ones will not appear. Thus, the tree can fly around without waiting for autumn.
• Reddish tintlesions is an indicator of a lack of magnesium. Such a tree will bear fruit, but the apples will be very small and tasteless. If the spots are located only along the contour of the leaf, then instead of magnesium, the plant requires copper.
• Not really spots, rather   dark yellowish coating  appearing on the edges of apple leaves, indicates a deficiency of manganese.

The faster the cause of the discoloration of the leaves and the appearance of lesions on them is identified, the more effective the treatment will be. Red spots are much more dangerous for a tree than a deficiency of any of the elements and minerals.

If it is not possible to distinguish a fungal disease from the usual lack of nutrients in a timely and correct manner, it is better to combine the apple top dressing with its rust treatment.

Reasons for defeat

In most cases, the fungus enters the plant from the beginning of spring to its end. The carriers of this disease are usually conifers and shrubs, and especially juniper. A few decades ago, at risk were gardens only in the southern regions of the country, since only in them these two types of plants could grow in the neighborhood. With the development of landscape design, more and more households appear with decorative areas on which a juniper bush is planted. This led to the spread of fungal spores, which every year more actively attack apple trees.

The disease most quickly develops in conditions of elevated temperature and humidity. With frequent rains and early summer, spores of the fungus feel most comfortable on the leaves of the apple tree. Since they are easily tolerated even by the person himself on his clothes, skin and hair, after contact with a detached infected apple tree, a gardener can infect other trees with his own hands. In dense apple thickets, the infection spreads at an alarming rate and, without proper treatment, can lead to the death of all apple trees. Spores, falling on a leaf, sprout into it and feed on the juice of an apple tree. They disrupt the process of photosynthesis and the nutrition of the plant itself, therefore, in a very short time (about 30–40 days), the inhibition of growth of fruits and shoots begins, the tree begins to crack and die.

How and what to treat?

If signs of infection of the apple tree with a fungus are found, it is necessary to start fighting them as soon as possible. Treatment consists of several stages and includes not only simple spraying, but also other necessary measures.

• Remove the cause of the disease.  If juniper grows on or near the site, it is best to get rid of it. In almost 100% of cases, it is he who becomes the root cause of the appearance of the fungus. After the plant has been uprooted and destroyed, the liberated plot of land must be carefully dug up. If the juniper grows in a neighbor's country house and it is impossible to get rid of it, it is worth planting the closest part of the garden to it with tall plants that can protect fruitful trees from the fungus. They will block access to the apple tree and disputes will not be able to get on it.
• Remove affected areas.  Those leaves, branches and fruits of the apple tree that are already affected by the fungus are almost impossible to cure. In addition, even if you do various sprayings and treatments, diseased shoots can infect healthy parts of the tree or neighboring apple trees. To prevent this from happening, the diseased branches will have to be cut or sawed off. The cut should not be higher than 10 cm from the last outbreak. This will preserve healthy fruits and reduce the risk of missing out on the emerging foci of rust.

Cut parts are best burned so as not to create a new threat. If there is no possibility of destruction by fire, then they should be taken away from the site and buried in the ground.

• To process with special means.After trimming, you can proceed with the treatment with fungicidal (antifungal) drugs. There are several types of such solutions.
  • Fungicides.  Such funds are considered the most powerful in the fight against fungal infections of apple trees. Processing with their help can give a positive result even if the tree began to dry out and die. One of the most popular fungicides that can be purchased at any flower or pet store are Topaz, Poliram, and Strobi.
  • Preparations with copper.Such drugs can be used if the weather is not too hot, which is associated with the risk of burns from young shoots of apple trees. One of the most popular copper-based products is ordinary Bordeaux fluid. And you can also buy a product called "Blue Bordeaux" or "Cuproxat."
  • Drugs with sulfur. Sulfur is also a popular rust control in fruiting plants. It especially protects apple trees when spraying diseased branches directly. Unfortunately, sulfur cannot be used during flowering, as sprayed plants will not be pollinated. One of the most inexpensive and popular drugs is colloidal sulfur. It can also be ordered on the Internet or purchased at large Cumulus shopping centers, which is highly soluble in water and can be mixed with various fertilizers.
  • Biological products.The treatment of diseased trees with such preparations not only eliminates spore fungus, but, unlike chemicals, is harmless to humans, animals, insects and the plants themselves. Processed apples can be safely eaten even by children. The most effective means, according to customer reviews, are Planriz and Fitosporin-M. It is necessary to dilute the drug in a bucket of water in the amount indicated in the instructions on the package. Most often, spraying is carried out three times with interruptions of several days. It is necessary to spray the whole tree, starting from the topmost leaves and ending with soil near the apple roots.

It is undesirable to eat the fruits of a sprayed apple tree for food within a few weeks after the end of treatment. Even after this time, it is worth rinsing the fruits thoroughly under running water before you eat or cook them.