Apricot tree has died, &plum tree starting as well

dibble35, Dec 3, 9:28pm
Dont know what is happening to my fruit trees this year. My apricot tree started off with a few green buds and leaves in spring but then slowly declined to the stage where everything green on it had withered and disappeared - I cut it out a month ago. Now my elephant heart plum tree which was looking lovely upto a few weeks ago has had one of the main branches do the same sort of them so i cut it off, and this morning noticed another small branch is doing the same thing. Cant see anything obvious wrong with them, no borer in the stems, no canker, rot, damage. Is there a virus that i dont know about? TIA
budgel, Dec 3, 9:45pm
Are you sure there has been no spray drift?
dibble35, Dec 3, 11:15pm
shouldnt be, these 2 trees are separated by a very healthy looking plum tree. Touch wood that this one doesnt start to die as well.
piquant, Dec 4, 12:41am
Firstly - are your trees where the soil might have been a bit waterlogged - especially after the winter we have had? If so, the reason could well be phytopthora. It is a soil borne fungus particularly virulent in waterlogged soils. Even if they aren't now - waterlogged, that it - the problem would have occurred earlier on in the year. if it is phytopthora- then don't plant another tree in the same place.
lythande1, Dec 4, 3:17am
Did you water them?
geedubu, Dec 4, 3:46am
Happened to me too, my apricot tree looks like a complete goner. Few random leaves around the branches; no fruit in sight. I gave it a feed of slow release fertiliser a good few weeks back. Did nothing. There has been some roundup around the lawn; could that have killed it? Reluctant to cut it out, it has been in the ground ten years and has delivered a couple of years of nice loads. But right now it looks like a dead duck.
dibble35, Dec 4, 4:30am
We did have a bit of a wet winter but the soil never got really boggy, could still walk on it OK. I didnt even consider Phytopthora, didnt realise stone fruit could get it. Oh well, will just wait and see what happens to my Elephant heart plum and hope the Afourer mandarin I planted about 2 feet from the apricot tree I cut down does a bit better. Thanks
Heres a couple of photos in case you recognise the problem.
https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/687309100.jpg https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/687308946.jpg
alpha111, Dec 4, 6:02am
I've had one Polygala Myrtifolia/Sweet Pea shrub about 7 feet tall die back completely and another one is starting to loose its leaves (part of front hedge). I thought it might have been spray drift until I saw this post. Could it be the same cause?
jethrocat, Dec 4, 6:13am
conspiracy theory --- those high flying planes and their chemical trails are to blame. that drift down and reduce the worlds over population by killing off the plants. where oh where are the greenies when you need them ?
piquant, Dec 4, 8:03am
When you took out your Apricot tree - did you take any notice of what the rootball looked like? Were there any roots left or had they largely rotted?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=542 I know this is a UK site but the information is relevant to here too. The other thing is that any plant will go under stress if they have prolonged wet periods like we have had this year and then suddenly, we are into heatwave stuff (at least, we are here and probably HB is the same) It all adds difficulty to the plant to manage its growth. Hate to say it but climate change is already taking its toll - all over the world.
dibble35, Dec 5, 5:57am
I actually just cut it off above the graft, so theres about 20-30 cm trunk still there. I did try to push the stump but its very well rooted in there. It certainly has been a strange spring, only just starting to get hot here (Whangarei) 27* at the moment. And before anyone says anything about trying to grow apricots up here in Northland it was one of the varieties that is meant to do OK up here. My other one I just planted this winter is a Waipapakauri variety which is an old heirloom type which is meant to do very well up here - its looking healthy enough so far although was very small when I got it and no flowers or fruit this year.
funkydunky, Dec 9, 7:47pm
I think a lot of plants get very stressed with the sudden change from watersoaked clay to rock hard clay. The shock is sometimes too much.
lettice, Jan 27, 8:45am
I lost several trees after last winter and spring, an albizzia, a macadamia an 'heirloom' apricot and a Luisa plum. I put it down to our heavy clay soil getting waterlogged.