What is it and what can you do?

Blossoms dry up when attacked by the apple blossom weevil?

This four millimeters long and two millimeters wide weevil sets already on the first, warm days of spring to a so-called maturation feeding at, the to Wilting of the apple blossoms and thus leads to crop failures.

The pest bores into the swelling buds and sucks the sap. As a result, the petals wither and fall off. In the case of severe infestation, many buds do not open at all and remain in the mouse ear stage.

How can I prevent damage from the apple blossom weevil?

It is important that Apple tree at the time of flowering multiple thorough to check.

• Discover Apple blossom picker on the trunk or the shoots, pick off the beetles and destroy them before the animals can lay eggs.
• If the infestation is severe, you will have to resort to an insecticide, as unfortunately there are no effective home remedies to combat the pest.
• Under the trade name "Spinosad" you get a preparation that is approved for organic cultivation. It is ecologically comparatively well tolerated.

What disease causes wilting of flowers and shoots?

The Monilia lace drought first infects the flowers, by the fungus suddenly begin to wither. A short time later, the freshly formed foliage also hangs limp on the tips of the shoots and dries up. Within a few days, the affected parts of the plant die, with occasional gummy flow at the interface between the diseased and healthy wood.

Typically, the spindly shoots will not shed and, unless you prune them out, will remain on the tree until the following winter.

How can I prevent or combat peak drought?

One infection by this fungal pathogen he follows most of time by infested plant parts, which must be removed regularly for this reason:

• Cut out the affected shoots deep into the healthy wood.
• Since the spores survive in the compost, dispose of the prunings in the household waste.
• This also applies to fallen leaves and fallen fruit.

Tip

Thin out apple tree blossoms for even yields

Some apple varieties form a great many flowers one year and very few the next. To prevent this, you should thin out the abundance of flowers a little. The earlier you do this, the easier it is to prevent alternation in the following year.