[Lesley Silvester]

I had a good crop of apples and an equally good crop of plums but they didn't stay good. Most of the apples develop bruises after picking although they are handled careful. I've not been able to wrap any to store so far this year. The plums (Victoria) are mostly going rotten on the tree. I've always had some that did but most of them were good. This year it's the other way round and I've hardly been able to use any.
Any ideas anyone?

[Fleecewife]

   Are you sure the apple marks are bruises?  They could perhaps be caused by lack of calcium, I think it is.  Ah yes, from Chris Bowers:

<< Bitter Pit
This is a physiological disorder caused by a lack of calcium in the soil. Calcium can be given as a supplement but often the problem arises because of the trees’ inability to take up and absorb the calcium. For this reason heavy watering during dry spells can help, as will a good mulch. Often cookers seem worse affected than eaters, but many varieties can be affected. Fruits may appear ‘good’ on the outside but when cut the flesh is riddled with small brown speckles and spots and may have a characteristic bitter taste.>>

At least you have some plums.  We had plenty of blossom but not a single plum, golden gage or damson.  Very few apples on most trees except my 'I've forgotten its name' cooker and my Blenheim Orange eater.  The cooker has a good crop of so far blemish free fruit, and the BO has a handful of fruit.

Have you had drought conditions this year?  We have had the worst drought of the 26 years we have lived here, with many young trees losing their leaves back in June, so perhaps your problems are related to that?

[macgro7]

Have you had drought conditions this year?  We have had the worst drought of the 26 years we have lived here, with many young trees losing their leaves back in June, so perhaps your problems are related to that?

Wow!
Its so amazing how varied this relatively small country is!
We, in Leicester, are having wonderfull abundance of apples this year. Cherries were fewer than last year. Quince has less fruit - and they are smaller than normal.
Plums of all varieties are growing rather well. I've been observing other people's trees in the allotment and all seem well.
Wild Plums in the Leicestershire hedgerows are laden with fruit - and they are so sweet (was actually expecting much more sour wild Plums and damsons).
My mulberry was covered in berries. Figs have been really good too - they are growing second set of fruit in fact!

[Fleecewife]

In another year we will have more than we can deal with.  Such a dry year, and early air frosts are what I assume have caused the problem.  We are at 1,000' so fruit can be quite difficult here anyway.  Strawberries, rasps brambles and so on have done fine, just tree fruit is struggling.

[Lesley Silvester]

Thank you. Interesting about the calcium, FW, because a number of the apples have blemishes but the bruises are on the outside and definitely bruises. My cooking apples look good and so do the apples from another tree so it looks likely to be a lack of nutrients. I'll look into doing some feeding. We've had a very wet summer so the problem is not due to not enough water.

My pears are doing very well, my figs too and, for the first time, I have greengages on the tree, not many but it's a start and they all look good. I have another plum tree which has never had a good crop but I think I am going to have it removed because it's supposed to be on dwarfing root stock but is growing into a full sized tree and far too near the house.

[Fleecewife]

I can't think what's causing the bruises then, unless it's the start of brown rot.


It sounds like your other fruit trees are doing really well. A beautiful plum to try is Golden Gage, usually crops heavily each year with sweet, tasty yellow fruits to eat right off the tree.  I think ours is called Oullins Golden Gage and I'm really missing the fruit this weird year.

[Lesley Silvester]

Just looked up brown rot on apples and the RHS have photos of my apples, so that must be it. It could also be the problem on the plums and the two trees are next to each other. Now need to find an organic cure.


Thank you for your advice. I'm glad I asked on here now.