Apple tree - leaves and blossom loss

[Megalodon5]

Did the damage start with the new growth or did it affect old leaves as well?

This is a very good point. Also, is the damage on just the outer branches (the thin small ones) or the main one in the middle?

 

[MiniOrchardDude]

If not fireblight it might be wood borers at the larva stage. Looks exactly like my peach and nectarines last year. Drying out at the tips. Wood borers prefer new tip growth where they burrow. Lost my entire crop to them.

This year I started spraying in rotation once a week with Thiricide, neem and spinosad. The borers are still showing up but no where near as bad. Once I first notice it I cut it off to an outer facing bud.

Any infected fruit, leaves or branches should be burned.

When I figured out what happened it was to late. Read up on their life cycle to better understand and control them. However, this year I have a plan and it is working. Had to Organza bag my fruit because of the infestation. I bagged 700 fruits. About 30 have dropped as they were infected when I bagged them.

I hope controling them for a couple years and I won't have to bag anymore. Never had to do it before but my focus on disease made me drop the ball on the insects since it was never a problem. I created the problem with all the fruit trees I added over time.

 

[MiniOrchardDude]

I saw what I was refering to a couple of days as I was working out there. When I came back the next day I could not find it. Today i was determined and found it.

Here it is.

MOD

 

[YumYum]

Cut it off below the brown. Don't compost or save it.