A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Is my apple seedling dieing or can I save it yet?!

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:24 pm Post subject: Apple seedling - browning / drooping leaves
Hey,

I have recently begun to grow an apply tree from seed. It has been going surprisingly well until about two weeks ago now when I came home from a weekend away to find several of the leaves had wilted.

Before the weekend, there were six healthy leaves holding themselves up well and perfectly green throughout, with the shoot about two inches in height. (See the first picture below) When I returned, most of the leaves had wilted and gone a brown colour. The shoot had been in the window so I believe it had perhaps got too hot, and the soil too dry causing this problem.

Since then, I have transplanted the shoot into a larger pot, made sure the soil is nice and moist (but not over watered) and that it is in a cooler place but still receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day. It has the two initial leaves that are at the base of the shoot (though I have noticed one has a brown tip?!) and one leaf fully opened at the top, with a new leaf starting to grow (see second picture below).

My problem is however, that it is still producing new shoots from the top of the shoot every four or five days or so, but then the leaf that is fully open then suddenly turns brown and withers within a matter of hours.

I'm not sure what is the problem - whether it is slowly dieing or whether my apple shoot can yet be saved. If anyone has any advice that would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,

Sammus.

Pre-weekend shoot:


Present day shoot:

May be you shocked 2 times.
Heat an dryness one shock.. Sun will scald it .

When I repot thinks I keep it in shade for a while till it reacts.

I grew a gala apple from seed. It is taller than me now. Outside.

Trees shock badly,

dodge

Thanks for the thoughts.

I was wondering what do you mean by I should wait for it to react? Do you mean I should put it in a cupboard for a few days so that it has no light, encouraging it to develop its roots more perhaps?

I try to keep the soil moist at all times and some water in the dish that the pot sits in to encourage the roots to develop. I have thought that it could perhaps be a nutrient deficiency perhaps but have no idea which nutrient it would be / how to apply natural nutrients to the soil (I have heard of banana skins being good as a source of potassium and egg shells for calcium?).

Regards,

Sam

No that is sure death..
Cupboard

Keep it out of strong light for a while.

Ah OK I wont banish it to the cupboard then.

At the moment it is sat on my windowsill - does this constitute as it being out of strong light (especially with the weather being rather rainy). Should I see the leaf at the bottom that has a slight browning begin to turn green again or should I expect this to wither like the rest?

Would applying any type of fertilizer, extra nutrients from foods etc, help the shoot recover at all?

Sorry for the basic level of my questions, this is the first thing that I have ever grown though I have began with some herbs at the same time that are beginning to thrive.

Regards,