Why does the apple tree dry in summer: causes and what to do, methods of dealing with diseases

There are several reasons why an apple tree can dry in summer. Gardeners often face such a problem when the green crown suddenly begins to turn yellow and dry. If you do not find out the cause in time and do not take action, then the tree may die. Among the main adverse factors are pests and diseases, lack of nutrients in the soil, lack or excess of moisture.

The main reasons for the drying of the apple tree

Withering and drying of leaves with branches on an apple tree can occur for many reasons. The main adverse factors include:

• improper care and violation of agricultural practices;
• attack by pests;
• infection with various infections;
• lack of trace elements in the soil (lack of top dressing).

A tree cannot dry quickly. This happens over several seasons, so careful gardeners can save the tree by identifying the cause and taking appropriate action.

Saplings

Often the branches and leaves of a young apple tree begin to dry and fall off. This can happen for the following reasons:

• Unsuitable soil for the growth of an apple tree causes the leaves to wither, dry out and fall off. Do not plant trees in soil with a high content of small stones. The clay and sandy composition of the soil is poorly suited.
• Seedlings may die due to poor neighborhood. The root system of other plants does not allow the roots of the apple tree to develop.
• Be sure to observe the timing of planting seedlings. Planting is carried out in spring and autumn in prepared soil. Planted trees in summer often do not receive their further development.
• The foliage of the seedling reacts to hot weather. Therefore, dry, hot air becomes the reason for falling leaves in summer.

The shoots of a newly planted seedling can dry out due to a lack or excess of moisture, as well as improper feeding.

Young trees dry

If a young apple tree, which is not yet 5 years old, has begun to dry, urgent measures must be taken. They are most vulnerable to adverse environmental factors and improper care:

• In young trees, the root system is already sufficiently formed, which spreads over long distances. If groundwater passes close to the ground, then the supply of oxygen is disrupted, and the roots rot. The tree stops growing, sheds its leaves, and the yield is greatly reduced.
• If you do not carry out periodic thinning and loosening around a young apple tree, then some weeds and grasses can interfere with its development.
• Incorrect handling of pests and diseases can lead to burns. Their excessive use or not observing the proportions during the dilution of the solution leads to the fact that the leaves, bark, shoots are damaged.

Young, fragile trees often die due to the attack of various pests and infection with diseases. Young roots are often eaten by the larvae of the cockchafer.

Mature fruitful trees

Apple trees, which have given a rich harvest for many years, can also suddenly begin to dry out and die. There are several reasons for this:

• too cold winter and unprepared trees for wintering (trunks are wrapped for the winter so that cracks do not form);
• due to the neighborhood with other mature, powerful fruit trees, the apple tree does not receive nutrients, and the crown dries up;
• incorrect pruning of branches leads to a weakening of the apple tree, and if the cut point is not treated, the risk of diseases is increased;
• to get vaccinated, knowledge and skills are needed, so an incorrectly performed procedure also causes drying.

The most mature apple trees in the area have reduced immunity, and they are weak, so they are more likely to be attacked by pests and become infected with infectious diseases.

Effect of heat and dry conditions in summer on the apple tree

Climatic conditions can be the reason for the drying of the crop. Especially often the problem occurs in the southern regions, when the air temperature in June or July is above +30 degrees. Hot air and direct sunlight contribute to the rapid evaporation of moisture from the surface of the leaves, and they begin to dry.

Characteristics

Signs of drying of different parts of the apple tree manifest themselves in different ways. Only the leaves of one part of the tree or only the top can dry out. The reasons may be related to adverse climatic conditions, improper care, diseases and pests.

On the leaves

Due to improper care, branches and leaves dry up only on one side of the tree. This happens due to the lack of timely top dressing, planting powerful shrubs next to the tree, not loosening and weeding the soil around the trunk.The edges of the leaves begin to dry, yellow spots appear.

On branches

The tips of the branches of the apple tree dry out due to damage to the roots, infection with diseases, excessive waterlogging of the soil or improperly grafted. Young branches begin to dry from the top. The reason may be due to a lack of potassium in the soil.

If only individual branches die off and the edges of the leaves dry, then groundwater is passing nearby. Roots that have reached the water begin to rot. As a result, branches and leaves dry.

On the trunk

In most cases, the trunk and bark begin to dry out as a result of a fungal infection or black cancer on the tree. The bark darkens, growths appear, it easily separates, exposing the trunk.

On flowers

Problems can also arise during the flowering of the apple tree. Flowers dry up and fall most often as a result of disease or lack of mineral components.Therefore, as soon as the buds appear, it is recommended to spray with such preparations as "Zircon", "Epin". When the flowers bloom, they are sprayed with Bud, Ovary preparations.

