Cotton fungus on my apple tree

[Gryfon]

Or at least I think it's that as it looks like cottonwool!

What's the best way to get rid of it? I tried wiping it all off but didn't get it all!

[SueA]

Were there any little bodies in the 'cotton wool' if so it could be woolly aphids & you can either just make sure you wipe them all off or if you're not organic you can spray with something. Woolly aphids apparently don't do much harm but can form galls on the tree where canker can enter.Not sure if it could be a fungus but if you wash it all off carefully you should be O.K. Someone else on the vine might have a better idea of what it is than me though!

[Gryfon]

Ah that's it! Wooly aphids! Looks like cottonwool!

Think I'm fed up of getting it to carry on being organic Will see what I can find!

[Squirrel]

Keep at it Gryfon - it will take time for your garden to stabalise so that the goodies over take the badies!

[valmarg]

I know it's a bit of a pain, but to 'treat' the wooly aphids, my parents used to wipe them off with cotton wool soaked with methylated spirits. This was going back to the late 1940's, so long before the 'organic' craze set in. In fact, when gardening/farming was still so called 'organic'!!!!

valmarg

[Beryl]

Woolley aphid

The methalated spirits will work eventurally if you can reach it all.
Try giving them a blast with the hose if you are allowed if not a spray bottle of water will work too.

Beryl.