Apple tree problem - bitter pit

sassyblue

hi all,

a few years ago we bought Gala and Orange Pippin apple trees (which we were told would cross pollinate each other) and they have grown well and have produced apples each year.  

The problem is that we’ve barely eaten a gala apple because they have black spots on them and after extensive googling I think the problem is called 'bitter pit'.  Calcium is supposed to help the problem so this year I bought a small box of calcium granules and twice before rain I sprinkled some around the base of the tree.  It’s produced over 100 apples again (it always yields well) but this year EVERY apple has bitter pit and the apples are covered worse than ever!

can anyone help? I don’t know whether to bite the bullet and take the gala tree out which is a shame but if I do what should I plant to go with the orange pippin to help pollinate it?  The orange pippin only ever yields about a dozen apples in comparison so maybe that’s not happy either?

If I have a problem with bitter pit will I have a problem going forward with another tree, I mean is the problem in the soil?

thanks in advance.

goldfinches

Having looked at the RHS page on bitter pit it appears that they believe that Gala appears unaffected by the complaint so my first question is can you put up some photos of the apples and have a look at this page to confirm that you have identified the problem. Bitter pit in apples / RHS Gardening.

sassyblue

Thank you goldfinches. I’m posting some photos and think I’ve got my gala and orange pippin mixed up 

this is the worst tree and it’s an orange pippin not gala isn’t it? 

That’s the apple and tree concerned but having looked again this is scab isn’t it? 

None of them appear to be affected by bitter pit at all but I can assure you, they usually have black spots (sometimes with holes in the flesh) and the black spots go right through the flesh.

I've taken a couple of badly affected apples and cut them in half. This time the flesh is completely clear so I think I managed to cure the bitter pit this year but now have scab, which is also on the second tree, those apples are usually perfect. (And I think this one is the gala?)



I’m not having much success with my apples at all 

RAS

Looking at your photos, the middle apple in the upper photo has codling moth, the obvious spot upper left hand side and far right. In the short-term, pick, dissect, remove the damaged areas and eat. They don't keep.

The other blemishes in this photo may be capsid damage and that in the lower photo.