new apple & pear trees advice needed

[tutti]

Hello,
I recently purchased a number of 2 year old apple and pear espaliers and half-standards, all of which have begun the season quite well. However, 3 of the espaliers have been affected by blossom wilt, according to my book based diagnosis. This is based on approximately 30cm of a branches leaves having wilted, dried and shriveled. What would forum members suggest I do to treat the problem, or prevent it from spreading to other branches and trees?

Also, All of my trees have quite a few apples and pears appearing on them and doing quite well. Some have fallen, which I assume is part of the June drop, however many are growing larger. Isn't this too early for the mm106 and Quince A rootstock trees? I would prefer the trees to spend their early years growing well and strong and not producing smallish fruit. I'd rather wait a few years for a better tree and hopefully, better fruit. What would members suggest I should do? Should they be left alone? or should I remove them (either by pulling them off by hand, or by cutting them off at the stalks.) If removing fruit is the answer, how is this best done?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Guest]

I just cut out the diseased bits so it doesn't spread and dispose or burn them.

If you want to focus solely on establishing the trees then remove all the fruit. Cut them off with scissors or secateurs. The stem bits left on the tree will die back and fall of. Don't risk pulling or picking as you can snap of spurs and tips. Might be worth leaving one or two to make sure they are the variety you want.

When you say too early for rootstocks do you mean because they are only two years old? Plants and trees do what they want at the end of the day despite what books tell us.

[tutti]

Thanks for the great advice. (Something the books missed out!) By too early I meant these rootstocks are said to produce fruit more akin to mature, edible fruit that reasonably sized. I think it's around 5 years for these trees and before that they are hard, little things that zap the tree of growing energy (my reading, but may be way off the mark.)