Cytosporosis, milky sheen - list of fungal, viral and bacterial diseases Apple trees can go on for a long time. In this series, rust is not the least common in terms of prevalence. In other years, when the disease is epiphytotic in the orchards, crop losses reach 90%. Therefore, the issues of treatment and prevention of rust on apple trees are relevant for every gardener. In this article we will tell you how and why rust appears on an apple tree, and we will consider ways to combat it.
Description of the rust pathogen and symptoms of apple tree damage
| Stages | Recommendations |
| Stage 1 | At the end of summer or early autumn, aecidiospores of the fungus fall on the branches of the juniper and germinate, forming a mycelium. The process of its formation has been going on for one and a half years. |
| Stage 2 | “Adult” mycelium every year in early spring forms teliospores. Wet spring weather promotes their germination and the formation of basidia with basidiospores. |
| Stage 3 | With the onset of persistent heat, the basidiospores dry out, break off and are transported by the wind to the apple tree. Growing on the leaves, the fungus enters the aecidial phase of development. |
| Stage 4 | Aecidia are formed on the lower surface of the leaf blade, in which aecidiospores mature. At the end of summer, the aecidia open and the spores disperse, again infecting the juniper. |
The first sign that fungal spores have entered the leaves of an apple tree is the appearance of small round orange spots on the upper side of the leaves. Under a magnifying glass, inside these spots you can see black dots - spermogonia. On the contrary, on the reverse side of the sheet, yellow dots appear first. Gradually they increase in size. This is the process of maturation of aecidia. By the end of summer they turn into groups of outgrowths.
A leaf infected with rust is not able to fully carry out photosynthesis. If the affected area is large, the apple tree may shed leaves and unripe fruits already in mid-summer.
Reasons for the development and regions of distribution of apple tree rust
The following factors contribute to the appearance of rust on an apple tree:
- proximity to juniper thickets;
- warm and humid beginning of spring;
- warm winds at the end of spring.
Until recently, apple tree rust was a disease of limited distribution in Russia, since the combination of these three factors was observed mainly in the southern and coastal regions of the country. But the more active the element landscape design the juniper becomes, the more often apple trees in the middle zone become infected with rust.
Tip #1. In order not to give up coniferous rock gardens for fear of infecting Apple orchard, after purchasing juniper seedlings, you need to treat them with fungicides.
If rust is detected on juniper, emergency measures must be taken to protect the apple trees. 3 mistakes when dealing with rust on an apple tree
Mistake #1. Tree processing begins in the fall.
This is what those who are afraid to use fungicides before harvest do. But such tactics are wrong. By autumn, the aecidia on the leaves are already empty - the dispersal of spores occurs at the end of summer. Treating apple trees against rust at this time does not make sense.
Mistake #2. They treat the apple trees, but forget about the juniper.
In this case, on next year rust will attack the garden again. The mycelium lives on juniper for many years and produces basidiospores every spring.
Mistake #3. The frequency of treatments is not observed.
Chemicals against rust on apple trees
To destroy the fungus-gymnosporangium chemicals selected taking into account the growing season in which the apple tree is located. The following drugs are commonly used:
| Vegetation phase | Drug name | Description of the drug |
| Green cone phase | Copper sulfate | Copper sulfate – time-tested a fungicide effective against all types of fungal diseases of apple trees. Available in powder form. To treat rust, 300 g is diluted in 10 liters of water. |
| Budding phase | "Abiga Peak" | A copper-containing preparation with a broad spectrum of action. Combines well in a tank mixture with insecticides. Diluted at the rate of 50 g per 10 liters of water. |
| "Horus" | A systemic drug from the aminopyrimidine class. Protects against a range of fungal infections, including scab and rust. 2 g is diluted in 10 liters of water. | |
| Fruit filling phase | "Skor" | Systemic Swiss fungicide of the triazole class. Blocks the growth of mycelium and the process of spore formation. Doesn't wash off in the rain. Diluted at the rate of 2 ml per 10 liters of water. |
| "Rayok" | A broad-spectrum drug based on difenoconazole, quickly penetrates plant tissue and blocks the development and germination of fungal spores. Dilute 2 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. |
During the apple tree blossom chemicals It is better not to use so as not to harm pollinating insects. Fungicide treatment is usually stopped a month before harvesting. When using chemicals, you must remember individual means protection - gloves, mask, etc. Spraying should be done either in the morning, after the dew has disappeared, or in the evening. The weather should be calm and dry, preferably cloudy - bright sun, heating the drops of drugs on the leaves can cause a chemical burn.
Tip #2. If there are concerns that the drugs will penetrate into the tissues of the fruit and harm health, you can use Fitolavin, which is safe in this regard. It can be applied even 2 days before harvesting.
Folk ways to combat rust on an apple tree
Gymnosporangium fungus does not respond well to soft folk remedies. But according to some gardeners, in the initial stage of infection the following decoctions and infusions have some effect:
- Ash lye. The bucket is filling wood ash two-thirds, add water to the top, stir well and place in the sun. Leave while stirring until a yellowish soapy substance begins to float to the surface. Carefully drain it, dilute it with water in a 1:1 ratio and treat the apple tree.
