Drying of the leaves and branches of the apple tree is a very common problem, among owners of a summer residence.
And before you look for a solution to this problem, you should know all the nuances and features of your climate zone.
Based on this, a plant variety should already be selected.
Planting apple trees will also vary in type of climate.
Although the apple tree is a fairly unpretentious and resistant plant, it is recommended to plant semi-cultivated varieties in especially cold areas.
For a cold climate, an ideal option would be a variety - “Ranetka”.
Planting time for apple trees is spring and autumn. Some gardeners plant an apple tree in the summer, but this is rather the exception to the rule. Summer planting has many shortcomings, before the autumn and especially spring planting.
When to plant an apple tree? Spring planting, apple trees tolerate, as a rule, better. Planting in the spring gives more chances for a large garden. In addition, closer to winter, your trees will be already formed and strong, which will allow them to safely survive the winter cold. But autumn planting is useful in that the tree, if it takes root, will be stronger and more stable.
There are several ways to plant apple trees. Consider the most popular.
1. Landing pit, prepared at least a week in advance. Depth, the pit should be at least - 60 cm, diameter, about the same. Ground from the top layer should be laid separately from the bottom and not mix them.
2. At the bottom of the pit, a peg is driven in to support the seedling. Consider its length, the peg should rise above the ground by 35 cm.
3. Next, you need to fill the pit with compost, fertilizer or manure, at your discretion.
4. After a week, you can plant an apple tree. Remember to tie it to the peg.
Apple tree withered: why?
There can be many reasons for drying. But first, exclude the simplest options. Make sure that the planting of the apple tree was made - right. Also, the reason that the apple tree has dried out may be other large plants that grow too close to the root system of the apple tree. These plants can take away a large amount of moisture and spoil the roots of the apple tree, which leads to its drying and disease. Therefore, a solution to the problem may be - getting rid of closely growing plants or transplanting an apple tree to a new place.
Also, the cause of the shrunken tree may be high standing groundwater. Oddly enough, at first glance, but precisely because of the abundance of water in the soil, the apple tree begins to dry out. This happens because excess water begins to displace air from the soil, which is so necessary for the root system. Therefore, the apple tree begins to “suffocate” and may soon die. The solution is transplanting an apple tree, loosening the soil or replacing the soil for the root system. In addition, for greater efficiency, you can dig special drainage ditches that will remove excess groundwater from the roots.
But most importantly - the soil should “breathe”. Therefore, it is not allowed to find layers of sand, heavy clay, gravel and gravel in the planting zone. Young apple trees are likely to be able to survive this, because their roots are high and have not yet sprouted deep enough, and there is always a lot of air in the upper layers of the soil. But for adult trees - this is extremely harmful, because their root system goes into the very depths. And the older the tree, the more likely it is that the apple tree will dry out.
Even on loose and even soil, there may be “surprises” in the form of clay layers.
The landing site may be disadvantageous because of the recesses in which rainwater will drain and moisture will accumulate, thereby again displacing oxygen from the soil. So, apple trees standing on the same soil may vary, due to the deep landscapes. Therefore, it is important, before planting, to study the place and make sure that it is safe for the tree, this will save you time and effort.
The leaves of a young apple tree are dry: what to do - weather reasons
If everything is in order with the place and method of planting, then the reason why the apple tree has dried leaves may be due to weather and climatic conditions. This is especially noticeable in the southern hot regions, where the temperature can easily reach +40 degrees. The scorching rays of the sun will dry the leaves, evaporating moisture from them. The branches of the apple tree, the sun's rays, are practically not affected in this way.
Too dry air, even in not too hot weather, can also contribute to this phenomenon. Although the apple trees are unpretentious and highly resistant to dryness, nevertheless, the minimum level of humidity should be maintained both in the air so that the leaves do not dry out of the apple tree, and in the soil itself, for the root system. Exit: regular spraying and sprinkling.
Branches of an old apple tree have dried up: what to do?
Drying branches is a more serious problem than simply shriveled leaves. Here, most likely, the matter is in the disease. One of the most common options is cytosporosis. The bark of a tree, at the same time, dries out in separate areas, branches of an apple tree dry, dark tubercles and dry growths appear in some places. Cytosporosis, it is quite difficult to detect on young plants, on the still not formed bark and branches.
You can solve the problem only by removing the affected areas of the tree. So you can protect the tree from further infection. If the infection penetrates too far into the tree, then it can no longer be saved.
Apple tree dries up: pests and diseases
Most often, drying out of a tree causes pathogenic infections and various small pests. We will analyze the most common diseases and methods for their treatment.
1.black cancer. A very serious disease that requires immediate intervention. You can recognize it, by such signs as: black spots on the foliage, branches of an apple tree dry, black ulcers and rot on the bark appear. There is only one way out - so that the apple tree does not dry completely, it is necessary to prune the infected branches and remove the ulcerous areas, the only way to save the tree.
2. Scab. This infection damages the leaves, slows the growth of fruits and spoils them. It is easy to recognize it - these are brown spots on the foliage, which subsequently dry the leaf.
The solution is foliage treatment with “Topaz” or “Hom”.
3. Powdery mildew. A fairly common disease that infects tree buds, bark, shoots and foliage. Signs of powdery mildew: White, gray and brown bloom on leaves and buds, sometimes dark spots appear, there are no fruits, the tree dries up. After making this diagnosis, the treatment consists in processing with special solutions. For these purposes, “Skor” or “Topaz” is perfect.
With pests, everything is also not easy.
1. Aphids and ants. If ants have settled in your garden, then there will be aphids. Therefore, you need to destroy the first. For this there are special poisons and traps for ants. Aphids are destroyed by special solutions.
2. Caterpillars. There are a huge number of species. It is easy to fight - the cobweb on the branches is destroyed, preferably by fire, and then, the apple tree is treated with a solution of malathion.
3. Tick, leaf moth, moth. About the presence of ticks, the web on the leaves and branches can tell you, the other two “comrades” are more difficult to recognize if you do not see small caterpillars. To destroy these pests, spraying with a solution of nitrophene, chlorophos or karbofos is suitable. Larvae and eggs, upon detection, are destroyed by fire.
The apple tree has dried up: what to do - if the reasons are not established
If you can’t establish the reason why the apple tree has dried leaves or the branches of the apple tree, we recommend that you contact experienced gardeners and ask questions at garden forums by posting photos of your problem.
Do not sit back when the apple tree dries, be sure to find the reason!
