During the full flowering of apple trees, you may notice that some branches begin to dry out. Even with proper care and watering, this can occur, leaving gardeners puzzled about the underlying causes.
One potential issue could be fruit rot, known as moniliosis. If your tree is affected, it’s crucial to take immediate action. The main symptoms include the rotting of fruits just 3-5 days after infection.
How to Combat the Disease
To treat the disease, you can:
- Dissolve 10 ml of iodine in a bucket of water and spray the tree 30 days before harvesting. Repeat the spraying after 3 days.
- Prepare a solution by dissolving 450 grams of quicklime and 300 grams of copper sulfate in a bucket of water. Spray the trees in spring, before bud formation. A second spray is necessary: dissolve 150 grams of quicklime and 100 grams of copper sulfate in a bucket of water.
- After the apple tree blooms, spray it again 15 days later.
Insufficient Watering
Branches may also dry out due to insufficient watering. Ensure your tree is adequately watered twice: 15 days after flowering and 20 days before harvesting. For a tree that is 3-5 years old, 50-70 liters of water will suffice, while a 10-12 year old tree will need about 200 liters.
Root-Eating Larvae
Another cause for drying branches is larvae that feed on the tree’s roots, often affecting younger trees. In this case, you’ll need to dig around the roots to locate the larvae. If the tree begins to wither completely, you can eliminate the larvae by watering the area with a solution of 50 ml ammoniacal alcohol dissolved in 10 liters of water.
