When the pink and white flowers of the apple tree open in spring, this gives hope for a rich harvest. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for these to suddenly begin to wilt and for the buds to stop opening at all.
Why do the blossoms on the apple tree dry up?
If the flowers on the apple tree wither, the cause can be eithera widespread fungal disease or the apple blossom pierce. However, both the Monilia tip drought and the beetle that sucks out the buds can be easily combated with ecologically compatible measures.
Do flowers dry up when attacked by the apple blossom pruner?
This weevil, four millimeters long and two millimeters wide, begins a so-calledripening attack on the first warm days of spring, which leads to thewithering of the apple blossomsand thus leads to crop failures.
The pest bores into the swelling buds and sucks the plant sap. This causes the petals to wither and fall off. If the infestation is severe, many buds no longer open at all and remain in the mouse-ear stage.
How can I prevent damage from the apple blossom pruner?
It is important tocheck theapple tree several timesthoroughlyat the time of flowering.
- Discover apple blossom beetles on the trunk or shoots, read the beetles and destroy them before the animals can lay eggs.
- If the infestation is severe, you will have to use an insecticide (€9.00 on Amazon), as there are unfortunately no effective home remedies against the pest.
- Under the trade name “Spinosad” you can get a preparation that is approved for organic cultivation. It is ecologically comparatively well tolerated.
What disease causes wilting of flowers and shoots?
TheMonilia lace drought first infects the flowers,which suddenly begin to wilt due to the fungal attack. A short time later, the newly formed leaves hang limply at the tips of the shoots and dry out. Within a few days, the affected parts of the plant die, with occasional gum flow at the transition point between the diseased and he althy wood.
Typically the dry shoots will not sprout and, unless you cut them out, will remain on the tree until the next winter.
How can I prevent or combat lace drought?
AnInfectioncaused by this fungal pathogenoccursmostlythrough infected parts of plants,for this reason must be removed regularly:
- Cut out the affected shoots deep into the he althy wood.
- Since the spores survive in the compost, dispose of the cuttings in household waste.
- This also applies to fallen leaves and windfall.
Tip
Thinning out apple tree blossoms for consistent yields
Some apple varieties produce a lot of flowers one year and very few the next. To prevent this, you should thin out the abundance of flowers a little. The sooner you do this, the easier it is to prevent an alternation the following year.
