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| I moved into my house about 2 years ago and it came with two crab apple trees. In the first year, the leaves started having brown spots. The year after, the spots did not reappear.
Now I think it's apple scab. Last year, there was drought, so there was less fugus. This year was particularly wet. My next question is what shouid I do? Many article suggest that I cut down the tree and plant some resistent variety. I rather not do that. The alternative is to rack up all of the leave and spray the tree with with fungicide in spring or do nothing. My question is if I do nothing, will the tree die? There are leaves on the tree even now, thought it's more sparse than last year. I am ok with it looking ratty each year unless it kills the tree. If I do have to spray, what do you suggest is the less toxic alternative? I notice that neem oil is suggested but is not proven to work. Finally, has anyone try using a shopvac to pick up leaves rather than racking, those leaves are tiny and hard to rack. Paul |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I have seen crabapples live for many years "looking ratty" with scab. I am one of those people that would cut it down and replant a resistant tree rather than messing with the annual detailed cleanup and spraying. If you do spray, it takes three applications per spring starting at blossom and being repeated at 7-10 day intervals. I've heard of neem oil being used for anthracnose and rust, but I'm not sure about scab. Maybe someone else can give an opinion on that. hortster
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- Posted by dan_staley 5b/SS 2b AHS 6-7 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 15, 11 at 18:15
| What hortster said. Dan |
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| Some people ignore there trees/yards/etc and just let everything fend for itself in the jungle. Then there's the opposite extreme where people try to baby their sickly plants as if they were a sick family member. I have trouble understanding those extremes. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 16, 11 at 7:43
| its not worth the chemical exposure .... it could live for another 50 years, as is ... either IGNORE IT .... or GET RID OF IT ... but dont waste your time, money and health on using chems .... [and trust me.. i have no fear of chems ... WHEN APPROPRIATE] ken |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 16, 11 at 10:20
| here is another way of thinking about it ... with the requisite spraying schedule.. you could grow edible apples... and if so.. why fool around with a crab ... the only reason i dont grow apples.. is that there is so much spraying.. its cost negative .... not to mention my personal exposure to the aerial application of spray .. ken |
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