Spotty Bramleys

Here is a photo of two of my Bramley apples. The tree is at least twenty years old and has always produced beautiful big, clean apples until this year. This year, every single apple is half its normal size and covered with these spots. What is going on?

 

It's apple scab.
Some info from RHS on it-
Apple scab and pear scab / RHS

The best treatment, if you're prepared to go that way, is a copper-based fungicide. Realistically, it's the only method to control it.

I don't think it's bitter-pit, but have a look here to confirm-
Bitter pit in apples / RHS

 

Thanks for that. Well, the tree is about thirty feet tall and almost as much across. I’ll not be fungiciding it! Easier to go to the Co-op.

 

Or just peel the apples!

 

I was thinking bitter pit.

 

No, it’s scab. Yes, I could peel them but they are so small this year (like a regular eating apple) that I can’t be bothered. I’ll leave them for the birds and the squirrels (who have already done a pretty good job of destroying half the crop already). Bloody wildlife, eh?

 

By the description you have given, I'm guessing that no life-care is given to your tree; pruning, feeding, codling control etc. It might be worth getting a professional gardener to do the necessary, especially as Argentinian (!) Bramleys are north of £3 per kilo......

 

My OH and I do prune it, he more than I.

We are lucky that Codlin moth has never been a problem here.

Feeding, it doesn’t get - we bought it believing what the label said about it being on a dwarfing rootstock. It now taps on the bedroom windows to wake us up!

It is usually very healthy. In fact, the leaves this year look fine, it’s just the apples that are spotty.

It has been very wet this year so I’m putting it down to that.

I usually leave buckets of them out on the pavement for people to take home. I’m too embarrassed by the look of them to do it this year. They’ll make good compost!

 

Or cider if that's your thing.