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Why Do Apples Rot on the Tree? – Apples are a healthy, delicious, and popular fruit.
However, you don’t want to put in all the hard work of growing apple trees and then have them rot before you have a chance to harvest them.
Some problems you can fix yourself, while others are best solved by a professional.
Reasons Why Apples Rot on the Tree
Since it takes time and effort to grow apple trees, you don’t want to find your fruit rotting on the tree.
Here are 3 culprits behind the bad apples:
1. Candida
The main cause of apple rot on trees is candida.
This is a fungal disease with many varieties, and the spores can spread quickly through your garden.
The spores damage both shoots and fruits as well as leaves.
Hot and humid weather promotes the rapid spread of the disease and if preventive measures are not taken in time, much of the crop will be lost.
It has been observed that summer apple varieties with thin skins are more frequently affected by fruit rot.
Candida has an incubation period of five days.
It is only after this period that the first signs of the disease appear on the apple, and they are not difficult to spot.
A brown spot can be seen on the apple, which will soon expand and cover the entire fruit.
In another five days, the disease enters the sporulation phase, with each affected apple damaging all the other apples as well as the tree.
A close look at the surface of the spots reveals small gray bumps that are the spores of the fungus.
If Candida infests your apples, it can be difficult to fix yourself.
Therefore, it is best to consult a professional to get rid of candida and other fungal diseases.
If a fungal infection has been treated, be sure to remove and discard any affected fruit.
This will prevent the wind from carrying the fungal spores to your other trees.
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2. Insufficient water
Another common reason for apples to rot on the tree is lack of water.
While it’s tempting to think that too much water would be more prone to rot, it’s lack of water that poses the greatest threat to your apple crop.
Trees that are not watered enough are very susceptible to rot.
If your apples start to rot on the tree, it is best to increase the watering quantity right away.
Fix the bad apples by increasing the amount of water you add to each tree.
You also don’t want to overwater your trees, so pay close attention to soil conditions.
It’s important to figure out exactly how much water is needed for a healthy apple crop.
This can vary significantly from strain to strain, so seek expert advice if you are unsure.
3. Pests
One of the main causes of apple rot is pests that infest apple trees.
Two of the main culprits are codling moths and codling moths.
But beetles and other insects such as cicadas and green fruit maggots can also find their way onto your apple Orchard.
Spray against codling moths to prevent rotting and pest-infested apples at night so as not to harm pollinators.
Multipurpose sprayers can be used to kill pests on apple trees, but they can also kill pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Alternatively, you can use non-toxic horticultural oil to spray new leaves in spring.
This is a chemical-free option and can prevent infestations.
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How Do You Prevent Tree Rot In Apples?
- Remove Weeds
You can protect apples from tree rot by keeping an orchard free of weeds.
Weeds attract codling moths and other common apple pests.
By removing weeds regularly, there are fewer places for insect pests to retreat.
- Watering
Make sure to water your apple trees properly so they don’t rot.
- Treatment of Candida
Test your apple trees for candida and other fungal diseases.
Keeping an eye on and fighting Candida and other fungal diseases is also important if you want to prevent apples from rotting.
The most important factor in preventing damage to your apple crop is to recognize it.
The appearance of Candida in apple trees does not bode well for a carefree gardener’s summer.
The fight against Candida begins in the spring.
Several sprays of fungicide are applied during planting.
Treatment frequency and consumption rates depend on the drug chosen.
For example, a biological solution is sprayed on apple trees several times, starting “before budding”.
This preparation is effective even at low air temperatures and, most importantly, it develops the plant’s immunity to fungal diseases.
During the “Blooming” stage, treat apple trees with your favorite Bordeaux mixture, prepare a 3% solution, and then in the “green cones” go one step further and use a 1% solution.
During the season, this preparation can be used 6 times.
When spraying trees, be sure to treat the trunk, branches, and stalks.
The last treatment should be in autumn.
Before that, it is necessary to clean the apple tree from all the remaining fruit, leaves, and dry and damaged branches and remove all debris from the rhizosphere, all on fire.
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Final Thoughts
There are a variety of reasons why apples rot on the tree, but one of the main causes is a fungal disease called Candida.
Candida is a form of yeast that infects apples.
Your apples can also rot due to a lack of water or pest infestation.
All fungal diseases can spread quickly from one tree to another.
It is best to call a professional to remove candida or other fungal diseases.
Discard any affected fruit so they don’t harm your other trees.
This inspection and removal of damaged fruit should not be done once, but regularly and as often as possible.
For safety reasons, it should be clearly stated that such apples should not be composted, only burned.
Proper care of the orchard is one of the most important preventive measures.
Timely feeding and watering are very important.
The use of drugs to improve immunity is advised.
Prophylactic treatments with fungicides and insecticides should be employed.
Professional shaping and pruning to avoid excessive crown growth are very necessary.
