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jenky apples on tree: why/how to rectify? #803477

Asked July 28, 2022, 12:10 PM EDT

An unattended apple tree on our property is producing misshapened fruit with small brown spots/holes.  I am wondering what the problem is and how to rectify it.  Could you please help me with this issue?

Thanks!

Huron County Michigan

Expert Response

There are a number of different things attacking your apples and causing them to be discolored and misshapen. To address each issue is beyond the scope of what I can do via this platform (Ask Extension). 

Briefly, it looks to me like you have plum curculio attacking the fruits, which causes the brown russeted patches that are roughly D-shaped. In addition, you may have codling moth boring into the fruits. This is what causes what looks like chewed up apple bits to be  deposited on the surface of one of the fruits in your picture. The distorted fruit growth can be caused by a number of things, but feeding by stink bugs (Order Hemptera, family Pentatomidae) or other hemipteran insects is pretty likely.

These are all very common problems that we see in apples in Michigan and they can be resolved. I would recommend that you check out these resources to help you plan for next year so that you can have a more enjoyable harvest next time around: 

General tree fruit care and culture:

Considerations for growing backyard tree fruit http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/considerations_for_growing_backyard_tree_fruit

Pdf: https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/backyard%20tree%20fruit%20-%20web.pdf

Pruning and training backyard fruit trees: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/smart-gardening-pruning-and-training-backyard-apple-and-pear-trees

Pdf: https://www.canr.msu.edu/home_gardening/uploads/files/smartgardening-pruningfruit-web.pdf

Renovating old fruit trees:

Oregon State University

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/berries-fruit/restore-those-old-fruit-trees

Growing Apples in Wisconsin: https://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A3565.pdf

Michigan Fruit Management Guide (for commercial fruit growers) E154 available for purchase at local extension offices or at http://shop.msu.edu/product_p/bulletin-e0154.htm .

Home fruit spray schedule from University of New Hampshire Extension:

https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource005256_Rep7402.pdf

Managing pests in home fruit plantings (Purdue University Extension, ID-146-W):

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-146-w.pdf

Bagging fruit to protect it from pests and diseases:

https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef218

https://www.clemson.edu/extension/peach/commercial/diseases/clemsonfruitbags.html




An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 02, 2022, 12:08 PM EDT
Greetings!
Thank you for responding to my question and providing a hearty amount of information to help me resolve this issue.
Your time and expertise are appreciated.
Debb

On Tue, Aug 2, 2022 at 12:08 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied August 15, 2022, 8:18 AM EDT

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