Causes of red leaves on an apple tree and how to treat it?

Today, almost every garden plot grows an apple tree, often not even one. Many people love this fruiting tree, because in spring it pleases the eye with luxurious flowering, and in the fall produces a magnificent harvest. Unfortunately, an apple tree, like many fruit trees, can get sick or be attacked by pests. One of the common problems are red leaves on an apple tree.

Today there are quite a few diseases of the apple tree, which can significantly change its appearance, lead to deterioration of fruits, and sometimes even the tree itself. If it is correctly recognized in the early stages of the development of the disease, treatment will be as effective as possible. Since the tree can suffer from various diseases, it is worth learning how to identify the disease.

Redness of the leaves of an apple tree is a pretty serious symptom, so you should act immediately. Gardeners mainly consider the two main causes of red leaflets on an apple tree — lack of important nutrients or pest damage.

The condition of the apple tree depends largely on the soil in which it grows. This tree feels bad in heavy clay soils, if close to the ground water or in the lowlands, where moisture often accumulates. Under such conditions, it begins to experience a shortage of important elements necessary for proper nutrition. Growing in light sandy or heavy clay soils, the tree most often lacks minerals. The apple tree needs elements such as iron, potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium. Each component is very important for the proper development and health of the tree. External symptoms show what element the tree lacks.

• The lack of a sufficient amount of potassium is manifested in the fact that a red border appears at the edges of the leaves.
• If the tree receives magnesium in small quantities, then the redness appears on the lower leaves, while it begins to spread from the middle of the leaf, as a result, the edges become purple-red. With a lack of magnesium, the tree will be harder to move the winter.

• A small amount of phosphorus leads to the fact that the leaves completely lose their usual green color, there is a bronze sheen, and then they become completely red, including veins and roots. If the tree suffers from a deficiency of this element, then it begins to bloom later, and it is also necessary to wait longer for the ripening of the crop. In addition, the tree loses cold resistance, which leads to the appearance of various diseases.
• With an insufficient amount of manganese, apple leaves are covered with spots of both red and white. Usually it is the upper leaves that suffer. The lack of this element adversely affects the yield of apple trees, and the taste of the fruit becomes bland.

It is worth noting that watering the tree in June and July plays a huge role. With an insufficient amount of water, the leaves begin to dry out, and the bark does not lose its healthy appearance. Often there are red leaves on the apple after planting in spring, if the winter was quite frosty and there was a sharp warming. In this case, you just have to wait, do not immediately cut the tree. Perhaps in 1-2 seasons it can recover on its own.

On the leaves of the apple can appear red scurf, bulging bumps, growths, bulges, blisters, dots, if it is attacked by various pests. Quite often, this tree suffers from an invasion of red-gall aphids. Red leaves appear on the leaves. If they are curled, then it is worth considering this particular pest. Currants usually suffer from gall aphids, but this insect often settles on pears and apple trees. It sucks the juice from the leaves, after which they dry, and the pest moves to healthy leaves.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to notice red-hipped aphid on an apple tree, since it is mainly located on the inside of the leaves. She prefers young and juicy shoots. Usually the gardener notices the pest after the leaves have lost their color and wrapped. If a tree attacks aphid, the ants are constantly moving along the trunk, which is also worth paying attention to. Usually these insects strike trees in dry, calm weather.

If the summer is rainy and cool, then this pest is less common, since the development of its population is significantly reduced. This insect lays eggs in the bark of the tree, and in the spring the larvae begin to feed on the sap of the tree. As a result, the leaves begin to curl, dry out, acquire purple ebb.

Quite often, the appearance of red leaves on the apple can indicate powdery mildew. This disease affects not only the leaves, but also has a negative effect on the buds, branches and bark of the plant. First there is a white bloom, which soon acquire a brown tint. Usually the leaves dry out pretty quickly and fall off. Often the young tree does not cope with this problem and dies. It happens that powdery mildew stops affecting the tree, but soon its negative effect resumes.

The appearance of pests or diseases on the apple tree indicates that you need to immediately take action to eliminate them, because the tree itself will not be able to cope with such a problem. The appearance of red leaves has a negative effect not only on the appearance of the tree, but also the harvest is deteriorating, the tree does not tolerate wintering, and in the future the apple tree can dry out. To combat red leaves, you can use various tools.

Initially, it is necessary to determine the cause of redness of the leaves of an apple tree, and only then choose the best option for treating a tree. It is necessary to first identify what affects the apple tree - a pest or lack of trace elements. So, it is worth considering what to do in specific cases.

• With a lack of phosphorus It is necessary to apply a special dressing, which contains this element. If the tree grows on acidic soil, then phosphorite should be used, in other cases superphosphate will be the ideal solution. It is also worthwhile to additionally apply fertilizers of complex effect, since they will allow to maintain an optimal balance of trace elements in the soil. As a fertilizer, you can use egg shells, because it will neutralize the acidic environment. You should take a shell of 5 or 6 eggs, chop it thoroughly, then pour it with 1 liter of water and wait 3 days to make it real. After this, the solution is ready for watering the tree.

