Topic: Bramleys - any ideas??

[tim]

On the biggest fruit. The Farmers' Market has the same problem. They reckon it's a calcium or potash or ? deficiency. Very helpful! They had the same last year on many. = Tim

[Kerry]

hi Tim,
searched my pests diseases and disorders book- suggest it is calcium deficiency-matches the description and pictures of your apple.
here's what mr buczacki et al has to say: i'll post in 3 parts as even abridged it's looong!

calcium deficiency symptoms occur most commonly in plants growing on acid peats, on acid soils originating from rocks with a low calcium content (granitic types and silicic sandstone) symptoms also occur on light free draining and easily leached sandy soils.
plants commonly affected include apples.
it is probably rare for there to be a true deficincy of calcium in the soil, the effects most probably being induced by an imbalance of calcium with other elements, or an interfering environmental factor.   next............

[Kerry]

symptoms:
when foliar symptoms occur they are most common at young leaf or shoot tips, which may be curled inward or ragged, scorched and killed.
apple: fruit, the most common symptom is bitter pit, dark spots or pits on the surface with brownish spots beneath and also scattered throughout the flesh-bramley's seedling is highly prone (but you know that!). other symptoms on apples include glassiness, lenticel spotting  and death of fruit tissues when stored under low temperatures.

physiology:calcium is relatively immobile in tissues, not moving readily from old to new leaves, which therefore display the 'starved' symptoms. it's a vital component of cell walls, essential for functioning of growing points and root growth.
excess potassium, magnesium and ammonium-nitrogen in the soil decrease the availability of calcium to plants. other limiting factors of availability are water stress and high humidity.
nearly there.........

[Kerry]

treatment: not easy because of the inter-relationship with other factors. in acid soils, add lime to raise pH to 6.5, although this will not help on sites where calcium is not deficient, but unavailable to the plant. book suggests using pH meter to test the soil.
calcium deficiency is also minimised by reducing applications of potash and ammonium, while symptoms in apples can sometimes be cured by spraying the affected fruit (not the plant) at fortnightly intervals with solutions of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride containing approx. 2g per litre.

i checked the rhs site also-they reckon inadequate water is the culprit-so calcium cannot be effectively transported around the plant. they recommend mulching and watering, and summer pruning.

i think i need a lie down after all that!!!!

[tim]

Thanks a bundle, Kerry - take a well earned rest! = Tim

PS later - forgot to say that (?) interestingly, the skins were perfect.