Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them shows
brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil

"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them
shows brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil
It sounds like "Bitter Pit" which can be a lack of water and often affects
young trees (presumably they don't have such good root systems)
Mulch trees heavily in winter, avoid high nitrogen feeds and I have heard
tale of spraying with Calcium nitrate in summer can help, but there is
plenty online about it.
I am afraid I just live with it, some years are fine other years it can stop
us storing apples


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On 18/07/2011 15:15, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is
producing fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them
shows brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like
apple that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil
It sounds like "Bitter Pit" which can be a lack of water and often
affects young trees (presumably they don't have such good root systems)
Mulch trees heavily in winter, avoid high nitrogen feeds and I have
heard tale of spraying with Calcium nitrate in summer can help, but
there is plenty online about it.
I am afraid I just live with it, some years are fine other years it can
stop us storing apples


I concur. I had this problem 2 or 3 years ago, the supplier of the trees
recommended Calcium, I used this and have not had trouble since. It is a
shame when it spoils a good crop.

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

On Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:51:42 +0100, "TheScullster"
wrote:

Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them shows
brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil


My apples are the same. The expert down the street says the problem is
due to too much feeding, especially nitrites. I have not used any form
of fertiliser so it's a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the roots have
reached the drains!

Steve

--
Neural network software applications, help and support.

Neural Planner Software www.NPSL1.com

On Jul 18, 3:47*pm, Stephen Wolstenholme
wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:51:42 +0100, "TheScullster"





wrote:
Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them shows
brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil

My apples are the same. The expert down the street says the problem is
due to too much feeding, especially nitrites. I have not used any form
of fertiliser so it's a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the roots have
reached the drains!

Steve

--
Neural network software applications, help and support.

Neural Planner Software * *www.NPSL1.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Drought contributes to the problem as well as undeveloped root systems
on young trees, calcium deficiency, overdoing the nitrogen, probably a
bit short of potassium. During the time of fruit developing and
bulking up something like 2 inches of water every couple of weeks is
considered about right and nobody apart from possibly Dave Hill in S.
Wales has been getting anything like that.

Rod

On 18/07/2011 14:51, TheScullster wrote:
Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them shows
brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil




I agree with the others - probably bitter pit. I've always understood
it to be due to calcium shortage. There may, however, be sufficient
calcium in your soil, but the tree roots can't use it because there's
not enough moisture to make it soluble. In drought periods, extra water
is essential. Even if you add calcium, the plant can't use it unless it
is soluble. Test your soil for calcium deficiency, by all means, but
water, water and water again.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote

On 18/07/2011 14:51, TheScullster wrote:
Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them
shows
brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil




I agree with the others - probably bitter pit. I've always understood it
to be due to calcium shortage. There may, however, be sufficient calcium
in your soil, but the tree roots can't use it because there's not enough
moisture to make it soluble. In drought periods, extra water is
essential. Even if you add calcium, the plant can't use it unless it is
soluble. Test your soil for calcium deficiency, by all means, but water,
water and water again.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay


Thanks to all

Yes I did try to water frequently - not enough obviously
The tree is close to a copper beech which is probably dragging a lot of the
water away.

Phil

On Jul 18, 10:24*pm, Spider wrote:
On 18/07/2011 14:51, TheScullster wrote:





Hi all

I have a small apple tree - egremont russet I think - which is producing
fruit this year (suffered June drop or similar last year).

The apples look absolutely picture book perfect, but cutting into them shows
brown staining of the flesh.
The flesh is heavily speckled with brown, the brown being just like apple
that has been exposed to the air for an hour or more.

Anyone suggest a reason please?
Is this another symptom of the earlier dry weather this year?

TIA

Phil

I agree with the others - probably bitter pit. *I've always understood
it to be due to calcium shortage. *There may, however, be sufficient
calcium in your soil, but the tree roots can't use it because there's
not enough moisture to make it soluble. *In drought periods, extra water
is essential. *Even if you add calcium, the plant can't use it unless it
is soluble. *Test your soil for calcium deficiency, by all means, but
water, water and water again.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'm glad you made that point - it's something that's often forgotten.
All the nutrients in the world are useless unless the plant can get
them and it can only do that if they're in solution so correct
watering is vital which means watching the plants and the weather.
Watering is most effective before the plant shows much or any sign of
stress.

Rod