Apple trees are drying up, what should I do?
Content:
I can assume that at least a couple of apple trees grow on almost every summer cottage or village site. Somewhere this is a group of mature trees that make up a beautiful apple orchard, and somewhere recently planted seedlings, which will please the gardener with a harvest only in a few years. In addition to the fact that apples are very useful, in the spring, apple trees delight us with their stunningly beautiful flowering. But even if you regularly take care of the tree, this does not guarantee a complete absence of problems. You can face an invasion of harmful insects and diseases of the apple tree. And the tree can start to dry out quite unexpectedly. First, the foliage of the apple tree dries, then the thinnest twigs, and if you do not find out the reason in a timely manner and do not take any action to save the plant, then you can completely lose the apple tree. Further in the article, we will analyze for what reasons apple trees dry, what to do in each case, how you can prevent a number of problems if you take proper care of the apple orchard. After all, having the necessary knowledge and carrying out timely prevention, you can avoid many problems and significantly reduce labor costs for caring for plants.
Apple tree leaves dry: problem photo
Apple trees dry: reasons
As soon as you notice the symptoms, first of all, you need to determine the reason that the leaves and branches of the apple tree are drying, for this you need to carefully examine the tree, analyze the weather conditions of recent months, remember all the measures for caring for the plant (watering, pruning, feeding).
There are three groups of reasons your tree might dry out:
- Adverse environmental influences. This includes the freezing of shoots in a frosty winter and, accordingly, their subsequent drying. And also hot dry summers, and as a result - sunburn.
- Various fungal illnesswhich can start spreading from the root system, but most likely you will see the first symptoms on leaves and branches.
- Harmful insects that damage the bark and educational tissue in the roots, trunk and branches (cambium).
Apple tree leaves dry: problem photo
Therefore, in order to establish the exact reason why the leaves and branches of the apple tree are drying, it is necessary:
- determine the acidity level of the soil
- find out at what depth the groundwater lies
- examine the tree for diseases or parasites
- analyze the composition of the fertilizer
- analyze the weather conditions of the last months
After that, having screened out a number of reasons, you can begin work on eliminating the problem and rehabilitating the tree.
Apple trees are drying: what to do?
If it turns out that the groundwater does not lie deep enough, then nothing can be done about it, replanting an adult tree is very risky, it will most likely die. Therefore, you will have to prune and further maintain the size of the apple tree, preventing it from growing.
If the soil around the apple tree is depleted, then the situation can be corrected by regular feeding with organic matter. The main thing is not to use fresh manure for this, as it can "burn" the roots of the apple tree.
If the reason that the apple trees dry out is in disease or pests that are localized in the roots of the apple tree, then chemical treatment will be required. But it must be carried out very carefully, observing the prescribed dosage and taking all precautions.
If the winter was very frosty and as a result of this some shoots were damaged, then they must be carefully trimmed using very sharp and disinfected garden tools. After pruning, treat the crown with Heteroauxin, diluting it in the required dosage - this will help the tree to quickly tighten wounds and stimulate the growth of new branches.
Apple tree branches dry: problem photo
If the reason that the apple trees dry lies in the pests that have settled on the branches and leaves (for example, aphids), then in case of severe damage, part of the branches must be cut off and burned, and the rest should be treated with some means prepared according to folk recipes (soap - soda solution, tincture of pepper or cinnamon). During the flowering and fruiting period, it is not recommended to use chemical preparations, as this can negatively affect the harvest.
If the problem of drying out the branches touched a young, recently planted tree, and the reason lies in the wrong planting site, then in this case, you can carefully and carefully transplant the apple tree. This will delay fruiting for a while, but you will be able to save the tree.
If a disease is found on young trees, for example, scab, you can use drugs such as "Trifloxystrobin", "Difenoconazole" with flutriafol. If bark beetles and other pests of the bark are found, you can use "Aversectin C", "Pyripsoxifen" or "Malathion".
