The most common plant in summer cottages is the apple tree. Everyone expects a bountiful harvest from her. But it happens that red leaves begin to appear on the tree and curl. This causes justifiable concern for gardeners. Affected foliage affects the growth of the plant and prevents it from developing properly. At the first sign, it is necessary to understand the reasons. Then figure out how to treat the leaves on the apple tree when they turn red and curl.
- Disease symptoms and visual signs
- Common causes of illness
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Potassium deficiency
- Phosphorus deficiency
- Magnesium deficiency
- Mechanical deformation of the cortex
- Incompatibility of rootstock and scion
- Red gall aphid
- Replenishing nutrients
- How to treat damaged wood
- How to treat red dots
- How to treat plaque
- Treating swelling on leaves
- Preventive seasonal treatments
Disease symptoms and visual signs
If the leaves are curled, then you should pay close attention to the tree. By this it communicates that the functioning of the organs has been disrupted. The lesions are examined to determine the cause. If the leaves dry out and turn red, this is a sure sign that:
- pests appeared on the plant;
- the culture is sick.
Improper care may also be the cause.
Common causes of illness
At the first signs, you should figure out why the leaves are curling. A common cause of deformation is recurrent frosts. If the leaves bubble when curled, it means they have been exposed to the cold. The plant will cope with this problem on its own.
Nutritional deficiencies
The cause may be a mineral deficiency. Having figured out which nutrient is missing, it is easy to solve the problem with the help of fertilizing.
Potassium deficiency
If there is not enough potassium, the leaves change color to brown. This phenomenon is often observed in plants planted in sandy soil. Also, a lack of potassium affects the premature loss of foliage in the autumn and provokes drying of the tree tops. This problem can be easily solved by fertilizing with potassium fertilizers.
Phosphorus deficiency
It affects the reproductive process of the tree - flowering and fruiting. In the spring, a plant with a phosphorus deficiency does not develop buds for a long time and does not grow new shoots. The crop does not bloom for a long time, and weak growth on the branches is observed. The fruits begin to fall prematurely. The foliage turns red and curls.
Magnesium deficiency
The plant turns red below. The foliage changes color and is dropped early.Magnesium deficiency will result in the plant not being prepared for frost. During a cold winter, there is a high probability of tree loss.
Mechanical deformation of the cortex
The foliage on the branches turns red from mechanical damage. It is necessary to carefully inspect the standard. If glass, wire or film remains stuck in the bark, the remains should be removed. The wounds are treated with an antiseptic and then coated with garden varnish.
Incompatibility of rootstock and scion
Incompatibility is an incorrect fusion of the scion and rootstock, which is characterized by thickening at the grafting site and leaf disease. Incompatibility can appear at any age. This is the most hopeless case, since the tree will have to be dug up and destroyed. It cannot be treated.
Red gall aphid
Red gall aphids are a common cause of leaf curl and redness. The pest feeds on the sap of the crop, thereby depleting it. As a result, the leaves take on a boat shape and fall off. Soon the tree becomes completely bare.
Parasites are easy to detect. A sure sign is a red, raised formation on the leaf, resembling an oblong roller. The affected leaf curls and bends down.
During the season, the insect produces 4 generations. Pests constantly live on the tree. Eggs are laid under the bark. In the spring, they transform into larvae, which move to the underside of the leaf. Aphids attack not only green foliage, but also fruits. Red spots are easy to spot on the fruit.
Replenishing nutrients
Having determined the reason for the curling and change in color of the foliage, fertilizing is carried out:
- To replenish phosphorus, use bone meal, ammophosphate or superphosphate. Fertilizing is applied in the autumn at the root of the plant.
- Magnesium sulfate and magnesium sulfate will help increase the magnesium content. The crop is sprayed with the preparations 3 times per season.
You cannot overdo it when replenishing the deficiency of elements. Excess minerals will negatively affect the yield and health of the foliage.
How to treat damaged wood
In August, deformation of foliage may be associated with the July drought, as a result of which the root system was damaged. This problem is easily solved by regular watering. If diseases and insects are not detected, sufficient watering is done, and the foliage continues to turn red and curl, then moles may be the cause. They damage the root system of the tree, so you need to get rid of the pest as quickly as possible.
The fight against the disease will be effective if it is started in time. Treatment begins in early spring, while the buds are dormant. The plant is sprayed with a chemical and a trap belt is installed to prevent insects from settling on the crop.
You need to know what to do if a tree is infested with aphids. Treated with the drug:
- "Nitrophen";
- "Aktellik";
- "Spark";
- "Aktara".
The affected tree is treated at least twice per season. Do not process when fruits are forming and at the moment of flowering.
How to treat red dots
Red dots indicate an infectious disease. Spots are treated with fungicides:
- Bordeaux mixture;
- "Home";
- "Kuproksat";
- "Cumulus";
- "Strobe";
- "Skor."
The last treatment is carried out 45 days before the fruit ripens.
How to treat plaque
At the beginning of the growing season, the plant is treated with a copper preparation. Then it is recommended to use the fungicide "Horus". It penetrates systemically and spreads throughout the foliage. Has a healing and protective effect for 2 weeks.
Treating swelling on leaves
Convex red spots on the leaves indicate a lack of mineral fertilizers. You should feed the plant and get rid of aphids.
Preventive seasonal treatments
For prevention, the plant is treated with insecticides until the buds swell and when the first leaves appear. Then repeat the process after flowering. The drugs are alternated so as not to cause addiction. In the summer, treatment is carried out as necessary. In autumn, they are sprayed with preparations before the trunks turn white. 45 days before the technical maturity of the fruit, all treatments are stopped.