How to treat apple trees in the fall: combating diseases and pests

In this article, we'll discuss in detail how and what to do to treat apple trees for diseases and pests in the fall. With the arrival of autumn, gardeners' workload naturally slows down, but it's too early to rest. After the main harvest, fruit trees, including apple trees, need to be prepared for winter.

This is an extremely important stage of work, as autumn treatment protects against the development of diseases, pest attacks, and rodent infestations in the spring. These measures lead to an increase in future harvests. Among the main ones ways to prepare apple trees for winter Fertilizing, mandatory watering, and pruning are also necessary. Chemical treatments (spraying), whitewashing, and insulation of the trunk are also included.

About autumn infections on apple trees (signs and how to spot them):

1. Gardeners often notice dark spots and cracks on the fruit. The apples also dry out prematurely and fall off. Check the undersides of the leaves for a brown or green coating. These two symptoms, taken together, indicate the tree is infected with the common disease scab. It's essential to treat the tree with urea in the fall (0.5 kg of urea diluted in a liter of water).
2. If there are ulcerated lesions on the bark, sometimes the bark even turns red and branches dry out, then this is a canker. To get rid of it, remove all infected parts of the apple tree, whitewash the trunk, and then spray the tree with Homa solution.
3. Autumn whitewashing after removing all infected areas will also help against black (European) apple canker, which often occurs on old trees.
4. Milky obelisk is revealed by dark spots on the bark and trunk itself. This will require spraying and also whitewashing the trunk with a special solution (specific solutions for whitewashing apple trees are discussed in the final section of this article).
5. If lichen appears, it is necessary to clean the trunk of the infection, and then treat the tree with a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate (oxalic acid can be used instead).
6. In case of tinder fungus infestation, it is necessary to disinfect the cut of the tree with a 5% copper sulfate solution, then coat these areas with garden pitch.
7. Due to temperature fluctuations during the transition from summer to autumn, reddish burns may appear on tree trunks. These can be treated with a mixture of clay and mullein; garden putty can also be used instead. To prevent winter burns, whitewash the tree and wrap the trunk.

On the video on the topic, how it is carried out apple tree processing In the fall, you can also detect hidden infections from diseases and pests, which will be present in fallen leaves or bark. With the arrival of spring, such infections will gain renewed strength, so fall is a good time to carry out effective preventative measures.

What to do to protect yourself from hidden infections

Powdery mildew is the most common pest here. It tends to overwinter in apple trees, so gardeners should consider using a 1% Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate solution (dilute 50 grams of the solution in a bucket of water), adding 20 grams of laundry soap shavings, and spraying the tree.

Be sure to burn fallen leaves and treat the crown with Bordeaux mixture to protect the apple tree from possible brown spot in the spring. To eliminate moniliosis, collect rotten apples and dig up the soil beneath the tree.

Pests that overwinter

Various pests can shelter for the winter in the bark, soil, and fallen leaves near the tree. These include beetles and larvae, silkworms, young bark beetles, winter moths, goose beetles, ticks, and apple moths.

To protect the garden and heal the plants, you'll need to help the tree. Autumn work in this regard includes pruning branches and any undergrowth beneath the apple tree. It's essential to carefully and thoroughly trim the trunk, spray the tree, and whitewash it. Collect and remove any leaves and unwanted fruit from the tree's undergrowth. Apply additional shoring to the trunk. get rid of aphids on apple trees.

How and what to spray with

This article mentioned that spraying apple trees in the fall against diseases and pests with urea or Bordeaux mixture is an important way to treat them. However, whitewashing the trees is crucial in autumn garden maintenance. The first step is always spraying, which will prevent the development of fungi and rot infections and kill pests.

Please note! Even if active and regular fall spraying is carried out, it's only a preventative measure. Additional treatments are still required in the spring.

Spraying your garden should begin after all the leaves have fallen. If you start before then, the leaves will burn, which is fatal to the tree itself. Typically, the active spraying period in many regions of our country begins in November, but here too, it's not a good idea to wait until the last minute: you need to get started before the frost sets in.

Tree spraying is done on a clear, windless day. You can simply use a broom for spraying, as was done in the old days. However, today, to simplify the process, you can purchase a handheld or pump sprayer. Be sure to follow personal safety precautions, wearing protective clothing, gloves, goggles, and a respirator.

We discussed the appropriate temperature for treating apple trees for diseases and pests in the fall: the leaves should be completely shed, and this should be done before frost sets in. Before starting work, inspect the tree; if any affected areas are found, remove them (carefully look under the bark, where insects and larvae like to hide for the winter).

Prune damaged branches and treat the cuts with garden pitch. Remove fallen fruit, branches, and debris from under the tree, and burn them. Now dilute the chosen solution, stir several times, and shake well. If the solution is not mixed properly, the treatment will be uneven, which could even lead to the death of the apple tree if the solution is concentrated too much in a particular area.

Spraying technologies depending on the selected composition:

1. Urea is used to kill larvae, but it's extremely aggressive and should only be used after the leaves have fallen. Two liters of solution is sufficient for treating a young apple tree, while mature trees require up to ten liters. For autumn treatment, a 5% solution is prepared. Only the trunk, branches, and soil are treated (even if the fallen leaves have not yet been collected).
   Copper sulfate is a reliable protection against many diseases and helps against ticks and beetles.
2. Bordeaux mixture is a preventative measure against fungal infections. A 3% solution should be applied in the fall. You can buy a ready-made mixture, or you can mix 400 grams of slaked lime and 300 grams of copper sulfate per 20 liters of water and apply this mixture.
3. Treating apple trees in the fall with iron sulfate is unique because it destroys pests, prevents diseases, and saturates the soil and tree itself with iron.

These are the key aspects of autumn apple tree treatment. As you can see, there's a lot to consider and understand, including which treatment is best suited for your orchard and which product is best to achieve your specific goals.