- Horsetail decoction. Fill half a bucket of fresh plant material with water to the top, boil and leave for 24 hours. Strain and use to spray apple trees.
- Soda ash solution. Take 5 tbsp per bucket of water. spoons of soda ash and half a piece laundry soap. Prepare a solution and spray the apple tree.
- Iodine solution. Dilute 10 ml of 5% alcohol tincture of iodine in a 10-liter bucket of water and spray the apple tree three times with an interval of 3 days.
- Wormwood "kvass". Take half a bucket of fresh wormwood herb and fill it to the top with water. Cover with a lid and place in partial shade to ferment. When foam appears on the surface, strain the kvass, dilute it 1:5 and spray the apple tree.
The effectiveness of folk remedies strongly depends on the degree and area of fungal damage and on the stage of its development. It is better to use them as an addition to treatment with chemical fungicides.
Instead of wormwood, you can use garlic arrows to prepare “kvass” against rust. Agrotechnical measures to combat rust on apple trees
In addition to spraying, the plan to combat rust and prevent its spread includes the following agricultural practices:
- sanitary pruning of affected apple tree shoots;
- sanitary pruning of affected juniper shoots;
- phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Daily action plan to combat rust on an apple tree
If it was not possible to avoid damage to the apple orchard by rust, the control plan may look something like this:
| Deadlines | Way to fight |
| 1 day | Trimming diseased apple tree shoots 5-7 cm below the affected area. Search and destruction of the source of infection - diseased juniper. Clearing the tree trunk circle, treating the soil with a solution of copper sulfate. |
| Day 2 | Spraying the apple tree with one of the fungicides. Select the drug depending on the phase of the growing season. Spraying juniper with the same product. |
| 4 day | Watering with potassium humate. |
| Day 7 | Repeated spraying of apple and juniper trees with the selected fungicide. |
| Day 14 | Treatment of apple trees with ash lye. |
| 30 day | Spraying apple and juniper trees with another chemical fungicide. |
| Day 37 | Repeated spraying with fungicide. |
| 40 day | Foliar feeding of apple trees with potassium monophosphate. Watering with potassium humate. |
| After harvest | Sanitary pruning of the apple tree, removal of shoots on the trunk or root shoots. Whitewashing of the trunk and the lower part of the skeletal branches. Treatment of the tree trunk circle with the drug “Fitolavin” and mulching. |
| Next spring | Spraying an apple tree with a solution of copper sulfate in the “green cone” phase. Spraying neighboring juniper plantings with copper sulfate. |
| Before flowering | Treatment of apple trees with a tank mixture of the preparations “Horus”, “Fufanon-Nova” and “Epin-Extra”. |
Tip #3. After sanitary pruning of the apple tree, all cuts must be treated with a solution of copper sulfate and covered with garden varnish.
Preventive spraying with one of the folk remedies can be carried out throughout the season at intervals of one week. It is important to constantly monitor the condition of the apple tree leaves. If the development of fungus is noticed somewhere, the infected shoot should be cut out immediately.
The effect of rust on the growth and development of apple trees
Unfortunately, once rust appears on a site, it will not be possible to get rid of it in one season. Even if you come to your senses in time and carry out all the measures described above, you may encounter the problem again next year. That's why preventive treatments from rust will have to be carried out over the next three seasons.
If this is not done, there is a risk of a sharp decrease in garden productivity. Rust, inhibiting photosynthesis, leaves the apple tree without normal nutrition. Oppressed plants not only bear less fruit. Their wood ripens worse, and such apple trees go into winter weakened and poorly prepared.
Gardeners' questions about rust on apple trees
Question No. 1. If rust appears on an apple tree, can neighboring apple and pear trees become infected?
Fungi of the genus Gymnosporangium affect both apple and pear trees. In this case, pears suffer more. However, these plants cannot directly infect each other. The infection spreads only through juniper growing nearby.
Question No. 2. Is it possible to plant any plants next to apple trees to protect against rust?
Unfortunately, there are no specific plants that could protect the apple tree from fungal damage. But you can plant it between apple trees and juniper " green walls" For example, purple willow or hawthorn are excellent for creating them.
Question No. 3. Are there varieties of apple trees that are resistant to rust?
Exist. These include the late winter Liberty apple tree. This is one of the most problem-free plants. Many rust-resistant varieties were bred in Dagestan, in the Mountain Botanical Garden: Sapudal, Cheer Kirin, Tsutarab.
Question No. 4. Are the fruits of an apple tree infected with rust dangerous for humans?
If the fruits on a diseased apple tree have time to ripen, you can safely eat them. It is only important to maintain sufficient time from the last fungicide treatment until harvest.
The appearance of any spots on the leaves of an apple tree should alert the gardener. This is a signal that the tree is affected by a fungal infection. Unfortunately, there are many of them and they all lead to significant yield loss. Apple leaf rust is one of many fungal pathogens that have become a frequent visitor to orchards.
