Allotments 4 All

Hi - I have two old trees on my allotment - one is an eater, one for cooking. The eating apple tree had loads on it (I had to thin as per instructions on this site). I have been testing their readiness for picking and they some are ready but I noticed that a lot are rotten on the tree. They have gone brown partially or holey. I also have a bit of what looks like a scab on some (different) apples on the same tree.

Both trees are very bushy, with overlapping branches - might have a go at pruning this year - when do I do this and is this advisable or not?

Thanks - I think I have a few questions in there!

If they're turning brown and rotten on the tree, perhaps with concentric rings visible, that's brown rot. There's a lot of it about this year; remove the affected fruit and burn them. Autumn's the time for pruning; it may be best to take out a couple of branches a year so as not to stress the trees too much.

Thanks Robert. Oops - should have asked before - have put lots of the apples into my dalek bin - should I try to fish them out? How is brown rot transmitted and will it only affect apples?
Thanks

Apparently you shouldn't put them in the compost. But then, there are loads of things you shouldn't compost which seem to be OK in practice. Don't get neurotic about it, but it might be as well to burn them next time.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0900/brown_rot.asp

Sorry Robert - belated thanks for this - yes I think its brown rot. I've learnt so much about allotments... potato/tomato blight, brown rot, carrot fly, cabbage whites (actually I love caterpillars which presents a dilemma so they get rehomed), slugs, slugs and more slugs.Hey ho!

What about windfalls that have fallen unrotted and then rotted in the grass?
Is this still `brown rot`?
I`ve always picked them up and put them in the compost. Some seasons it seems as though the compost is half composed of grotty rotty apples. :o
Is this wrong?

I have my doubts! I'd do the same.

We have few problems with Brown rot on apples and we have always put the unused windfalls and peelings and cores on the compost heap. Cover them with grass cuttings to keep the wasps away though.