The Garden Community for Garden Lovers
 
drc726

By Drc726

East Sussex, England Eng

What causes the brown dots inside cooking apples and even Bramleys sometimes almost the whole of the inside of the friut is affected?




Answers

 

Probably a disease called Bitter pit. Bramleys are very prone to this. It is casued by the trees inability to absorb Calcium. Hard to cure really as it is the tree which is at fault rather than the land. You can try putting lime into the soil round the tree, it sometimes helps. The other thing which fruit growers do is to spray the apple blossom with Calcium carbonate. This is done just after petal drop when the baby apple is just forming. Never tried that one myself though.

21 Jan, 2010

 

Thanks Owdboggy, but how do you spot it as it tends to be found on cutting the apple open?

21 Jan, 2010

 

If it gets it once then it is always likely to get it, especially in wet Summers and on sandy or well draining soils.

21 Jan, 2010

 

is it epsom salts you are supposed to give them or is that for something else?

21 Jan, 2010

 

?Constipation?

21 Jan, 2010

 

Amazing what you find when browsing aimlessly round GOY isn't it? After 3 years I just saw this and realised that the three members who were involved are still active on GOY and thought I would attempt to answer Pamg's question. Epsom salts (or rather, a weak solution of them) are given for magnesium deficiency. Plants only need it as a trace element, as do humans, but in plants the symptoms are usually yellowing of the leaves, particularly prevalent in magnolias, camelias, laurels etc. In humans a lack of magnesium usually, as Boggy says, leaves you rushing for the senna pods.

5 Feb, 2013

 

And to add to the thread. We had this problem with Ashmead's Kernel 2 years ago, I drilled holes round the tree where the feeding roots are, using a big crowbar. I filled them with Calcium carbonate and this year (2012 season)the apples were clean.

5 Feb, 2013

 

I gave it my tomatoes last year and it helped to green them up a bit

Never tried it for anything else though.......... ;0)

5 Feb, 2013

 

As most of you know for over 30 years I have used Epsom salts on my roses to stop them yellowing and also on other plants such as Clematis. My soil may contain nutrients but some plants find it difficult to access them in heavy clay. I put a handful around each plant twice a year and leave it just damp so that it can be absorbed slowly and not washed away.

5 Feb, 2013

How do I say thanks?

Answer question

 


Not found an answer?