To successfully fight an infection, you need to know the signs of the disease, what preventive work must be carried out in orchard and how to get rid of the emerging infection.
Description of the disease
Disease prevention
Fighting the disease
Conclusion
Description of the disease
The appearance of orange dots on the apple tree is a sure sign of the development of a fungal infection. It does not immediately cause damage, but always has a strong effect on yield. Often gardeners do not immediately take emergency measures, citing being busy.
The appearance of rust can be observed last month spring, it appears after the rains. Signs of rust damage appear after flowering in late April or early May:
- yellowish spots on the leaves;
- spots of the same color on shoots and fruit branches.
The infection inevitably develops and by the end of summer the rusty speck grows and affects the leaves so badly that it hurts to look at them. By the end of the season, apple tree rust has completely affected all parts of the tree:
- large yellow-orange spots with small black dots on the upper side of the leaf;
- thread-like or cone-shaped formations on the back of the leaf (ethidia), spores ripen in them;
- infected leaves dry out and fly off much earlier than expected;
- large spots appear on the fruit, often near the calyx;
- apples grow small, deformed, lose their taste, and are often affected by rot;
- diseased shoots do not grow and remain short stumps;
- Severely damaged branches die, bark and wood crack on slightly damaged branches.
This disease, with its symptoms, resembles damage to an apple tree by black cancer.
Important! The sensitivity of apple trees to rust is directly dependent on the amount of precipitation. The wetter the summer, the more cases of rust infestation.
The reasons why apple tree leaves rust are quite simple. Rust on plants is caused by rust fungi.
Rust fungi can have one host plant or several. The fungus Gumnosporandium treme lloides, which causes rust on apple trees, has many hosts. Such fungi are the most dangerous and difficult to eradicate.
The cedar-apple rust fungus begins its development cycle on common juniper and ends on apple trees. Spores from the apple tree again infect the juniper and the two-year cycle of fungal development is repeated again and again until both plants die. Infection can occur if there is no more than 2 km between the juniper and the apple tree.
The fungus overwinters on juniper branches. In spring, orange growths appear on its branches; after wetting in the rain, they swell and become enveloped in mucus. Basidiospores that look like plaque germinate in it. orange color, which are carried over a considerable distance.
Growing fashion coniferous plants caused an outbreak of rust on the site.
Some gardeners are unaware of the connection between the infection and juniper. They don’t know that they need to be treated at the same time.
The development of rust and the dispersal of spores begins at the end of the season. Kidney-shaped brown galls - growths - grow on the underside of the apple tree leaf. When a leaf is exposed to rain, humid environment Jelly-like antennae or horns grow from the galls. The microscopic spores produced by these horns are carried by wind and insects. The spores infect only juniper.
Important! Rust does not cause significant damage to juniper and develops on it unnoticed for a long time.
Disease prevention
Rust on apple tree leaves can only appear from one source - infected common juniper. However, the difficulty is that juniper can grow on neighboring plot, to which there is no access. And although disease prevention involves caring not only for the apple tree, but also for the juniper, in reality this is not always possible.
However, if common juniper grows on the site, it should be treated with protective and preventive drugs in the same way as an apple tree. By the way, Caucasian juniper is an intermediate host of the rust fungus for pears.
Preventive measures include the following:
- treatment in early spring and late autumn apple trees with copper-containing preparations;
- cleaning and burning fallen leaves in autumn period;
- autumn digging of soil under a tree;
- pruning heavily affected branches;
- sealing all wounds in the bark;
- spraying with fungicides.
In early spring, collect and burn all fallen leaves; it is even better to do this in the fall after the leaves fall. Before winter, they dig up or loosen the soil in tree trunk circle. After this, the soil is treated with a 7% urea solution or a 10% ammonium nitrate solution.
At the end of February or at the beginning of March, all diseased and twisted branches are pruned. At the same time, they capture 5 cm of healthy wood on small branches and 10 cm on large branches.
At the same time, the trunk and branches are carefully inspected, cracks, wounds, and hollows are cleaned of dust and rot. Such places are the gateway for any infection. Cleaned wounds are disinfected with a 5% solution of copper sulfate, after drying they are covered with garden pitch or oil paint on natural drying oil.
In early spring, remove juniper shoots affected by the fungus if it grows in an accessible place. Apple tree varieties that are resistant to rust are treated with a fungicide once every 3 years, moderately and weakly resistant - 2 times a year:
- 5% urea solution in the fall after picking fruits;
- 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture, 0.3% solution of copper sulfate, 0.5% lime-sulfur decoction in the spring on a “green cone”.
Important! When spraying an apple tree, urea behaves like a fertilizer applied to the leaf. As a result of such treatment, the tree grows foliage, fattens, and reduces the yield.
Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate toxic agents, they accumulate in the tissues of the plant and inhibit it.
If you have to fight rust fungus for more than one year, you should try using new products in the garden instead of the usual ones. For example, the drug Zineb. This fungicide not only treats the plant, it is able to block infection from entering the apple tree, increases productivity, increases fruit weight and vitamin C content, does not cause leaf burn, and is slightly toxic.
