Anyone any idea what's wrong with my apples?

[Penellype]

My dwarf apple tree (James Greive, M27 rootstock, about 10 years old) set plenty of fruit this year, but they don't look right and they are starting to fall off the tree at about golf ball size. The skins are unbroken but lumpy, as though they have acne beneath the skin. Some of them have this all over, some only on one side. I cut one in half and the part between the skin and the core is brown and corky in texture.



There is no sign of any pests apart from aphids on the leaves at the tips of the branches. Some of the bunches of leaves on the tree look dead, but most look ok. I have looked at loads of pictures and pages on Google without finding anything that looks remotely like this. I hope my tree hasn't got some sort of horrible virus disease

[FB.]

Probably a variation on 'bitter pit'.
Bitter pit is caused by any or all of:

1. Inadequate or irregular water supply.
2. Low levels of calcium in the soil.
3. Too much leafy growth (too much nitrogen).
4. Dwarf rootstocks unable to find what they need.
5. Some varieties more prone than others.
6. Lack of cross-pollination from an unrelated variety of apple.

[Nicos]

Gosh- that's bitter pit?? Thanks for confirming FB.

wow- I also have it but mine is more speckled/ blotchy inside, so...it could be worse than I have then? ( always an upside I suppose!)

[Penellype]

Probably a variation on 'bitter pit'.
Bitter pit is caused by any or all of:

1. Inadequate or irregular water supply.
2. Low levels of calcium in the soil.
3. Too much leafy growth (too much nitrogen).
4. Dwarf rootstocks unable to find what they need.
5. Some varieties more prone than others.
6. Lack of cross-pollination from an unrelated variety of apple.

Thanks FB. I've seen bitter pit before and it didn't look like this, although as you say it could be a variation on it. There has never been any hint of this on this tree before - last year it produced 15 perfect apples. The neighbour has a big apple tree, which I assume is an adequate pollination partner, so I don't think its that. I haven't fed it, and there isn't an excess of leafy growth.

I think probably the cause is lack of water in a very dry spring and early summer. I always mulch the tree with cocoashell but this year it was chipped bark instead, as I couldn't get any cocoashell. The tree was next to peas on one side (now finished) which were frequently watered, and a currant bush on the other side which produced an excellent crop, but maybe that is less susceptible to drought.

Having said that, the tree is about 2ft from a lawn which has not been watered at all this year, and the lawn is green, not at all browned and dry.

[FB.]

Gosh- that's bitter pit?? Thanks for confirming FB.

wow- I also have it but mine is more speckled/ blotchy inside, so...it could be worse than I have then? ( always an upside I suppose!)

It's not classic bitter pit because that causes sunken, dark pits in the skin, but what you have occurs on varieties prone to bitter pit, produces the same brownish dryish areas in the flesh and seems to have similar underlying causes.

Here's a picture showing the more usual appearance of bitter pit:

-

[FB.]

I think probably the cause is lack of water in a very dry spring and early summer.......The tree was next to peas on one side (now finished) which were frequently watered, and a currant bush on the other side which produced an excellent crop, but maybe that is less susceptible to drought......Having said that, the tree is about 2ft from a lawn which has not been watered at all this year, and the lawn is green, not at all browned and dry.

Dwarf rootstocks don't cope well with drought or competition. The grass will intercept rainfall before the deeper tree roots do - if any actually manages to get past the grass.
Probably the tree suffered a nutrient deficiency because of lack of water.
Water is used to transport nutrients from the roots and around the tree, with the tree being unable to move nutrients around if there isn't enough water.
The problems of bitter pit and other nutrient deficiencies in fruit is worst when there are dry conditions in the several weeks immediately following blossom. Later in the season dryness is less likely to cause bitter pit, but more likely to cause the tree to drop fruits.

[Nicos]

It's not classic bitter pit because that causes sunken, dark pits in the skin, but what you have occurs on varieties prone to bitter pit, produces the same brownish dryish areas in the flesh and seems to have similar underlying causes.

Here's a picture showing the more usual appearance of bitter pit:

-

yep- that's what I have.

Interesting to know all this- thanks

[KevinM67]

Thanks for this FB - I have the same problem.

Reading the causes you stated - if put right, would the tree remedy itself for the future ?

[FB.]

Reading the causes you stated - if put right, would the tree remedy itself for the future ?

Yes, the problem can be made to mostly go away by keeping the balance of nutrients and water just right - not too little, not too much, and by doing what you can to encourage lost of bees and good pollination.
Sometimes the problem will go away on its own, but may randomly reappear in the future when unusual conditions encourage it.

However, the combination of some soils, some climates, some varieties, some rootstocks - and incorrect pruning - can result in more bitter pit.