A picture of your fruit would be invaluable for diagnosis. A plastic bag would probably accelerate the rot. Most fungal diseases are favored by wet conditions. Isolate the fruit that are sound from the ones showing symptoms.
Black rot (same as Diplodia) tends to be a shallow firm rot, sometimes the spot has a wood grain banding effect White rot (bot rot) tends to be a mushy rot taking over the whole fruit. Bitter rot tends to have salmon colored spores and look like a wedge when cut in cross section (i.e. extends to the core. The individual spots can take up to 10 to 20% of the surface of the fruit, but not the whole fruit. Blue mold rot tends to be mushy as well and may have a blue sporulation with white fungal growth. This can take over most of the fruit Bitter pit / corky spot is not a disease. You can find pictures of all of these with your browser. You can On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 8:15 PM, Dave and Janice Green <greenthi...@sc.rr.com> wrote: > > I am experimenting with low-chill apples at my home in coastal South > Carolina, and have felt that these had some possiblities. I know I'm > stretching the limits of apple range, but I love my apples. > > The oldest tree, a Pink Lady semi-dwarf, is loaded with apples this year. > After some tree training last year, it blossomed well this spring and I got > good pollination. I did some hand thinning, probably not enough. > > I've not felt it necessary to spray - no insect damage on the fruit, and > minimal insect damage on the leaves. The fruit has sized up nicely, and > other than cosmetic green spots on the skins (which I can live with), I had > reason to expect a couple bushels of fruit from this tree. > > It is just starting to show color. However many of the fruits are getting a > lesion, which turns into a rot spot very quickly and spreads throughout the > apple within 3-4 days. I can see my anticipated crop evaporating... > > I did some Internet searching, and find the symptoms are very similar to > those described at http://orgprints.org/13668/ on organic fruit in Europe.. > So I wonder if it could be Diplodia seriata causing my problem as well. > > While the description fits, there was little remedy suggested for the > problem. > > Is it too late to save the remainder with a fungicide? What material would > I use? > > Weather has been mid-90's, occasionally 100, high humidity, with quick and > heavy showers once or twice a week. > > There are some other questions I'd like to run by the experts, but this one > is urgent... > > Dave Green > Retired beekeeper/horticultural junkie > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard > <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements > <webmas...@virtualorchard.net>. > > Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent > "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the > content. > > > > > > -- Bill Shane District Extension Educator SW Mich Res & Extension Center Michigan State University 1791 Hillandale Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 269-944-1477 x 205; 269-208-1652 cell -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements <webmas...@virtualorchard.net>. Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the content.
