Apples harvested from backyard trees rarely resemble their grocery store counterparts. Expect homegrown fruit to have a few blemishes and sport some odd shapes. A wide variety of fruit sizes and unique color combinations are common too. Apples you grow yourself may look far from perfect, but their flavor more than makes up for this fact. Take a bite of a freshly picked apple and you’ll quickly taste the difference between it and a grocery store apple.
Plant Disease-Resistant Apple Cultivars
The easiest way to grow bushels of delicious apples without having to use pesticide sprays is to plant disease-resistant cultivars. Cornell University developed a helpful ranking of apple disease susceptibility so you can consider your best options at a glance. Dr. Suzanne Slack, an Extension fruit crops specialist at Iowa State University, considers resistant cultivars the very best tactic for reducing apple disease. Her favorite disease-resistant apple cultivars include ‘Crimson Crisp’, ‘Enterprise’, ‘Galarina’, ‘Goldrush’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Pristine’, and ‘Redfree’.
Common Apple Tree Diseases
There are 6 “major players” when it comes apple diseases, says Slack. Known to greatly reduce or even eliminate a harvest and weaken the tree, these diseases make apple growing a challenge. When disease does take hold, identify it early to slow the spread. And remember, plant resistant cultivars to reduce disease in general. Control and prevention: Chemical control can reduce an infection but it’s challenging to apply at just the right times. Apple scab resistant cultivars are the best way to prevent an infestation. Raking and removing leaves around trees in fall will reduce a source of infection. Control and prevention: Cedar apple rust is caused by a fungus that makes its primary home in eastern red cedar trees and other junipers. If possible, remove any junipers growing within 200 feet of an apple tree. Many cedar apple rust resistant apple cultivars are available. Control and prevention: Remove infected twigs by cutting them 12 to 18 inches below any sign of infected tissue. Disinfect pruning tools between cuts using a solution of 1 part household bleach to 9 parts water. Fire blight resistant cultivars are the best way to prevent the disease. Control and prevention: Prune away and discard infected branches and twigs as soon as you see them to prevent spread. Several cultivars tolerate powdery mildew. Control and prevention: Both flyspeck and sooty blotch are cosmetic diseases, meaning that infected fruit is perfectly safe to eat. Prevent both diseases by pruning trees to promote good air circulation and thinning developing fruit. ‘Pristine’ and ‘Enterprise’ are two resistant cultivars. Control and prevention: Remove diseased fruit as soon as you notice the problem. This reduces the fungi that cause summer rots and spots.
