my babies are splitting!

[tomsk71]

I have two dwarf cox's apple trees in v. large pots. This year several of the baby aplles that are forming have split their skin.
What's going on?
ps I am a novice but trying to learn.

Cheers

[rustylady]

I would think it's down to erratic watering, but I'm no expert.

[tomsk71]

You'll know more than me.

They have been watered every day if it hasn't rained - that's a laugh isn't it!
Slow release feeding granules are mixed into the compost and I've topped up with tomato food because I understood that fruit and veg need plenty of feed.

Or have I overfed them?

[FB.]

A picture would be helpful.

However, I would suspect the fungal disease "scab" which likes wet weather and which Cox is quite prone to.

Alternatively it could be irregular watering, although splitting is usually more likely to be a problem close to harvest time if heavy rain in autumn follows a drought summer and the fruits try to catchup with missed growth due to lack of water earlier in the season (and splitting a particular problem of thin-skinned and/or summer-ripening apples: ripening in August).

[FB.]

Here's a picture of scab causing splitting on my Laxton's Superb:

.

[FB.]

...and here's a link to a better picture of severe apple scab causing splitting:

Apple Scab, Venturia inaequalis

[tomsk71]

Thanks for the help. From your photos I think it is scab andI would have included a photo of my apples as you suggested but apparently the file was too large to upload, 3.7MB. What can I do about it?

Cheers

[FB.]

What can you do about it?

Spray fungicide immediately after any period of time that the fruit surface has been damp for several hours, in order to prevent the rain-germinated fungal spores sitting on the surface of the fruit from penetrating their "germ tube" (like a taproot) into the fruit.

Once fruit is infected, it can't be cured.
Scabby fruits and leaves, when they fall onto the ground in winter, will provide an overwintering place for reinfection to begin the following year.
If there are nearby apple trees with scab infestation, they will continue to scatter spores into the air, some of which will land on the wet fruits and leaves and germinate to repeat the cycle.

My preferred defence is to grow varieties which have good natural resistance to disease.

People who wish to grow the common and popular shop-type varieties must be prepared to undertake spray routines to keep the trees and fruits healthy.