Fruit tree disaster

Hi All, I have a major problem with fruit trees in my garden, 1st I had a cooking apple tree which developed bat brown rot/canker, this spread to a desert pear tree. I cut down the apple tree which was beyond hope trying to save the pear tree spraying the pear tree several times with appropriate treatment. This years fruit have all been badly affected with heavy spotting and splitting fruit and so have decided to get rid of this pear tree and try to find a disease resistant desert pear tree (my conference is unaffected). I have now discovered that a cherry tree which was newly planted has been badly affected by a bright yellow/orange rust on the underside of the leaf which has started to spread to the join of the leaf and the branch. My garden is of clay soil and is usually wettish and is adjacent to farm land, Is there anything I can do to stop these constant attacks on my fruit trees? are there resistant strains of cooking apple and pear? or do I have to resign myself to buying my fruit from the supermarket?

 

There are disease resistant fruit trees. You need to look at the Brogdale site for good information. However, I would say that most of your trouble stems from the growing situation. No fruit trees really appreciate wet clay soil. Before planting any more trees I would suggest that you improve the qualit of the soil, especially as far as the drainage is concerned.
Cherry trees are suffering from fungal attacks this year, blame the weather for that. All you can do there is spray and collect up any fallen leaves and burn or bin, not compost.

 

Thank you for that, I have improved the top soil (18") as best as I can but the clay is at least 30 foot deep and my garden is adjacent to old dew ponds from which the old farmers used to obtain clay for their bricks. I have a dry (now) dyke at the end of my garden but the clay will not let the garden drain into it even from proper land drain piping. I think a big problem is that the root system cannot get through the clay and rots in the continual dampness. Thanks for the info on the cherry tree, have pruned it back and will monitor the growth during the next year.
regards

 

It sounds a bit of a problem then. Tree roots, even fruit tree ones. tend to go down about a third as far up the tree goes. If there is a pan of clay like that then you are going to have to improve the soil for at least twice that depth and possible even more. The trouble then is that you are creating a 'sump' into which the rest of the garden will drain. I know, I have been there!The trees then are sitting in even wetter soil. It is the lack of oxygen which is the problem. Oxygen is drawn into the soil as water passes through it (Very, very simplistic that, the actual process is much more complicated and hard to explain).
Sorry but I cannot off hand think of anything you can do. Plant the trees in raised beds perhaps? At least you have access to lots of stone to build the walls, living in Ashbourne.

 

Hi Palustris
you are right as far as the "sump" effect! I planted an apple tree and decided after four years that it wasnt healthy enough and literally pulled it out of the ground with one hand, it had been bedded in what had become dirt mush!
Fresh problem which has arose, my vic plum tree which is three years old has produced so many fruit that the branches are being ripped off the tree from the weight, the tree is so damaged that I may have to replace it but for future use, does one reduce the amount of fruit on each branch or support the branch (if so how?)

 

We have had the same problem. I pruned off the broken branches as they were superfluous anyway. Supporting branches is not that easy, but I have seen it done very sucessfully with brooms. Brush part under the branch and pole part sitting on a piece of slate.

 

Not so much for fruit trees, but I have supported low growing branches on trees buy driving a square piece of 2 by 2 down the side of the branch and into the ground, then screw a short section of 2 by 2 to the first piece at the required height.
You just then strap the branch to the prop with a tree tie.

 

Forget doing anything to your trees at the moment as I'm not sure you have identified the problem. Brown rot is differnt to canker.

Questions
How big are the trees, what are the rootstocks and how far apart are they planted. Are they in shade. Generally prune apples and pears in the winter. Stone fruits in early/mid summer.

Lots of diseases are caused and spread by poor air circulation.

RE - bending/breaking branch by having too much fruit is often caused by lack or or incorrect pruning. Once a branch goes out of shape it stays that way. Prune back to a branch that is going in the right direction.

Thats my irritable thoughts for tonight.

and get the excellent RHS book on pruning. Its a must

 

Hi Jurassic, thanks for your reply! sorry if my problems have irritated you?
in reply the trees were at least twenty foot apart and the apple tree was 25ft the pear was fan shaped to approx 15ft and the plum tree was three years old and about 12ft, they are in direct sunlight but we are surrounded by major trees (to 60-75ft)on all sides. My front garden had to be "pea gravelled" as it is wet at all times (even in draughts)and the main back garden is either very wet or baked clay depending on the current weather, The dyke running at the bottom of my garden was built to supply water to Sudbury Hall to power the water lift and is not in any way land drainage, I have attempted to put in some land drains but they choked up very quickly.
I take on your comment about pruning, I must get the confidence to master it and will obtain the book you mentioned, I may have caused damage to the trees in the past from ill informed actions. I will however attempt also to support the plum branches to stop further damage.
I have a photo ready to post and will do so as soon as I suss out the procedure to do it
thanks again

 

Nothing to do with fruit trees per se, but drainage. This sounds silly, but the way to help drain a garden is to dig a ditch across the HIGHEST point of the land. A ditch at the bottom is actually draining your neighbour below you. Said it sounded silly, but the ditch at the top interrupts the flow of water from above which is, believe it or not the major source of water.

 

Palustris,

Agreed


Rockpebblar,

Drainage, double-digging and huge amounts of compost to break-up the clay.

good luck ( and I was just cross and tired)

Adrian

 

Hello Jurassic and Palustris
thanks for the replies, I acknowledge the desperate need for land drainage and as previously stated I did try some years ago and put in some land drain piping feeding into the highest point of the garden which happens to be the dyke using layers of pea gravel and sand and then soil but they quickly choked up (possibly from rat sabotage. In reality I am now too old to attempt major excavation work so possibly will have to accept that growing decorative florwere/shrubs or even rice is a better possibility that growing trees that are susceptable to "spore" type infections (including roses, a pity as my Aviary birds all eat lots of fruits.I have posted a photo of my garden onto the "newcomers page" and the pear tree is central. one last question please, if I cut the pear tree down to say five (ish) feet, would the tree be weakened too much so regrow again (I am thinking all new growth could be sprayed from new and thus elimate the brown rot etc, or could I allow one of the root suckers it constantly produces be grown into a mature fruit producing tree

 

Hi Rockpebblar,

Garden looks great to me.

Suckers will be coming from rootstock and therefore would be useless for fruit. Judging by size of tree it looks like a vigorous (spelling not right)stock. It would be a shame to lose it so try a normal prunning routine on your fruit trees.

Get a decent book on fruit tree growing. Treat yourself to the RHS encyclopedia of gardening. Your trees have scab which is treatable.

from said book.

Cause. fungi that thrive in damp weather.
Control. Keep the plant opened-centred and prune out infected shoots and fruits. Rake up and burn all fallen leaves.. Spray plant with fungicide.

 

Thanks Jurrasic
will look out for RHS and gen up on pruning etc, Have just found out my trusty conference pears now have brown rot, I just cant win! Have been collecting and disposing of all leaves in garden for three years now and sprayed several times last and this year but it seems to have really settled in the tree/soil. as said, I will gen up on pruning and take the trees back as far as possible. Thanks again
rp