Bramley Apples

[bluedog]

We have a Bramley apple tree which fruits well but the apples have brown spots just under the skin. Can anyone tell me what it is and what causes it. The tree is about twenty years old and looks very healthy.
Thankyou.

[Clanad]

Since I live in the U.S., I'm not familiar with the cultivar Bramley, but here, cork spot and/or bitter pit sounds a lot like what your are describing. The larger fruited trees here (bigger apples, that is) are more susceptible. My guess is that you had an overly dry or extra wet spring season. Lack of calcium is the culprit in the two disorders I've mentioned and since almost all calcium uptake in apple trees occurs within the month following bloom the moisture content of the soil should be even and slightly on the damp but not water standing in puddles, wet side. Fortunately, the condition doesn't really have anything to do with the overall health of your tree... Good luck next season!

[bluedog]

Thankyou for your answer, do you know any way I can give the tree more calsium? Maybe sprinkling it around the roots in some form or spraying the tree with something containing calcium. We did have an unusually warm April and a very wet June.

[suggestor]

It could be that you have plain old apple scab. Spray with Dithane 945 at the start of next season and you will prevent this disease happening.