Apple trees wilting

bigmike

5 year old buck +
Guys
On the first forum i posted pictures of apple trees that the branches got big sores and then died. This has spread to other trees. What could it be? These trees have been healthy up to this point. Tones of blooms, nice foliage, now they're dying back??
 
Not a great picture..............
 

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Looks like the bark swells and becomes "mummified" dried out and brittle.
 
Should i spray them with something?
 
Thanks for your help. I will get after them first thing in the morning. Sheesh...............
 
Thanks but i think it is. I think its on 4 of the 6 trees in my front yard.
 
Well it looks like all three Hewes crabs have it. I cut them back and the trunks are discolored. Pretty sure I'm gonna take them out so they don't spread to the others.
 
Can you get some closer up and more clear pics before and after you discard? Get as many pics as possible and post them up here so we all have them for future reference.
 
The branch just dries out and dies for no apparent reason. See the green bark turning to brown. The stem, looking down on it, appears to be partly dead, partly alive. Can't find my good camera.
 

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That last image is starting to look like fire blight to me. It is nasty stuff as well and would also need to be cut out completely.
 
Wonder if I would be better of cutting them all the way back and letting them resprout? Is there a spray I can use to stop this?
 
I'm not expert but there isn't much you can spray to get rid of FB. You can spray with AgriMycin but it seems to me it is preventative and doesn't do much after infection except perhaps slow the spread. I had problems with FB this year and and seriously considering ripping out 2 trees that are 5 years old and produced fruit last year and replacing them with varieties less susceptible to FB. But I've only got 5 trees and it is REALLY hard to bring myself to do that after all the TLC I've given them for 5 years and I haven't been able to do it yet! But they are affecting even my non susceptible trees and I believe I'd be better off in the long run.

But you absolutely need to determine what is causing your problems. What type of apple trees are they?
 
Seems just the Hewes crabs are affected.
 
Yes after they bloomed although one did it last fall before the leaves dropped.
 
From everything I've read, between each cut you make you should dip your pruners in a bleach & water solution so you don't spread the infection from one area of the tree to other non-infected areas. Fruit tree guys - is that correct?
 
Still appears to be happening, just on the crabapples. What can i spray them with?
 
According to something I just read in the Penn State Fruit Growers Guide it is not necessary to disinfect beween cuts when removing fireblight, but make sure you are 12" below diseased wood is reccomended.
 
Got my first crop from a graft i did 4 years ago! Four stayman's on one of my grafted tree. The dead crabapple i dug out and replaved it with a persimmon.
 
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