Mouldy fruit trees

[BulgarianBev]

Planted some fruit trees last spring to make an orchard. Can't say what varieties apart from the 2 granny smith also 2 red apple, 2 pear, 2 nectarine and a apricot. The apple & pear trees all have a powdery grey/white like substance which on searching may be grey mould or mildew but not too sure so looking for advise how to make a better diagnosis? All the "trees" were probably only "seedlings" as they are only very skinny (finger thick) I was told by the seller that they would fruit in about 3 years? As we had a very mild february over here the "trees" have started budding but the mould/mildew is affecting these also. Is there any hope or am I going to have to start from scratch?

[starloc]

It could be mildiew, you need to spray it with a fungicide of some sort, most people chop affected parts off as well, you can use things like dilute neem oil as a fungacide or theres probably something like copper that will work,

im moving over there this year after i finish the work on the house, near popovo its still freezing at the minute with lots of snow still last week , last year i got some realy dodgy looking stuff from my next door neighbour there, the locals use it works great, horrid looking stinky green liquid....no label! ,he saw me looking at the trees and pointed at it shaking his head and he got it from under his house......, so you must be able to buy something that works well in bulgaria but ive no idea what it is or where from, it may even be something outlawed years ago!, i would have asked him what it was but.....im only just starting to learn the language

In the uk , i nornaly use neem oil or captan

[BulgarianBev]

Thanks for that starloc, will chat with neighbour, we have a little agri shop in our village but she couldn't help. We live in Ovchi Kladenets, in Yambol, will ask in there also. We had a "snow flurry" here last night but all gone now, but still only about 2 degrees.

[FB.]

You don't say where the mould is - roots? branches? young twigs?

Could be mildew - but it is only active while the trees are growing and disappears for the winter (dormant in the wood of the tree).

Sounds more like the way that they've been stored during the winter.

Also worth looking into "woolly aphid".