Apple scab is no fun! Have you heard about it? Or even worse, experienced it in your yard and had trees succumb to this invasive fungal disease?
It’s unfortunately an all too common sight for us in The Twin Cities area. We’ve seen this affect our customer’s homes and yards on more than one occasion. That’s why we’re trying to spread the awareness of apple scab and the best apple scab treatment methods in order to help our customers get on top of this problem before it’s too late.
So what is the lifecycle of apple scab?
In late fall/early spring it's not uncommon to see leaves starting to become infected with black or brown lesions. These can begin to appear on the fruit and this is a tell-tale sign of an infection from the previous year.
Spores are transferred from tree to tree by wind or rain
Because apple scab is a fungus, it can affect the fruit and blossoms on a tree
If left untreated the spores can reproduce and lead to further infection of leaves or fruit that are present on other trees
The infection can continue throughout the wet periods without you even noticing it
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When should you book in for apple scab treatment?
Typically, we find that April, May, June & July are the best months to schedule your Plant Health Care services. This helps us to maintain your landscape so you can enjoy the beautiful weather when it's here and will ensure your trees are fully prepared for any apple scab onslaught.
What should you be looking for?
There are some telling signs to look for when trying to spot if your tree has been infected. These are:
Brown and olive-colored spots on leaves
Leaves may turn yellow and drop from the tree but only if heavily infected
The apples on the tree may also display lesions or brown spots
The spots on the apples can become brown and corky
Infections can cause the apples to mature unevenly and even crack in some cases
What you can do to try and reduce the risk of an apple scab infection
There are a couple of things you can do to try and reduce the risk of being infected:
Book in with an ISA certified arborist at the right time of the year to ensure you have a proper consultation and plan on how to deal with an infection or the prevention of one (The best times to book are in April, May, June, or July)
Rake and dispose of fallen leaves in an efficient manner in order to avoid a build-up of leaf matter
Save the compost - Don’t compost leaves that are infected
Ensure your trees are pruned regularly by professionals in order to promote air circulation
Don’t water your trees from the top. Only water them at ground level - this helps to reduce splashback on other foliage in your yard
If you have space, plant apple trees far from other apple trees to decrease the risk of transmission
Talk to your local Twin Cities experts
We’re now taking bookings for plant health care for apple scab treatment and prevention. Get in touch for a free quote.
