A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Flowering Crab Apple Trees

I have two flowering crab apple trees by my patio. They are about 12 feet high and about 10 years old. This summer they developed some kind of fungus. The leaves got black spots, turned yellow and fell off. I took a few leaves to the local nursery and a woman there told me to spray the trees with a fungicide. I have sprayed them about 3 times since June, but the problem still exists. The foliage has now become very sparse. I am considering chopping both trees down because the falling leaves on and around my patio is unsightly. I hate to have to do this because they have always looked so nice around my patio and it will take forever for new trees to reach that height. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thank you.

Hello

I posted this question 3 weeks ago and haven't received even one response. When I found this site, by accident during the summer, I was so excited. Finally there was help without having to run to the nursery all of the time. I am terribly disappointed. I find it so rude that no one bothers to respond. I guess I must not be in with the "in crowd". Have fun with yourselves.

Oh, Donna, I'm sorry that you've been disappointed. I read your post but since I'm just a beginner & don't have any knowledge to help, I didn't say anything. However, now I feel really bad. I've, also, had a couple of questions go unanswered but I just assumed that no one knew the answers or sometimes, with the problems we have had on the site, I thought that may be the problem. I've only been here since June &, certainly, don't think of myself as one of the "in" crowd. I just pushed myself into some of the conversations I hope you won't stay away.

Donna,
I'm so sorry you feel that way, and I hope you don't stay away from the forum. I joined this forum in March, and have found the people here to be the friendliest bunch you could ever meet.

You posted that at the time we were having some serious problems here, and it was very hard to answer a post. I would get so frustrated and just finally give up! Bill has been working hard to fix it, and it has gotten SO much better!

I guess your question got buried when other questions were posted after it. If this happens, just add a comment to it (like you DID!), and it will bring it back to the top! Believe me, we try to answer a question here even if we don't know what the answer is! We find "maybe" answers and links and just try to narrow it down!
Like this...

Apple Scab

If that's not it, we keep going!

Whatever your crabapple problem is, please remember to rake your leaves up and get rid of them, and DON'T do what I did yesterday! I have some kind of fungus (black spots) on my weeping willow trees. I mowed my yard with a mulching mower and mowed right over all the leaves that had fallen off, and didn't even think about what I was doing (I'm a little spacey!) until it was too late.

Cindy