bramley apple tree new shoot drop

[Jon Kerroux]

I planted a bramley apple tree last year and all seemed to be ok.But now all the new shoots reach about 5-10 cm and then what looks like a crack appears halfway up the shoot and it falls off.This has happened to all of them except one.I do have 3 apples growing on it and the rest of the tree seems to be healthy.Can anyone help.
Kind regards,
Jon.

[FB.]

I have a few ideas as to what might be the problem, but.....

Can you fill in your location in your profile?
How big is the tree at the moment?
Do you know which rootstock it is grafted onto?
Where is it being grown (in a pot, against a wall)?
Is your soil unusual in any way?
Are you able to put up a picture?

.....and you say that the shoot just falls off after splitting?

[Jon Kerroux]

Thanks for your reply.The tree is planted in the garden of my french home in Brittany.The tree is about 2 metres high.It is grafted onto a semi-dwarf rootstock.The soil seems to be quite normal as most tree's,shrubs and flowers do well.The last new shoot came away this morning.As I said before,The shoots grow well until they reach approx 5-10cm.Half way down the shoot you can see a faint line appearing and after 2-3 days the shoot splits and breaks off.I have 3 apples growing on it now and they look very healthy for there size which is about 4cm round.I can't see any other bugs or deseases on the tree.I'm sorry but I don't have a photo as all the shoots have dropped now.Kind regards,Jon.

[FB.]

Hmmm....

Nothing sounds unusual, except for a non-UK location. But Bramley is grown in the USA as well as Britain, so I don't see why the climate in Brittany should be dramatically different.

I'm at a bit of a loss to think what's wrong, but if you manage a picture or I get a sudden brainwave, maybe we can find an answer.

A couple of random thoughts though.....
Is the tree exposed to salty air, or is it battered by dust-laden winds?
Is the rootstock strong enough?
I have heard of a type of insect pest (weevil (?)) with the nickname of "apple twig cutter", but have never experienced it.