Apple leaves turn yellow in June: what to do and why it happens - a guide for gardeners
In June, the apple tree forms the ovary of the future harvest and continues to grow shoots, so the tree needs nitrogen-potash fertilizers during this period. They are introduced by root and foliar methods - the plant receives nutrients through the roots and leaves. If microelements are not enough, the tree develops slowly, the shoots dry out, and the leaves turn yellow. Also, changes in leaf color can be caused by pests, diseases, errors in planting and care. Why the leaves of the apple tree turn yellow in June and what to do about it, we will tell in the article.
The content of the article
Causes of yellowing of apple leaves in June
Experienced gardeners recommend that you immediately find out the cause of yellowing and, depending on it, choose the methods of treating the tree. The sooner you take action, the better for the apple tree and yield..
Lack of nutrients
The apple tree needs nitrogen - the main element in the nutrition of the tree... With its lack, the plant stops growing, the green mass loses its color and withers. The fruits that are set do not ripen, they acquire a faded color.
Top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers is carried out in spring or early summer, when the apple tree is in the stage of rapid growth. Summer residents use ammonium and sodium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate.
The second most important element in the nutrition of a fruit tree is phosphorus... Its deficiency affects flowering and fruiting. The growth of roots and young shoots stops, the leaves dry out and turn yellow, the fruits become sour or tasteless. Some trees have red streaks on the leaves. In the summer, phosphorus is introduced through the foliar subcortex. Solutions are made based on phosphate rock, double superphosphate, ammophos.
Yellowing of the leaves is also observed from a lack of iron... This problem is especially common on calcareous soils. Iron is not absorbed by the plant, which is why the leaves change color, dry out and fall off. Due to a deficiency of a trace element, the apple tree becomes ill with chlorosis. It manifests itself first on young, and then on adult plants. Treat the apple tree with a chelate solution. To make it, you need 3 liters of water, 12 g of citric acid and 8 g of ferrous sulfate.
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Diseases
Diseases occur for various reasons: lack of food, improper care, frequent weather changes, high humidity. Sometimes fungal spores and bacteria enter the plant through gardening equipment or through rain and wind. The leaves of the tree turn yellow due to rust, chlorosis, brown spot.
Rust
Fungal disease loves thickened plantings, weeds, poor soil... At the first stage, reddish small spots appear on the leaves, which soon increase in size and become orange-yellow. The apple tree loses moisture, becomes weak, susceptible to other diseases.
For rust treatment, use colloidal sulfur solution - 40 g is diluted in 5 liters of water. If the disease is at an advanced stage, then gardeners use the preparations "Champion" or "Abiga-Peak".
Brown spot
The disease spreads in conditions of high air temperatures and rainy weather... The development of acidic soil, underground groundwater nearby, lack of phosphorus. The leaves are covered with brown-yellow spots with a thin border. The fruit itself looks healthy but loses its flavor.
When brown spot is found the apple tree is treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or iodine.
Chlorosis
Chlorosis causes metabolic disorders and tree wilting... The leaves turn yellow and are covered with dark dots of different diameters. In addition to a lack of iron, the causes of the disease are improper care, a deficiency of magnesium and potassium, and a lack of oxygen.
Chlorosis is treated with root dressings - add 25 g of potassium sulfate or 50 g of azophoska (per 1 sq. M). In 5 days spray the tree with a solution of ferrous sulfate, after loosening the soil to a depth of 8 cm.
Attention! Chlorosis can easily be confused with other diseases - mosaic or chlorotic ring spot. With mosaic, the leaves are covered not only with spots, but also with stripes of different lengths. With annular spotting, small spots turn yellow, forming noticeable rings.
Pests
Pest insects love weeds and dense plantings... Many of them hibernate in the soil and appear outside only with the arrival of spring. Most insects suck sap from leaves and shoots, which disrupts metabolic processes, the apple tree loses strength and withers.
Apple aphid
Apple aphid loves young and juicy leaves, so it appears on the tree in late spring or early summer... The length of the insect is no more than 2 mm, in order to detect it, you have to carefully examine the leaves. Aphids live in colonies, capable of destroying not only the apple tree harvest, but also other plants in the neighborhood.
Get rid of it with a solution of wood ash - Stir 100 g in 5 liters of water. Spray leaves and shoots from all sides.
Bukarka
Adult beetles damage shoots and fruits, and the larvae move to the leaves, gnaw small holes in them. Because of this, the leaf plate loses vitamins, deforms and dries up. It is no longer possible to save it, gardeners remove it from the tree and burn it.
Untouched leaves are treated with chlorophos solution... If the larvae do not disappear within two weeks, re-spraying is carried out.
Winter moth
For apple trees, both green caterpillars and gray-yellow butterflies are dangerous... The pest hibernates successfully in cracks in the bark and branches. It appears on trees in summer or autumn. Gnaws leaves, flowers, buds. Gardeners inspect the tree, if they find a moth's nest, they remove and burn it.
For prophylaxis, the apple tree is sprayed with tobacco solution 2 times a month - 200 g of dry and crushed tobacco leaves are soaked in 10 liters of warm water.
