We planted three bareroot apple trees this spring, two jonathan and one granny smith. They leafed out well, but now they have small brown spots on their foliage. Anyone know what we could do to help this and what it might be? We live in northern Virginia if it makes any differe

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), July 07, 2001

Answers

you have Apple Scab, since they're still small and probaly won't produce this year you should be able to spray them with lime-sulfer at least a couple times before fall. In spring before the buds open spray again and then when leaves fully open spray twice a week during the warm wet weather. You can stop srpaying by mid summer.

-- TomK (tjk@cac.net), July 07, 2001.

It could be ceder blight. Not much you can do except treat with fungicide as suggested in the previous answer. If a ceder tree is within a mile, there is risk of infection of apple trees.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 07, 2001.

We live in northern/mid Virginia as well and just planted apple trees this spring and have the same problem. Hubby thought it was apple scab but now I wonder about the cedar blight as there are certainly plenty of cedar trees around. Two questions. Is the lime application an organic or chemical control (we are trying to be organic) and if it is cedar blight what would be the control, organic or otherwise.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 09, 2001.

I forgot to mention that the Virginia Extension service has a lot of information on all sorts of homesteading things for our state on their website. I haven't totally studied it yet because I just located it and saved it as a favorite for hubby to peruse since he is the primary orchardist. I did read that they listed the varieties of apples that are best for our area. Unfortunately, most of the types that I like (I'm from New Hampshire) are not good for this area. That can be a factor in what types we have planted. Hubby just ordered a half dozen trees last year to get started and he didn't know that he should pick certain varieties for this area. (okay, we admit we are very green at this stuff) But we are learning as we go, sometimes the hard way. He has decided to study up now and is reading a book on small orchards now so we will be better prepared because we are planning to add more apples as well as increasing the other fruit trees we planted this spring. So far, the only ones that didn't make it were the figs and I think that was because we got a heavy frost a week after we planted them. Good luck.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 09, 2001.