Apple Tree Dropped All its Leaves at End of Winter
My little Apple Tree sapling looks sad, quite sad. It's about a year old and has been doing great up until recently. It only had a few leaves on top and a few leaves growing down on the base. It all of a sudden dropped all it's leaves after they slowly changed from green to red. That sounds like it's going into dormancy, but we're leaving winter, not entering winter so I'm confused. I don't have a picture, but it'll just look like a stick anyways. It's a Red Delicious seed that sprouted in my fridge so I put into a pot and let it grow. Now I'm not sure if it's gonna make it.
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applestar
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Did you have it outside? When I grew mine, they spent the seedling winter indoors but were allowed to go dormant and was left to weather the frigid winter outside with their pots buried in leaves.
The way Bonsai folks talk about them, it sounds like trees that need winter dormancy period have to get that rest period or they won't live.
In any case, maybe your little treelet is getting ready to grow new buds for spring. There is a species of oak around here that hangs onto crisp brown leaves all winter, then drops them all in spring just before leafing out. My dad has one in his front yard that came with the house, and he HATES it. He complains that he wants to get all his leaf raking done and over with in the fall when it's the proper time to do that kind of work, not in spring.
The way Bonsai folks talk about them, it sounds like trees that need winter dormancy period have to get that rest period or they won't live.
In any case, maybe your little treelet is getting ready to grow new buds for spring. There is a species of oak around here that hangs onto crisp brown leaves all winter, then drops them all in spring just before leafing out. My dad has one in his front yard that came with the house, and he HATES it. He complains that he wants to get all his leaf raking done and over with in the fall when it's the proper time to do that kind of work, not in spring.
As Star says..all apples have to have a dormancy period. If it's been growing for a year then it is about ready to have a rest.
A couple of things to keep an eye on though.
The characteristic of leaves at the base and at the growing tip with a gap in the middle can be an early sign of Magnesium deficiancy. Unusual in a plant so young...but just to be on the safe side it would do no harm when it breaks into leaf again to give it the odd spray of Epsom salts. ( Mag. Sulphate.).
Also. I guess that you have had your tree either indoors or in some place of protection and that is why it has only just dropped its leaves.
That's why in the warmer parts of the world , if folk want to grow apples they have to plant them up in the mountain areas.
You must let it have its dormant period ...but give it a little protection if the weather is very severe.
A couple of things to keep an eye on though.
The characteristic of leaves at the base and at the growing tip with a gap in the middle can be an early sign of Magnesium deficiancy. Unusual in a plant so young...but just to be on the safe side it would do no harm when it breaks into leaf again to give it the odd spray of Epsom salts. ( Mag. Sulphate.).
Also. I guess that you have had your tree either indoors or in some place of protection and that is why it has only just dropped its leaves.
That's why in the warmer parts of the world , if folk want to grow apples they have to plant them up in the mountain areas.
You must let it have its dormant period ...but give it a little protection if the weather is very severe.