Brown rusty colour spots

I have 2 young apple trees I planted about a month ago and I have stripped the new foliage off twice now and it keeps coming back ... I’ve sprayed them with neem oil twice and gave them some miracle grow ... what should I do if the neem oil doesn’t work ?

Why have you stripped the foliage off?

Janet Reed wrote:Why have you stripped the foliage off?

I stripped it back twice to see if would slow it down or help stop it but it’s come back on new foliage twice now ... the leaves are grown back now ... the one tree has it on nearly every leaf and the other tree looks like it’s getting better ... but if the neem oil doesn’t help then I’ll be stumped...

So tell me how you planted these trees; Where they were obtained; how they are watered.  What the soil is like.  What you have fertilized with; Or any other additives; pesticides or anything you have sprayed on etc.  

Stop taking off the leaves.

Janet Reed wrote:So tell me how you planted these trees; Where they were obtained; how they are watered.  What the soil is like.  What you have fertilized with; Or any other additives; pesticides or anything you have sprayed on etc.  

Stop taking off the leaves.

The one tree already came like that ,Red Devil apple tree, I’ve got a refund already sorted from primrose so not all bad, at least they have good customer service. I planted them about a spade depth and diameter with John inns number 3 compost and mixed some together at the bottom of the hole with the soil that’s already in my boarders it’s a bit rocky at the bottom of the spade depth, and just normal dry dirt above that. I then staked and mulched it. They get the morning sun and stops getting direct sun light around 5 for the Red Devil and 6 for kids orange red so they both get over 8 hours light at least. I have only fed them twice recently past 2 weeks with miracle grow fruit and veg concentrate food.. brown liquid half a cap to 1 L water.. only used it to enrich the soil a bit as it says this on the bottle. I have used a cold pressed neem oil spray 2tbs oil 1tbs lemon washing up liquid and 1L water but that’s only in the past 2 weeks as the feed. I’ll water them with a hose pipe and give them a good water during hot spells. The soil drains good and should be Slightly damp but not water logged.. I think the conditions are right it’s just got a fungi problem maybe? Is that what rust looks like ? It’s got brown shade like rust under the leaves and brown spots on top and some are curling. Why should I keep the infected leafs on ? And only pick up the ones that fall? I thought stripping them off then spraying the small new growth with neem oil would protect and stop the spread. My other tree seems to have took well to the neem and looks healthy but did have the same problem. As it’s returned in the Red Devil’s new foliage twice I’m not keeping my hopes up yet for the other tree as well but it is looking healthy right now.

Well..the first pictures you posted look like different damage than the last pictures you posted.

As a general rule if something is damaging from the root; fertilizer burn etc it will show up on the edges of the leaves first.  That’s what the first set of pictures looked like to me.  Stress, fertilizer burn, over or Under watering etc.

But the second set of pics look like a different problem.

So I am of not much help other than..

I have never heard of anyone stripping leaves off a tree.  Nor would I tell anyone to.  It’s important to monitor your problems by looking at the foliage of a plant to see if what you are doing is correcting the problem.  

As a note Neem should be emulsified first and then mixed properly or it can actually burn...It’s an oil and just doesn’t automatically mix with water. And it is more preventative than corrective for fungal problems. There are several sites online where you can look up how to correctly emulsify and apply neem and see how it’s recommended to be used regarding mildew etc.

I would suggest you have an extension office...agriculture service.. nearby?  You might take One of those leaves in and have someone who can look closely see what’s up.

Also...using dish soap as a sticker/spreader/emulsifier is reasonable...but I use a few drops in my 3 gallon sprayer

I’m sorry I can’t be there to see exactly what’s happening!

Looks like you have a disease called "brown spot" and it looks pretty advanced.

William,
I perk up whenever I see you posts because you are so darned good at identifying stuff. How did you learn so much? Inquiring minds would like to know. Just a fan.

In the first pictures I thought it might just be underwatering. Been there, done that, too many times to count. But the second set of pictures were very different.  Didn't look like the same plant. But what do you think about 'blister mites'? I bought a pear tree 6 weeks ago and noticed the exact same thing that I saw in the second set of pictures after about a month. Curling leaves and spots. It fit the exact description. Anyway, I dug up the tree and returned it for a refund.

I enjoy your posts very much. Thanks.

Well if it's mites you should be able to see them with a 50x pocket microscope ($20) But I think you were smart in returning the tree because Brown Spot is caused by a fungus most likely circulating at the nursery where you got it. Like any fungal problem, its hard to treat. Prevention in the form of a periodic
Sulfur burn in the greenhouse is probably their best bet.

I am certainly flattered by your kind remarks. I never had such a good outlet for my nerdy knowledge!

And its not that I am any sort of scientist or expert, but I seem to have retained gigabytes of info that I wasn't even aware of until I see some of these posts.

By the way, Sedona must be a magical place to live. I am just a little jealous right now! I have been stuck in the big city for a few years with all the concrete and asphalt, etc. You guys have inspired me to try something different soon...

A blister mite over-winters in the leaf bud and migrates out to the leaf in the spring. Then starts feeding on the underside of the leaf, causing a green blister to lay eggs in, which turns brown over the summer and causes premature leaf drop...

So you would see green blisters prior to anything else.

William,
I often, sometimes several times a day, notice bugs or a new fungus or some issue(s) on a plant or plants and then spend days or weeks or even months agonizing and researching the issue in my spare time and trying to find a solution. I have marveled at how quickly you have identified the plant or the problem. It must be a great feeling to know all this stuff and very satisfying to help people with your wealth of information. I hope you get out of the city very soon and put your talents to much better use!

And thank you for reminding me that I live in Sedona. For the last few years (about a ddecade) I have been so busy building my gardens every day and working on one project after another after anther that I seldom get out. I think it's way past time to pick up my head and see the forest for the trees. I moved here because of this beauty and I have been ignoring it and taking it for granted. Thank you so much for reminding me.