On fruits

If branches dry along with apples, the reason is associated with some kind of disease. Most often it is brown rot. Brown spots appear on the fruits, which spread rapidly. Apples wither and fall before they reach full maturity.

Desiccation control

The set of measures aimed at saving a diseased tree depends on the reasons that led to the yellowing and drying of the crown. It is possible to save the culture with solutions prepared on the basis of purchased drugs, or with folk remedies.

Apple disease related

If an apple tree has been attacked by pests or is sick, then, in addition to the drying of leaves and branches, there are other signs:

• A common disease that affects old apple trees in most cases is cytosporosis. The bark and branches dry out, dark growths form on the trunk and on the fruits.
• The black cancer disease is difficult to treat. The fight consists in the timely removal of diseased branches. Black spots and stripes appear on the leaves. After a while, whole branches dry up.
• Scab causes brown spots on leaves. As the disease progresses, the leaves dry up and fall off.
• Powdery mildew appears as a grayish-white coating on the buds and leaves of the tree. A fungal disease that appeared at the flowering stage leads to the fall of flowers and ovaries.

The means of combating diseases include autumn treatment with copper sulphate, annual spraying of trees with Bordeaux liquid or preparations "Hom", "Abiga-Peak", "Skor", "Topaz", "Vectra".

Not disease related

Be sure the fruit crop needs to be properly cared for:

• If the soil is too wet, it is better to transplant the tree to another place or drain the soil.
• With a lack of moisture on dry, hot days, regular and abundant watering is carried out.
• Periodically weed and loosen the soil around each fruit tree.

If the cause of the drying of the tree was not a disease, it is easier to deal with the problem:

• If the tree dries up due to freezing after winter, it is recommended to irrigate with warm water with the addition of nutrients.
• If groundwater runs through the entire area and there is no way to transplant seedlings, then it is necessary to maintain a small size of the trees. The root system will not feel a strong load, and the apple tree will develop further.
• To heal wounds after pruning, a solution of heteroauxin will help.
• Perennial tree dries for natural reasons to prolong the life of the apple tree, top dressing and removal of old, dry branches will help.

If all agrotechnical practices are followed, the culture can be restored quickly. If the cause is not eliminated in time, then the quality and quantity of the crop decreases.

When should rescue efforts begin

The fight against drying begins immediately after the discovery of a problem in order to prevent the complete death of the culture. The slowdown leads to a decrease in yield and the death of the fruit tree.

Timing

Tree processing begins in March and continues until late autumn:

• In the spring, trees are treated to prevent the appearance of pests and diseases. Places are being processed after cutting old and diseased branches.
• In the summer, they organize proper soil cultivation with fertilizers and moisture.
• In autumn, a fruit tree is prepared for wintering.

You must not miss any of the stages of caring for the culture. This will reduce the chance of the various parts of the tree drying out.

Processing technology

In most cases diseases and pests are the cause of tree drying. Processing of apple trees is carried out according to a certain scheme, which will not allow an excess of pesticides:

• Before the buds swell, in order to get rid of wintering pests, the first spraying with a solution of urea is carried out.
• To protect the buds from pests, the treatment is carried out with drugs such as Skor, Horus, Bordeaux liquid.
• After flowering, spraying is carried out with such preparations as "Marshal", "Nurel", "Neoron". If the treatment is carried out for a preventive purpose, then the solution is prepared on less safe preparations: Fitoverm, Barrier, Aktofit.
• In the summer, it is enough to apply fertilizers that will increase the resistance of the crop to many adverse factors.
• In autumn, spraying is carried out for preventive purposes, using the preparation "Skor" or Bordeaux liquid.

In the summer, when the fruit ripens, it is impossible to use chemical preparations.

Timely watering and fertilization

For fertilization around the apple tree, holes are made 6 cm deep. Nutrient components are laid in them. In July, it is better to use nitrogen, and in August, phosphorus and potassium.

You can't use fresh manure as fertilizer. It is more useful to dilute the component in a bucket of water and pour the soil around the trunk with the resulting solution. To increase the benefits, superphosphate is added to the solution.

To cultivate the land around the apple tree, you need to choose only settled, warm water. The first watering is carried out immediately after flowering, then during the formation of fruits. The last watering is carried out at the end of August. After each watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil.

Prevention

Prevention consists in following the rules for caring for fruit crops:

• Fallen leaves and cut branches should be carried away from the site or burned. Cannot be used as mulch.
• After trimming, the cut is processed with special solutions.
• Particular attention is paid to preparing the apple tree for winter. The soil around the trunk is mulched, and the trunk itself is covered. After snow falls, a large snowdrift forms near the trunk.
• Fertilize periodically.
• Two fungicide treatments are carried out in the spring.

Folk remedies used during apple tree care are safe and effective, especially for preventive purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to follow preventive recommendations that prevent the development of problems.

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