Apple lurgy

[Toby Thurlow]

Hello there,

Wonder if anyone can help. I have an apple tree in my garden that's been doing ok for years, good crop and all that and this year was a bit of a bumper one. However, i have lost probably as much as a quarter of the fruit in the last few weeks to some kind of rot.

I've had a gander round the internet (and then got bored) and I've had a look in a book or two, but i can't get to the bottom of it.

Basically the fruit is going mushy on the tree. Some of them are also speckled white, but i guess this is due to the fruit going mouldy after the rot rather than it being the cause of the problem.

Anyone got any ideas what it is, and point me in the direction of a cure?

Good mag by the way.

[Geordie]

Apple rot

Hi Toby,

I think this sounds like Brown Rot, a fungus infection that enters the fruit through holes made by insects or birds etc. The fruit will start to rot and turn brown (the clue was in the name!) and grey spots grow on the brown areas.

The disease is apparently spread by contact so all affected apples either on the tree or ground should be removed and burned.

Hope this helps