For the purpose of prevention, you can use very effective drug organic origin Poliram DF. The drug Cumulus is created on the basis of colloidal sulfur, which very quickly copes with rust fungi.
A good tip is to plant rust-resistant apple trees in your gardens:
- Mac;
- Sparta;
- Priscilla;
- Liberty;
- Autumn striped (Strifel).
Fighting the disease
The most in a reliable way get rid of rust damage to apple trees - eliminate the juniper on the site. However, it can grow with neighbors who are unlikely to comply with such a desire.
Juniper, which can grow within a radius of several kilometers, is unlikely to be detected at all. Therefore, you will have to strengthen the health of the apple tree. Measures to combat rust are quite traditional; fungicide treatment is used for any fungal infections.
In autumn or early spring, the apple tree is sprayed with a 3% solution Bordeaux mixture or 3% solution of copper sulfate, doing the treatment before the leaves appear, so as not to burn them. This spraying destroys overwintered spores, as well as overwintering larvae and eggs of pests.
It is necessary to fight rust on an apple tree during the period of active growth of the fungus:
- before flowering, before spores begin to disperse;
- immediately after flowering;
- 2 weeks after the last treatment;
- after harvesting fruit.
It was at this time that spores of the fungus rust, scab, rot, powdery mildew most actively scatter and germinate. Treatments will help prevent infections from occurring on trees.
Important! If the trees were sprayed with preparations for other fungal diseases, this also stops the spread of rust.
- The first treatment is carried out in early May, before flowering. The apple tree is sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or with the following preparations: Zineba, Poliram DF, Culumus.
- The next spraying is carried out at the time of greatest dispersion of the infection - immediately after flowering.
- The third treatment is 14 days after the second.
In the fight against infection, systematic and constant treatment of plants is necessary. Only in the right time Spraying will give positive results.
Treatment of apple tree rust, as well as the destruction of powdery mildew, scab, rot, lasts 2-3 seasons. Disease prevention is an annual mandatory task for every competent gardener.
Conclusion
Rusty spots that appear on the leaves of an apple tree should not go unnoticed. Active actions by the gardener will help get rid of this unpleasant disease and save the long-awaited harvest. And prevention and proper care will prevent uninvited guests from entering the garden.
Apple trees are often damaged various diseases. All pathologies have characteristic symptoms, by which you can quickly identify the disease and take the necessary measures to save the plants. Let's look at the main diseases of apple trees and methods of treating them.
Apple trees can get sick for many reasons. It may be unfavorable weather, neglect of the rules of agricultural technology, nutrient deficiency and many others. Any disease negatively affects the yield and can cause the death of the tree.
Signs of damage depend on the pathogen.
Pathologies are divided into 3 groups:
1. Fungal (mycoses):
- fruit rot (moniliosis);
- powdery mildew;
- scab;
- rust;
- brown spot (phyllostictosis);
- black cancer;
2. Bacterial:
- bacterial burn;
- bacterial root cancer;
3. Viral:
- star-shaped cracking of fruits;
- paniculation (proliferation);
- rosetteness (small leaves).
The sooner you start treating the apple tree, the greater the chance of saving the harvest and the plant itself.
Fungal diseases
Fruit rot (moniliosis)
Description of symptoms: small brown spots appear on ripening fruits (pictured above). Later they grow and the apples become inedible. The disease spreads very quickly, covering the entire crop. It is almost impossible to detect in the initial stages.
Treatment of fruit rot in the active stage is not possible. It is necessary to carry out prevention, which gives excellent results. In early spring, treat the trees with 3% Bordeaux mixture; you can use fungicides (for example, Horus). The second treatment should be carried out before flowering, using Bordeaux mixture (1%).
After harvesting, repeat spraying the trees with a solution of copper sulfate (0.1 kg per 10 liters of water). Each plant will require 3 liters of solution. Collect mummified apples, you need to get rid of them.
Powdery mildew
The pathogen affects the bark, buds, shoots, and leaves. The main symptom is an off-white coating, which later turns brown. The leaves turn yellow, dry out, and fall off. The apple tree stops producing new shoots and does not bear fruit.
Therapeutic and preventive measures against powdery mildew begin in the spring.
2 treatments will be required:
- Before flowering, spray the apple trees with a solution of fungicides (Skor, Topaz) at the rate of 2 ml per 10 liters of water.
- After flowering, treat the plants with a solution of copper oxychloride (40 g per 10 l of water) or with Hom in the same concentration (40 g per 10 l of water).
In autumn, a 3rd treatment is required. Spray the tree with Bordeaux mixture (1%). You can try to treat the plant with a solution containing: 20 g liquid soap, 50 g of copper sulfate, 10 liters of water.
Scab
The main symptom is the appearance of an olive-brown coating on the leaves of the apple tree, they begin to crumble. Subsequently, cracks and dark gray spots form on the fruits.
Treatment consists of spraying plants with biofungicides (Fitosporin-M, Fitolavin, Gamair, Horus, etc.). Carry out the first treatment before the buds open; throughout the entire season you need to perform 2-4 sprayings with an interval of 2 weeks.