Prevention against drying of leaves and branches of an apple tree
By taking preventive measures in a timely manner, you can avoid many problems, including the fact that the apple trees are drying.
Remove and burn fallen leaves every fall, as most pests and pathogenic microbes live in plant debris.
Always disinfect gardening tools before doing sanitary or formative pruning, and treat the cuts with store-bought or self-prepared garden pitch to prevent infection from entering the tree through wounds.
Weed the trunk circle, and remove the dying bark from the tree trunk, as pest larvae can hide under it.
In the spring, when the buds swell, treatment with chemicals will not harm the future harvest, but at the same time it will protect the tree from diseases and harmful insects.
Remember to have a fertilizing schedule and stick to it. It is important to provide the plant with sufficient nutrition and at the same time not to overfeed with nutrients, as this can also lead to undesirable consequences. An excess of organic matter containing nitrogen makes apple trees especially attractive to aphids.
Detailed consideration of the problem
The last paragraph of this article is devoted to more specific cases and is based on questions from gardeners who are interested in how to cope with a particular problem.
What to do if apple tree branches dry?
Dying branches of the apple tree must be cut off, observing all the necessary safety measures (clean tools and garden pitch), then feed the tree and, possibly, carry out formative pruning, which correctly distributes nutrients between all parts of the tree.
Cut dry or damaged parts of the tree must be burned in a timely manner, do not store plant residues in your area.
What if the top of the tree dries?
The dried part should be cut down (and burned) to a healthy place and cut immediately. Then feed the tree with complex mineral fertilizer. If the apple tree is less than twelve years old, then 0.4 kg will be enough, if the tree is older, then use 0.6 kg of the substance.In the autumn, it is necessary to check the condition of the roots of the tree, perhaps the reason for the drying of the top lies in their soaking. In this case, it is urgent to arrange drainage.
The leaves and branches of the apple tree are drying: photo of the problem
What to do if the apple tree trunk dries up?
In this case, everything is somewhat more complicated. You can try to revive the tree by sawing off the dry part and painting the cuts with oil paint.
If you diagnosed a tinder fungus, cancer or a sooty mushroom on an apple tree, then unfortunately it is pointless to fight to save the tree, it only remains to uproot and burn it.
What to do if the bark of the apple tree dries up?
If the dry spots on the bark are not very large, then such places can be cleaned to a living place and covered with oil paint. If the affected area is large and a plaque similar to soot has appeared on the spots, then saving the tree is useless.
If mold or fungus appears on the bark, then they must be cleaned, and the trunk and all branches should be covered with whitewash of high concentration.
Sometimes the cambium dies off due to damping. In this case, it is necessary to clean out such places and cover the wounds with garden varnish.
Apple tree leaves dry: problem photo
What if the apple tree dries up in spring?
If a tree woke up after winter, blossomed, and then suddenly began to dry up, then there may be several reasons. Either the apple tree is moldy, damaged by rodents, or very wet. If you are in the steppe area, then there is the likelihood of winter-spring drying, which, unfortunately, cannot be dealt with.
If it turns out to find obvious reasons (freezing, burns, mechanical damage), then you need to carry out an emergency sanitary pruning with treatment of wounds, then the tree will quickly recover.
How to feed the apple tree when the tips of the shoots dry up?
If the tree dries only at the tips of the branches, then most likely the matter is a lack of nutrients. In this case, you can carry out an emergency foliar feeding with elements such as sulfur, magnesium or iron. To prepare a solution for spraying, you can use the complex preparations of Kemira Lux or Sudarushka, be sure to observe the dosage. An independent increase in the dosage of fertilizers will not contribute to the speedy recovery of the plant, so in this matter it is necessary to do without self-activity and strictly adhere to the instructions.
Apple tree leaves dry: problem photo
Conclusion
If you manage to timely determine the reason that the apple trees are drying and eliminate the problem, then the tree will certainly recover and will delight you for many years, providing a good harvest.
Apple trees are drying: what to do?
