Apple Tree Problem

[Garvey]

Can anyone identify what the problem is and suggest a remedy?

[FB.]

Scab.


Most apple varieties will get some scab each year if you don't spray them (especially in high-rainfall areas), although some varieties get a lot more than others and some don't get much at all. The popular shop-bought varieties are very prone to it and the crops can be ruined in many years.
Leaves and fruit get more resistant as the season progresses. Affected fruit will often split and rot.

You can spray fungicides to try to deal with it, but it's a lot of work and you need to devise a carefully-timed spray programme. A better option is to either accept that you'll lose some or all of the crop to blemishes or rots, otherwise choose varieties with a good level of natural resistance to diseases and then tolerate a persistent but small and non-damaging level of disease each year.
I manage to get 9/10 fruits free from scab spots, despite not using any chemicals.

Is the leaf from a Bramley, by any chance?

[Garvey]

They are Bramleys and are about 30 years old. I pruned them right down but the leaves on the new shots have the scab???

[FB.]

Young/tender shoots are more prone to scab than older/tougher shoots.

After a hard pruning, the tree fights back with lots of new shoots, presenting lots of attack points for the scab.

The leaves and fruit get more resistant as the season progresses.

Also, the primary scab infections in the spring are the most virulent.

Scab requires 6-10 hours (depends on temperature) of constant wetness for the spores to germinate and penetrate the leaf.
We had a drizzly couple of days a few weeks ago when trees were first leafing-out, and, as I expected, many of my apples (some with high scab resistance) also have scab spots on the leaves. But they hadn't even opened blossoms, so there was no fruit to get infected at the time.
But as long as the fruit remains untouched, I wouldn't worry about it. Bramley is a tough tree that can withstand a lot of stress. Unless it loses half its leaf surface to scab, the tree will be fine.

I'm surprised that you've never noticed some scab before though. Bramley has some resistance to scab, but there are some strains of scab that have evolved in the country's Bramley orchards - and these strains can break through Bramley's resistance. Does your Bramley usually get scab on the fruit (shows as brown-black spots, some of which may crack).
It is also possible that you have acquired one of these "super scab" strains that has blown on the wind from somewhere else. But if you have, there isn't much you can do - a big old tree is far too difficult to get good spray coverage.
Let's just hope that the scab is only due to the masses of soft new shoots and a bad season.

I would just monitor the scab for this season and see how it goes. I have a number of apple trees and I just tolerate occasional scab. Fortunately, each season is different, so that while one apple tree may suffer badly in one year, it may be untouched the next. A couple of years ago, my D'Arcy Spice were about 60% scabbed on the leaves and the trees looked very messy (but no damage was done to the fruit). Last year my D'Arcy Spice were not affected at all. Last year my Annie Elizabeth got a moderate amount of mildew, but this year, so far, it is untouched. That's seasonal variation for you.

If the fruits and leaves of your tree get badly affected, then maybe try raking up all the leaves in the winter and spraying next year to prevent an infection.

[Garvey]

FB. Many, many thanks for the very detailed and most helpful assistance.

[hardley12]

I recently moved into a house with a neglected apple tree, which is at least 12 years. On a branch, I noticed it was sounding almost like a snake shedding its skin. Do you know what this could be? Do you think it is possible for me to revive