A method of treating scab is spraying with Bordeaux mixture. For the first treatment (before buds open), a 3% solution is required; later (after the leaves appear) use a 1% solution. Spray at intervals of 2 weeks. Up to 7 treatments will be required per season.
Spraying with mineral fertilizers has a good effect.
For treatment purposes, the following solutions can be used in the following concentrations:
- potassium salt - 15%;
- ammonium nitrate - 10%;
- potassium nitrate - 15%;
- ammonium sulfate - 10%.
If fertilizers are used to prevent the spread of fungus, reduce the concentration of the solutions.
Carry out additional work:
- trim dry branches;
- strip the affected bark to healthy wood;
- whiten the treated areas.
Rust
Symptoms: the appearance of stripes and brown spots on the leaves, on which black inclusions (accumulation of spores) are visible. In the future, the fungus spreads to branches, bark, and fruits. Some of the young shoots die off. The bark in the affected areas cracks, unripe fruits fall off.
Treatment should begin in early spring, before buds open.
How to treat:
- Remove affected leaves and branches, cut them 10 cm below the diseased areas.
- Disinfect the sections with a solution of copper sulfate (5%).
- Treat the trees with Bordeaux mixture (1%). Spray 3 times at 3 week intervals.
If juniper grows in the garden, it needs to be removed and the area needs to be dug up. The plant is a source of rust infection.
Brown spot (phyllostictosis)
Symptoms: the appearance on the leaves of small brown spots with a dark brown rim. In the center there are black dots (fungal spores). The spots can cover the entire surface of the leaves.
Start treatment in the autumn. Procedure:
- Destroy fallen leaves.
- Dig up the tree trunk circles.
- Trim the thickened crown; this should be done annually.
- In the fall, spray the trees with a urea solution (5%), treat the soil with the same preparation, but at a concentration of 7%.
What to do in spring:
- Spray the trees with Bordeaux mixture (3-4%) before flowering. After the buds have formed, treat only with a 1% solution.
- Perform a second spray after flowering is complete.
In the future, 1 more treatment will be required (no later than 20 days before harvesting).
Cytosporosis
Signs of damage: the appearance of ulcers on the bark dark color. In the future, they penetrate the trunk, increase in size and become brown-red. The bark and branches gradually die off.
Treatment is as follows: in the spring it is necessary to treat the tree 3 times:
- during the period of bud swelling (Hom fungicide - 40 g per 10 liters of water);
- before flowering (copper sulfate solution - 50 g per 10 liters of water);
- after the end of flowering (Hom - 40 g of substance per 10 liters of water).
In late autumn, trim off the affected branches and burn them. Clean the wounds with a sterile instrument. Up to 2 cm of healthy tissue needs to be removed.
Disinfect the sections with copper sulfate (3%), cover garden mortar. Treat tree trunks with lime, feed apple trees with mineral fertilizers (phosphorus or potassium).
Black cancer
Signs of damage: the appearance of black spots on the leaves, the formation of black rot on the fruits. In addition, the bark begins to darken, multiple cracks appear on its surface, and it begins to turn in the opposite direction.
Start treatment in the spring, before the temperature environment will rise to 15 °C and above. Using sharp knife, remove the affected areas (down to the wood), capturing healthy bark (1.5-2 cm). They need to be burned.
Disinfect the wounds with a solution of copper sulfate (1-2%) and cover with garden varnish. After the trees bloom, spray with Bordeaux mixture (1%). Black cancer may reappear within a year or two. In this case, it is better to cut down the diseased trunk or the entire tree and burn it.
milky shine
The disease affects the bark of the apple tree. The first symptoms of the disease can be seen on the leaves. They turn yellow and white-silver stripes appear on them. Then the leaves fall off. Subsequently, dark spots form on the bark.
Methods of control: remove the affected areas of the tree bark, treat the cuts with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and garden pitch. It is recommended to spray the tree with Bordeaux mixture (1%). Carry out 2 treatments in the spring - before and after flowering. Timely spraying with fertilizers has a good effect.
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial burn (bacteriosis)
Main signs: the appearance of black spots all over the apple tree. The leaves begin to darken and curl, but they remain on the branches. The flowers turn dark brown and fall off. The fruits acquire a dark shade and do not ripen.
Treatment measures include:
Main symptoms: the appearance of growths on the roots (main, lateral), root collar. At first the formations are small and soft, then they increase in size and harden. In autumn, the growths rot and collapse. At the same time, it is released into the soil a large number of bacteria.
Bacterial root canker is introduced into the garden only with seedlings; the disease cannot be treated.
Prevention measures include:
- Careful selection of seedlings (no growths on the central root, root collar).
- Trimming lateral roots with growths.
- Disinfection of the root system after pruning in a solution of copper sulfate (1%) for 5 minutes, followed by rinsing in clean water.
It is necessary to add phosphorus and potassium to the soil mineral fertilizers. You cannot use only nitrogen. From organic fertilizers It's better to take manure.
