I love the apple tree in my backyard. I know how lucky I was to purchase a house with an already established apple tree. You may remember me talking about our abundant apple tree a couple of years ago. Gorgeous right?
And then just a couple of months ago I posted just how excited I was after my husband’s pruning job to have those apples back again this year after a disappointing harvest last year. I held such high hopes after seeing these beauties.
That was until I took a closer look last week and found these.
*Imagine the sound of my surprised shriek here* Eeek!!! What happened? What happened to my beautiful apples? Anyone have any idea what this is?
There is a glimmer of hope however. A good half of the apples look awful but the other half still look pretty good. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that whatever got these apples won’t spread to all of them.
Can anyone fill me in on the problem and how to prevent it from happening in the future, if that is even possible?
Melissa K says
August 27, 2012 at 11:28 amI wish I had an answer for you. I have never seen an apple tree in person. I live in Florida, I have seen tons of orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit and kumquat trees though!
Emilie says
August 28, 2012 at 8:35 amAnd here I have never seen those types of trees. Funny how that works! 🙂
Tom says
July 4, 2013 at 7:02 pmI have the exact thing on my apples. Did you find out what it was?
bonnie says
August 27, 2012 at 12:26 pmcheck out the photo of the apple on this page, it has apple scab and looks like your apples, At least your problem has a cure, I have a beautiful peach tree and have only gotten three peaches off of it.. There are numerous little peaches in the spring, but as they grow there is a thief who prowls my yard and just loves peaches, I have watched as he scurried up the tree stole a peach and ran… fuzzy tail waving goodby as he heads up his favorite tree… good thing he dosen’t like my orange or tangerine trees..
http://www.thetreegeek.com/problems/apple-scab/?gclid=CLvm2vWoiLICFQoFnQodRGgAZA
Emilie says
August 28, 2012 at 8:34 amDarn thief! 🙂 Sorry about your peaches.
Thanks for the advice! Now I need read up more on how to prevent it!
Lisa R says
August 27, 2012 at 12:55 pmI was reading an article because im trying figure out whats happening to my first time garden except with veggies. i had come across something about apple scab that is caused by a fungus, try looking into that. I hope u have better luck than I am
sibabe64 at ptd dot net
Emilie says
August 28, 2012 at 8:33 amLisa, I think you are right! Thanks for your help. I’m off to learn more about how to prevent it. Good luck with your garden!
Cat Davis - Food Family Finds says
August 27, 2012 at 4:27 pmOh no. 🙁 I’ve never seen that before. I wonder if they’re still edible.
Cat Davis - Food Family Finds says
August 27, 2012 at 4:29 pmMaybe this can help identify the problem, lots of pictures but they all kinda look the same.
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/disease_descriptions/disease_images/viskeyafr.html
Emilie says
August 28, 2012 at 8:30 amThanks, this visual is great! I’m thinking it is apple scab as others have suggested. 🙁
michelle w says
August 28, 2012 at 5:06 pmWish I had an apple tree. right now we just started growing a pessimism tree. I have no clue how to solve your dilemma. I hope you find an answer to your problem
Emilie says
August 30, 2012 at 8:40 amLOL Michelle! Good luck with your pessimism tree! 🙂 I’ll just hope that one doesn’t grow around here. Every once in a while we get some Negative Nancy weeds though but I try to rip them out by the roots. Ha!
Debbie Welchert says
August 30, 2012 at 12:37 amHow lucky you are to have your own apple tree. We don’t have one but we live in a very small town and there are lots of people who have apple trees and don’t want their apples. So this year we have been getting quite a few apples. They do have marks on them too, we just cut them out. They are so yummy.
Emilie says
August 30, 2012 at 8:52 amIt is so nice when others share, isn’t it? Hopefully these apples are great but if not, I’m pretty sure we can get some from our neighbors who have plenty and don’t pick them all! 🙂
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs says
August 31, 2012 at 7:22 pmWhat a contrast! I certainly hope you can help your tree 🙁 My lemon tree has been devoured by something so all the leaves are almost gone/chewed off.
Jennifer Young says
September 3, 2012 at 8:13 amOh no! My friend’s apples aren’t doing well this year either, which is too bad because my girls and I LOVE to go pick apples at her house!
Liz Ticona says
September 3, 2012 at 11:38 pmHmm sorry I don’t know what could’ve happened to your apples, though you may have the answer to that by now but I just wanted to comment on how pretty your apple tree is and how great it looked. I’m sure it’ll go back to that. I’ve always wanted an apple tree and then have my kids go to collect the apples so I could make apple pies or whatever other dish I choose to. I hope one day to have one like the one you have ? Let us know what happened with your tree and your apples!
Crissa Robertson says
September 6, 2012 at 12:31 pmSorry about your apples 🙁 What a bummer! What I wouldn’t give for a fruit tree…any kind of fruit tree. I have to beg my neighbors to have some of their fruit. My hubby just thinks they are too messy.
Good luck with figuring out what is going on!
Jamie says
October 8, 2012 at 1:24 pmDid you find out what it was? I want to plant an apple tree, I have a great spot. I wonder how long they take till they start getting apples.