• Quite often, when the red leaves appear, the apple tree suffers. from a lack of magnesium. In this case, the tree should be sprayed with a special solution. This action should be performed once every 10 days. For its preparation is to take 20 grams of magnesium and dilute it in 10 liters of water.In one run, you can do only four spraying, to exceed this number is not worth it, so as not to harm the tree. Fertilizers containing magnesium should be used as supplements, but only their effect will manifest itself in a few years. If the apple tree is experiencing a shortage of magnesium, it is necessary to completely eliminate potash fertilizers until it is fully restored, because an excess of potassium prevents the absorption of magnesium.
• If the apple tree not getting enough manganese, then you should prepare a special solution for spraying the tree. To prepare it, take 500 ml of manganese sulphate and dissolve it in 10 liters of water. This solution can only be used before budding on the apple tree. After this point, the following solution should be used: it is also worth taking 10 liters of water, but the amount of manganese sulphate should be only 10 grams.

If pests are found on the apple tree, then one of the following methods should be used to get rid of them.

• If she has not yet disbanded her buds, then it is worthwhile to apply various insecticides for her spraying.
• When the leaves begin to bloom, it is worth using special solutions for spraying, for example, citrus infusion, solution of medicinal chamomile or tobacco. Be sure to repeat the procedure after 10 days.
• From June to October, you can use trapping belts, which are made of corrugated paper. For the effectiveness of this method, it is worthwhile to periodically replace them, while not forgetting to clean the bark.
• Be sure to remove the tops and shoots near the roots, because usually in them the aphid lays its eggs for the winter.
• It is worth treating an apple tree in spring and autumn with a product that contains mullein and clay.

If the leaves turn red from the mechanical impact, then it is worth resorting to furrowing. To do this, it is necessary to make several cuts on the bark on the waist, and also make cuts a little lower and higher. If the tree is attacked by a red-bull aphid, then it is worth fighting against it in the spring, when the buds and leaves are blooming. Usually the most effective method is spraying. Various insecticides should be used, for example, Votafox, Karbofos, Aktellik or Sumicidin. Although folk remedies also allow you to perfectly get rid of this pest. Many gardeners recommend using ash or soap solution for spraying apple trees.

If rust has appeared on the tree, then initially it is necessary to clean the tree - completely remove all infected leaves, shoots and fruits. For the treatment of purified wood is to apply a disinfectant, for example, fungicide, 5% of copper sulfate or 1% bordoskuyu mixture.

If insecticides are used in the fight against pests, then it should be understood that the treatment should be carried out in early spring, before the buds have yet appeared on the tree. When processing, the air temperature should not exceed +5 degrees. It is necessary to spray not only the tree itself, but also the area around it. The most effective insecticides are the following drugs.

• "Pyrimix" Great for fighting moths and aphids. In order to process the apple tree as efficiently as possible, you should use a sprayer.
• "Fufanon" - Great for sawflies and cherry flies. Usually, no more than 5 liters of the product is used to treat one tree, and spraying should be done either in the early morning or in the late evening.
• "Malathion" ideal for the destruction of moths, moths and ticks. When working with him you will need a sprayer, then the tool will be applied evenly throughout the tree.
• "Nitrafen" It is designed to combat sucker and scab. This tool is used exclusively for processing trees, on the soil it should not be applied.

It is very important to notice the redness of the leaves at the very beginning in order to actively fight against diseases or pests. But many gardeners recommend to take preventive measures to prevent the appearance of various ailments and pests. This treatment should be carried out every year in spring and autumn. Experienced gardeners prefer insecticidal drugs, for example, Nitrafen, Karbofos, Iskra. With their help, apple trees are processed before the appearance of buds and leaves. Further processing is done after flowering plants.

Experts recommend not to use the same drug, it is better to alternate them. During the summer, treatment with insecticides is carried out as needed, but in the fall you simply cannot do without it, while spraying should be done before whitewashing the tree.

Before planting an apple tree, it is worth removing sandy, clayey or infertile soil, and pour garden soil into the hole, which should contain humus and peat. A great method of prevention will be planting in the first few years after planting a tree near the sideratov. These include lupine, clover and mustard. Their presence will saturate the soil with nitrogen, and also give it friability.

As a preventive measure, it is necessary to constantly dig up and loosen the soil, remove weeds. Starting from the fourth year, the apple tree needs fertilizing - nitrogen, magnesium, phosphoric and potash. Mineral fertilizers should be applied, but it is better to produce it after watering, because they are easier to digest precisely in moist soil.

In the next video, you are waiting for methods of dealing with rust on the leaves of fruit trees.