Bacterial necrosis
All parts of trees are affected (from bark to fruits). The flowers turn brown, then black, and fall off. Spots appear on fruits and leaves. The edges of the leaves become necrotic, sheet plate wraps itself along the main vein and dries up. Spots appear on the shoots, which then cover the entire young shoot.
A necrotic spot forms on the branches and trunk of the tree, which subsequently increases in size. Oily spots appear, from which liquid oozes. The cambium, the inner layer of bark, swells, turns yellow-orange, and peels off from the wood.
Treatment consists of the following activities:
- Trim the affected branches, including 2-3 cm of healthy tissue, and burn them.
- Disinfect the sections with carbolic acid (5%) or copper sulfate (1%).
- Cover the cuts with oil paint or garden putty.
- Treat stains on trunks with a 5% solution of zinc chloride. There is no need to clean the wounds. This procedure should be carried out every 3-4 years.
Biological bactericides with targeted action are effective: Gaupsin, Pentofag-S, Fitosporin, Alirin-B. To prevent the spread of bacterial necrosis, treatment with Bordeaux mixture (1%) is necessary.
Viral diseases of apple trees
Mosaic
Symptoms: the appearance of pale green or yellowish spots on young leaves. The veins are colored normally. As the disease progresses, the leaves become fragile and fall off. The apple tree grows and develops poorly.
Control measures: the disease cannot be treated; a tree with signs of damage must be uprooted and burned.
As preventive measures use the following:
- Purchasing healthy planting material.
- Compliance with quarantine measures.
- Spraying against sucking insects will prevent the spread of the virus.
Star cracking of fruits
The disease affects young fruits. Shapeless spots appear on them, in the center of which star-shaped cracks form. The surrounding tissues become dark brown, almost black. Leaves on the branches upper tier become lighter, the tree grows poorly.
The apple tree will remain sick for life, having become infected with viruses. Fighting them is impossible. If a disease is detected, the tree must be uprooted and burned.
Preventive measures:
- use of virus-free planting material;
- spraying against sucking insects (aphids, mites);
- weed control.
Paniculation (proliferation)
Signs of damage: side shoots appear on apple trees huge quantities. They are distinguished by short internodes, the bark acquires a reddish tone. A sick tree stops growing.
Sharp, large teeth appear on the edges of the leaves. The flowers become green and ugly. Fruiting slows down, the fruits become very pale and tasteless.
Diseased apple trees cannot be treated; the trees must be uprooted and burned as quickly as possible. As a preventive measure, also use sprays against sucking insects that carry viruses. You can purchase varieties that are resistant to damage viral diseases, for example, Antonovka vulgaris.
Rosette (small leaves)
Signs of damage: leaves become small, hard, ugly, yellow-green. The edges are curling leaf blades take on a cup-like shape. The fruits of a diseased apple tree are small and tasteless. The internodes of the shoots are greatly shortened, and rosettes of leaves (normal and deformed) appear at the tops.
Treatment consists of timely removal and destruction of the part of the tree with signs of the disease. Treat the sections with oil paint, adding zinc sulfate to it.
Before buds open, spray the plant with a solution of zinc sulfate. If the disease is not very advanced, use a 5% solution, for moderate lesions - 8%, for severe lesions - 12%. If necessary, re-treat with a 0.5% solution. Prevention measures include: spring application of fertilizers for trees and timely removal of weeds.
Spots appearing on apple tree leaves - signal for the gardener. This is how fungal and infectious diseases manifest themselves.
One of the most common is rust.
Having noticed the red marks, novice gardeners often ignore the first symptoms of damage. But once you discover rust on the leaves of an apple tree, you need to look for a solution on how to deal with it.
If you do not prevent the development of the disease, you cannot count on a healthy harvest. The apples will grow small, tasteless, and often rotten.
To regularly collect large, juicy fruits, you should recognize the disease by initial stage, apply the correct treatment method and follow preventive measures, and not at the last moment wonder what to do when you discover that the leaves of an apple tree are rusting?
Signs of rust damage
Signs of rust. Symptoms of rust become noticeable when the leaves bloom. This happens in late spring - early summer. First, small yellow-green dots of varying sizes appear.
In severe cases, the damage spreads to the shoots and bark.
As soon as rust appears on the apple tree, treatment should begin immediately, at the first sign of infection.
Apple orchard processing scheme
Important! If the apple tree suffered from rust in the previous season, you should start treating the tree in early spring, even before the growing season begins.
Spraying. Treatment scheme:
- First treatment falls in early spring, when the buds have just begun to bloom;
- The second one is carried out before flowering, during budding or after flowering, when fruits have appeared but have not yet begun to fill;
- Third treatment carried out 10-14 days after the second.
To defeat the disease, in addition to spraying with antimicrobial agents, it is necessary to create conditions that prevent the appearance of fungus.
Rusty leaves on an apple tree - what to do? Methods of treatment and prevention
To get rid of from the disease, a system of treatments and preventive measures is necessary. By eliminating the sources of infection, you can forever rid your apple orchard of rust.