Agrotechnical errors
Yellowing of foliage can also be caused by agricultural mistakes.... For example, an apple tree was planted in an acidic and dark area that is constantly blown by the winds. Because of this, the tree is often sick, gives a poor harvest.
Gardeners make such mistakes:
- They feed the apple tree too often, which leads to an excess of trace elements. It is recommended to observe the frequency of fertilization and the dosage, to feed the tree no more than 1 time in 3-4 weeks.
- When planting, seedlings and soil are not disinfected, old or diseased planting material is used.
- They are planted next to neighbors that are not suitable for an apple tree - raspberries or gooseberries. Plants do not take root, they take nutrients from each other.
- Do not remove weeds that are home to pests.
- They overmoisten the soil, which causes fungal diseases, and the roots of the plant rot.
What to do, how to save a tree
To get rid of problems and save the harvest, summer residents recommend paying attention agrotechnical measures: processing, feeding, pruning. Proper care and treatment will guarantee results.
What to do if leaves fall
If the leaves fall off and turn yellow, disease may be the cause. It is recommended to remove all damaged leaves and shoots and burn them... If there are many foci of infection, sanitary pruning is carried out. Remove all diseased and dry shoots, as well as young shoots and branches on which there are no fruits. This is done in the morning using a garden pruner, pre-treated with a solution of copper sulfate.
Wounds are covered with linseed oil or oil paint. The remaining shoots and leaves are sprayed with the preparations "Raek", "Tiovit Jet", "Fitolavin", "Phytomycin".
5 days after treatment, the soil is fed with organic fertilizers - rotted manure or compost is laid out under the trees. Organic matter nourishes the earth and helps the tree recover faster. For young apple trees, liquid dressings are used - 0.5 liters of mullein are diluted in 10 liters of water and the plant is sprayed.
Attention! Novice gardeners are afraid to prune the plant, believing that this will slow down the development of the fruit. This is not so - a tree cut on time gives a good harvest and is less sick.
If the leaves turn yellow on a young apple tree
Young plants are characterized by fragile immunity. Yellow leaves are a sign of an unsuitable planting site, poor adaptation, sudden changes in weather.... It is recommended to fertilize the plant with the Rostmoment mineral complex. It accelerates the growth and development of apples, increases resistance to weather conditions. In 10 liters of water, diluting 5 g of the drug, add at the root.
Some summer residents prefer folk dressing. Wood ash is used - it contains calcium, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum. For 1 sq. m leaves 400 g of dry matter. Ash is brought into special holes located 10 cm from the trunk.
If the problem occurs on seedlings
For planting use two-year-old seedlings with a developed root system. They are placed in a well fertilized with organic matter, sprinkled with loose and dry soil. If the leaves turn yellow, then the reason lies in the wrong planting place, diseased seedlings, poor soil.
Transplanting an apple tree to a new place is dangerous - it is another stress for the plant. therefore it is better to manually remove yellow leaves and add growth stimulants to the soil "Root Super", "Ribav-Extra" or "Fitozont". They help seedlings quickly adapt to external conditions, increase yields and strengthen the plant's immunity.
After the apple tree is mulched, this suppresses the development of weeds and retains moisture. Sawdust, hay, ash, sand, cut grass are used as mulch. Some gardeners prefer decorative wood chips - they have a beneficial effect on the development of the tree and decorate the garden area.
Preventive measures
Summer residents regularly spray the apple tree with folk and chemical preparations... The simplest and most effective of them is a solution of wood ash or Bordeaux liquid. The procedure is performed once every 10-15 days. It helps protect the plant from insects and diseases, many of which cause yellow leaves.
Before feeding, the apple tree must be watered - this way the fertilizers are absorbed faster... One tree takes about 10-15 liters of water. The older the apple tree, the higher the consumption. Before watering, the soil is loosened so that the water penetrates deeper to the roots, and does not evaporate from the soil surface.
Attention! For the full development of the tree, summer residents alternate root and leaf, organic and mineral fertilizing. You cannot fertilize the apple tree only with mineral complexes or organics - this will weaken the immune system and disrupt metabolic processes.
Experienced gardening tips
Experienced summer residents share their advice and recommendations that will preserve the health of apple trees:
- pits are prepared 1 month before planting and fertilized with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers;
- the distance between trees must be at least 4 m;
- for the first watering, 25-30 liters of water are consumed;
- the apple tree is pruned once a year (in early spring or summer), the shaping procedure can be carried out in September;
- in hot and dry weather, the tree is watered abundantly;
- in June, mainly mineral fertilizers are used;
- regularly examine the plant for diseases, and if signs are found, they immediately begin treatment.
Conclusion
To protect the apple tree from yellow leaves, it is recommended to follow the planting and care rules: choose a sunny place, prepare a hole in advance, buy healthy seedlings. Leaves turn yellow for a variety of reasons. The most common are diseases, insect pests, mistakes in agricultural technology.
Complex and organic fertilizing, annual pruning, mulching and loosening of the soil will help to maintain the health of the fruit tree and yield. When yellow spots are found, summer residents use chemical or folk remedies - ash, tobacco leaves, "Raek", "Rostmoment".