[hollym]

I didn't want to hijack the other two posts.

My tree (Ein Sheimer) has flourished for years and even put on a few little apples last year. This year it started looking blighty when we had all of the rain. I didn't think that much of it at first, but it has lost most of it's leaves and we are dry again.

I do have a LOT of cedar. If it is cedar rust, and it probably is, is there anything I can do? Or is it toast? I'd prefer an organic solution if possible. Some of the end twigs are dead, but I think the tree itself is still alive. There are a very few leaves left.

Bummer, I really liked this little tree.

hollym

 

[VALENT]

Wish I could help you, but my apple trees have all just about given up.

 

[hollym]

Dang. Did you have yours for a while? I'm wondering if it takes time to infect, or if it was just the mad wetness of our summer that triggered it? I know I lost a lot of tomatoes to blight this year and I never do usually.

hollym

 

[ksfarmer]

The wet spell probably enhanced the cedar apple rust problem. Your apple tree may survive but will be infected most years. The best solution is to get rid of cedar trees, If that isn't an option, you can spray the apple with a fungicide such as Captan or Ferbam. First spray just before blossom, repeat at blossom fall, then about one week later , do it again. Sounds extreme, I know, but that is about the only way you will beat cedar apple rust.

 

[hollym]

Thank you. How far away must cedar trees be? I'm not opposed to getting rid of some on my own place; but I only have an acre.

hollym

 

[ksfarmer]

Distance can vary . Which way does the wind usually blow? If there isn't a cedar with a city block distance of you, there might be a chance. Downwind in the prevailing direction, that might not be far enough.

 

[VALENT]

When I was researching apple trees, everything from Extension said they would be dead within five years from cotton root rot if the ground had it. All my apple trees-4 look horrible except the one I never planted(its still in the pot) which only looks terrible.. It makes me believe the root rot is the problem. These have been in the ground less than a year. The first one died very quickly after a lot of rain. It did have water saturated soil for a couple of days- lots of rain.

 

[ksfarmer]

Root rot is a possibility. If it is cedar apple rust , the leaves will have orange-brownish spots and dark leisions.

 

[hollym]

Wow. Well, this is discouraging. The remaining leaves do have rusty brown spots on them. The tree is at least four years old, I can't really remember exactly? But it absolutely flourished until this year; it was truly a lovely little tree. It is growing in a bottomless planter box that I built and filled with rose soil from the soil place.

I will look again at the leaves and see if there are any dark lesions. I knew that Texas wasn't great for apples, but thought that sticking to recommended varieties would save the day.

Unfortunately the wind frequently blows toward the house from the road outwards that is lined with mostly what we refer to down here as cedar. It's actually a type of juniper, I believe.

I think I will try a picture and send it to the Aggies. Thanks ya'll, even though it is not good news. I really am very fond of that tree.

hollym