Work to combat infection should be carried out in several directions:
Improvement of the orchard 
Fungal infections first of all they are damaged weakened trees. In order for the apple tree’s immune system to be strong, it is necessary:
- Rare fruit trees;
- Correct ;
- Timely and competent feeding;
- and culture of sanitization;
- Healthy planting material.
High planting density stimulates rapid spread of the disease.
Creates optimal conditions for fungal development high humidity, so don’t be overzealous with watering. If there are prolonged rains, the risk of infection of apple trees increases.
A daily inspection for rust on the apple tree is necessary in order to decide in time how to fight it.
The tree must receive the nutrients it needs at each stage of development.
If rusty spots are found on the leaves of an apple tree, the application of nitrogen to the soil should be reduced, and the dose of phosphorus and potassium should be increased.
In early spring and autumn, after harvesting, apple trees need to be sanitized.
Shoots and areas of bark damaged by rust are cut out and the sections are cleaned.
Affected areas treated with a solution of copper or iron sulfate (4-5%), covered with garden putty.
The trunks of apple trees must be exposed in spring and autumn. In case of rust, copper-containing preparations and an adhesive (for example, Green soap) are added to garden whitewash.
New apple and juniper seedlings should be carefully inspected.
The latter are often brought from abroad already infected.
Destruction of fungal colonies
Rust on juniper. Design bias summer cottages evergreen shrubs contributed to the widespread spread of the fungus.
Rust pathogens settle on coniferous trees and shrubs. For an apple tree, proximity to common juniper is dangerous. Plants should not be planted nearby.
Colonies form in the skeletal branches of juniper. The shoots thicken and become deformed along their entire length. With prolonged exposure to infection, they dry out and die.
Myceliums do not live on apple trees, the main disputes cause damage carried by insects or wind.
When rust fungi appear, it is necessary to carefully examine junipers planted in close proximity to.
Discovering colonies pathogen, coniferous shrubs should be treated with a fungicide, damaged branches should be cut out and burned. In case of severe damage to the needles, it is better to destroy the junipers, dig up the ground underneath them, and treat them with boiling water and antimicrobial agents.
Important!: Regular care for junipers will prevent infection of fruit trees.
In the literature on gardening, there is often a recommendation to remove all coniferous shrubs from the site in order to protect the orchard.
Rust spores can be carried by wind over a distance of up to 50 km, so the complete absence of junipers on the site is unlikely to protect against the disease.
If the decision to get rid of conifers is made, barrier plantings should be created around the perimeter of the site. For this purpose they are used tall trees with a dense crown.
Destruction of spores and consequences of infection
To avoid the development or recurrence of rust infection on the apple tree, proceed to complete destruction of spores.
Apple trees must be sprayed with antifungal drugs.
The area must be clean from weeds. Many of them are capable of becoming intermediate hosts of rust fungi, for example, sedge, anemone, and spurge.
But presence of wormwood near sources of infection and spread of the disease affects the development of rust negatively.
Plant residues allow the pathogen to survive on the site for up to 8 years. Affected apple tree leaves juniper needles and trimmed branches must be removed and burned.
Dig the trunk circles deeply, spill with urea (5-7%), ammonium nitrate (5-7%) and copper sulfate (4-5%). Drugs should be alternated.
Treatments for rust on apple leaves
To fight against rust, preparations based on sulfur, copper and systemic fungicides are used.
Copper-containing drugs
Anti-rust is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Use a 1% solution. Start off spring treatments possible only after before the temperature reaches positive values.
Do not use the solution for treatment in hot weather or at high temperatures.
If these conditions are not met, apple trees may get burned.
- Blue Bordeaux- an analogue of Bordeaux mixture, in the form of granules. Easily dissolves in water. A contact agent that causes damage to colonies and spores on infected plants. Suitable for processing in bad weather.
- Abiga – Peak– a copper-containing preparation related to contact fungicides. Contains an adhesive, is applied superficially and does not penetrate into wood tissue. Treatments can only be carried out in dry weather. To prepare the solution, 50 grams of the drug are dissolved in a bucket of water.
- Cuproxat– a product based on copper acetate containing nitrogen. A 0.25% solution effectively destroys fungal spores. Suitable for root watering. Has fungicide properties and mineral fertilizing simultaneously.
- Champion More often it is used not for treatment, but for the prevention of disease. The drug forms on the plant protective film, prevents infection. On diseased trees, Champion stops the development of infection, but does not have a destructive effect. 60 g is calculated for a bucket of water. Not applicable at temperatures above 25 degrees.
Sulfur-based products
Removes rust quickly and effectively colloidal sulfur solution.
To prepare it, use 40 g of powder per 5 liters of water.
The product works when it comes into contact with an infection. Apple trees cannot be processed during flowering.
Colloidal sulfur. The drug has the same effect Cumulus – colloidal sulfur in a convenient form. The product does not generate dust and easily dissolves in water.
Fungicides are the main answer to the question: “How to treat rust on an apple tree?”
Good results in the fight against rust give contact and systemic-contact fungicides, such as:
- "Strobe"
- "Topaz"
- Polisher
- Zineba
- Vectra
The actions of the drugs are similar, and active ingredients different. This allows you to alternate their use, avoid addiction dispute to one means.
