What is the milky shine on an apple tree and how to deal with the disease, prevention and treatment
Gardeners always rejoice in a beautiful, healthy plantation and a bountiful harvest. It happens that on apple trees, the leaves that have opened in spring begin to brighten. Then whitish spots appear on the surface, which quickly increase. The leaves stop growing, become thin and dry out. These are the first signs of the development of a milky sheen in an apple tree. Therefore, they immediately take the necessary measures.
Description of the disease
The disease affects fruit plants. It is not observed on wild trees.
The disease occurs on apple trees:
- in the North Caucasus;
- in the southern regions of Russia;
- in Ukraine;
- in Crimea.
Air cavities form under the skin of the leaves, as a result of which the leaves acquire a silvery hue and die off. The disease can develop for 3-4 years, after which the apple tree dies.
Causes of occurrence
There are two types of the disease:
- Parasitic. This kind of milky sheen is caused by a fungus. It manifests itself after a harsh winter on apple trees affected by the cold. The tree trunk turns dark. On the dead branches, the fruit bodies of the fungus are visible. Spores hit the crop in spring and fall when the weather gets wet. Penetrates wounds and cracks.
- Non-parasitic. It occurs during air and soil drought, after sudden changes in temperature in a short period of time, during severe frosts. Most often, the disease goes away after the onset of favorable weather conditions. The disease is usually noticed in August and on all leaves at once.
The reasons:
- freezing of wood in early spring;
- sunburn;
- damage to roots by agricultural implements;
- damage to trees by insects.
The development of the disease is facilitated by:
- cold and rainy autumn;
- lack of mineral salts in the apple tree;
- long-term humidity.
The disease is very rare and poorly understood.
Disease manifestations
The first manifestation is a change in the color of the foliage. It becomes whitish-matte with a shiny shade. On branches affected by the disease, apples develop poorly, fall early. After three years, the branches dry up completely. The disease covers some areas, sometimes the whole apple tree.
Treatment of milky shine in an apple tree
The disease must be recognized in time. The affected branches are cut out, otherwise the disease will spread over the apple tree with lightning speed, and it will die. It will be impossible to cure the plant.
Silver spots appear not only on the leaves, but also on the bark. In this case:
- the affected area is cut out;
- the surface is cleaned;
- washed with the prepared solution, for this, 400 g of copper sulfate are diluted in a 10-liter bucket with water.
When a milky sheen appears, all wounds are treated through which the disease easily penetrates. To do this, use:
- water-based paint;
- garden pitch;
- oil paint;
- plasticine.
It is impossible to fight the disease that has affected the entire tree. In this case, the plant is uprooted and burned.
In theory, a strong and healthy apple tree can heal on its own with proper care and regular feeding. But this happens extremely rarely.
Most often, the disease is confused with powdery mildew and inappropriate treatment is used. With the full manifestation of all signs, the plant dies, and the disease moves to neighboring plantations.
If the whole tree became silvery at once, then, most likely, the apple tree was struck by a false ailment that occurs after very harsh winters. The disease manifests itself unexpectedly, and then suddenly disappears after a couple of years. Therefore, there is no reason for strong alarm. To check the type of milky shine, cut off the diseased branch. If the wood and bark are alive, then everything is in order with the plant. Such a tree does not require treatment, all that remains is to properly care for it.
Preventive measures
There are no chemical agents to combat the milky shine. The best way to avoid getting sick is through prevention.
To exclude the disease, simple recommendations are followed:
- Protect the plant from freezing. For this, the space around the tree is mulched.
- Seedlings are not planted in wet and low-lying areas.
- For frost resistance, they are fed with potash and phosphorus fertilizers.
- Apple trees are watered at the beginning of the growing season, and at the end, watering is completely stopped.
- Remove dead branches. The cut is disinfected and covered with garden pitch.
- At the beginning and at the end of the season, apple trees are sprayed with a solution of ferrous sulfate.
- For planting, choose seedlings intended for a specific area.
- Whitewash. To do this, add 2 kilograms of lime and half a kilogram of copper sulfate to 10 liters of water.
- At the end of autumn, they are fed with wood ash.
- Spray periodically with onion infusion.
If all preventive measures are followed, the possibility of infection with milky shine is minimized.
