Pete Widin

Hi Dan! This almost looks like Salmonberry based on your Northwest location - Rubus spectabilis which is a NW native you may be familiar with. Otherwise I'd venture it's a member of the Rubus (raspberry/blackberry) Genus. Do you have any other guesses?

I agree with TJ that it looks like leaf spot (I think TJ had a typo, it's spot not shot from my research) - It's a fungal pathogen, and I'm wondering if there are some fermented herbal sprays that include garlic, other aromatic herbs, nettles etc. that could be effective for this. I'm about to move from Oregon to Florida and my Holistic Orchard book by Michael Phillips is packed away. That would be a good resource to check out. Other than herbal sprays which can use friendly bacteria and microbes to combat the fungus on the leaves, I've read that removing the infected leaves from the trees and ground around them, and making sure the area has plenty of air circulation and sun will help to deter the fungus from proliferating. Best wishes, and do add some mulch if you can.. wood chips that leave about 10 cm of space around the trunk will help the trees roots grow strong, help the soil come to life, and make a situation where the tree's natural strength and immune system are better supported. Send me a PM if you want to chat a bit more - Pete

Hi Roberta!  I've been reading up some on Honeycrisp lately because a lot of people request it in the edible landscape designs I do for them. It is indeed a more susceptible variety to Frost, and is more temperamental than most varieties in general. Where are you located? I'm sure your local Extension office or Ag University can tell you of some good selections. Seed Savers Exchange has some really cool heirloom apple varieties as well. Braeburn is a common apple in Minnesota and may be more frost tolerant (ironically where the Honeycrisp was developed).

The location of your tree also may be a culprit - if the tree gets a lot of sun on winter days when it's cold, that can cause something called 'sun scald' where the bark thaws and then re-freezes quickly. This can cause ruptures in the bark and is a common cause for losing young trees and grafts.

Hope this helps a bit, Pete

Hey Daron!
I'm a professional permaculture/edible landscape designer in Portland, OR and would love to offer some of my own gleanings on your blog! My current "blog" is the Design Your Edible Landscape group on Facebook. Feel free to send me a message if you'd like to chat a bit more. Looks like you're hugeling around quite a bit at the farm! I look forward to more updates once you get the blog up!

Hey Mike!
I would guess those containers would last 2-3 years in the blasting heat, but not entirely sure.
They'll last a lot longer if you white wash them with some low VOC/less toxic type of paint. The black is going to heat them up like crazy in the sun. It looks like an interesting technique just from the pic you posted. I've seen people have luck with similar setups in Portland, OR summers, which are also very hot and dry. Best wishes, Pete