Amount of substance per bucket of water:
- Strobi – 2 – 3 g.
- Topaz – 2 ml.
- Polisher - 1.5 - 2.5 g.
- Tsineba – 40 g.
- Vectra – 2 – 3 g.
Now you have learned what to do if the leaves of an apple tree rust.
Important!: If at the time of rust damage the apple trees were treated for other fungal infections (for example, scab), separate spraying is not required.
Useful videos
Watch a video about rust on fruit trees and shrubs:
Watch the video for information about rust on fruit trees:
Look useful information about diseases of fruit trees:
Watch the video on how to properly use copper sulfate and select dosages:
A competent approach to agricultural technology, careful monitoring of the garden and timely treatment of trees will help get rid of many apple tree diseases. Rust on apple tree leaves will also bypass you, and you won’t have to decide how to deal with it.
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Have you noticed orange-yellow spots on the leaves of your apple tree? A healthy tree's leaves do not change color or shape. Lesions are a symptom of a plant disease or attack by pests. Rust stains may indicate a fungal infection fruit tree, especially since apple and pear trees are the most vulnerable types of garden plants. How dangerous is the disease, what consequences can it lead to? Why does it affect apple trees and is there a risk of affecting others? garden crops? Let's figure it out.
Rust on apple leaves
Apple tree rust is an infectious disease caused by the fungus Gumnosporandium tremelloides. Typically, the first symptoms of the disease appear in mid-summer: small protrusions appear on the leaves and quickly grow over the entire surface. Soon stripes or round spots of brown color appear on the outer part of the leaves.
Black spots are visible on the spots - they appear in places under which there is an accumulation of spores.
Periodically, this nursery opens up and releases a new batch of pests onto the plant. Multiple yellow-brown spots occupy 2/3 of the leaf surface; the tree quickly sheds the affected leaves and already in August - September its branches become bare.
What is the danger of rust?
Rust most often affects the leaves, but the fungus can spread to the branches, bark and fruits of the plant. Young shoots are at risk - some of them die, and those that develop will not produce healthy growth and fruit in the future. The development of shoots can last up to 3 years, but then the bark in the affected areas and on the trunk begins to crack. Apples do not ripen - at some stage (for each plant individually) they slow down their growth and fall off.
A sick apple tree does not receive what it needs for normal height nutrition, as a result of which photosynthesis and metabolic processes slow down, the plant does not have enough moisture. As a result, gardeners receive a poor-quality harvest - the fruits are small, they lack the usual juiciness, and the core is often rotten.
Causes of the disease
The most vulnerable is an apple tree that grows in the same area as a juniper, because this plant is the causative agent of rust. During the cold season, fungal spores accumulate and overwinter in juniper needles - they can remain in a preserved state for several years. With the onset of warmth, the active development phase of the spores begins - they settle on the leaves of apple trees and infect the plants.
Rust is a common disease in southern and coastal regions. In humid climates, spores develop faster, and strong wind carries them over a distance of 40-50 km, affecting fruit trees in this perimeter.
How to fight rust?
Yellow-brown spots must be treated so as not to harm the tree:
- If the cause of the damage is juniper, it is advisable to remove it from the garden and dig deep into the soil in the place where it grew.
- Branches and leaves with stains will have to be removed. They need to be cut 10 centimeters below the affected area.
- After removing the diseased areas, the plant is treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%) or other meld-containing solutions. The apple tree is sprayed three times, every two weeks.
- A common mistake gardeners make is that they begin to treat the tree at the end of summer, when the apple tree has already dropped its leaves. Such measures will not have any effect.
The best time for treatment is early spring, before the buds bloom. First you need to clean the wounds on the shoots (cut as described above) and disinfect the sections with a solution of copper sulfate. After this, you can spray the tree:
- spraying - in the “green cone” phase;
- spraying - in the “bud” phase;
- spraying - after flowering of the tree.
How not to cause harm?
It is impossible to treat spots and other lesions on leaves with Bordeaux mixture in the heat. At high temperature In the air, the toxic chemical begins to actively evaporate, its concentration on the leaves of the fruit tree increases several times. The apple tree can get burned, and the gardener can get poisoned by toxic fumes. Breeders recommend spraying plants in the morning or evening, when it is cool outside.
Treating plants in wet weather will not give a positive result, because the solution will drain from the foliage along with dew drops.
Spraying is carried out when the apple tree is dry. At least 6 hours must pass after the rain. There will be no positive effect from treating a fruit tree at temperatures below +5 degrees, and the apple tree may get burned.
The same thing will happen if you spray the plant in the heat or immediately after rain. Such climatic conditions Copper sulfate, which is part of the Bordeaux mixture and similar preparations, is released in excess. It causes burns of leaves, shoots, and trunk.
Don't want any extra problems? Then don't drop off coniferous trees in the same area with fruit trees. And if you take a risk, choose varieties of apple trees with strong immunity to scab and fungal infections, surround the plants with other varieties of fruit trees and properly care for the garden.