The Historic District

We have an apple tree in the backyard, I planted it about two years ago. It's a combo cortland/winesap tree, I believe. Anyway, last year and this year, the tree has started out fine, lots of leaves... and then around this time all the leaves flop, dry up, and fall off.
Clearly, the tree isn't thriving. What could be the problem? Anyone know what causes a fruit tree to lose all its leaves like this year after year? It's only June! The spot it is planted has adequate sunlight, and I make sure to water it... what gives? We also have rich topsoil here.

From your description, it sounds like it might be fire blight, but take a look at this fact sheet from Cornell for identification and control.

Manalto wrote:From your description, it sounds like it might be fire blight, but take a look at this fact sheet from Cornell for identification and control.

Thanks Manalto. That could be it, except that nothing turns black... the leaves stay green, but get crunchy and fall off. No fruit has ever grown on the tree. Hmm.

You don't mention what part of Ontario you're in so I took a stab at it. If you're near Toronto, you might want to call the Erie County (NY) cooperative extension office: http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/

U.S. land-grant universities have cooperative extension offices for every county in the nation. (In reality, there is much doubling up because of budget constraints and other factors.) Their initial purpose was agricultural but, with population growth and urbanization, many offices service homeowners' horticultural needs. A cursory search didn't turn up a Canadian equivalent, although one may well exist. If you're not in the Toronto area, you can try an office in another state that best corresponds to your climate. If you're in Winisk, you're on your own!

Manalto wrote:You don't mention what part of Ontario you're in so I took a stab at it. If you're near Toronto, you might want to call the Erie County (NY) cooperative extension office: http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/

U.S. land-grant universities have cooperative extension offices for every county in the nation. (In reality, there is much doubling up because of budget constraints and other factors.) Their initial purpose was agricultural but, with population growth and urbanization, many offices service homeowners' horticultural needs. A cursory search didn't turn up a Canadian equivalent, although one may well exist. If you're not in the Toronto area, you can try an office in another state that best corresponds to your climate. If you're in Winisk, you're on your own!

Yep, I am near Toronto. Thanks! I just found the Toronto Master Gardeners website, so I sent the question to their horticulturists. We'll see what they have to say! I f that's a no-go, I'll follow up with your link. Thanks!

You're welcome, although I'm mildly disappointed you're not in Winisk.

Manalto wrote:You're welcome, although I'm mildly disappointed you're not in Winisk.

LOL, sorry. Not hiding out in a ghost town. ("On my own"- har dee har har )

I heard back from the TMG, and they seem to think it is either fire blight or apple scab. After looking into it further, it couldn't be either because I don't have the shepherd's crooks of the fire blight, and apparently apple scab rarely kills a tree (and my tree is definitely on it's last legs- the entire thing is devastated).
So, more looking around needed. I did notice some weird reddish colouring on the tree trunk... I think that's new.

I was cautiously optimistic that you'd get a correct diagnosis, but it was a long shot. "Master Gardeners" is a bit of a misnomer here in the U.S., and I suspect it is in Canada too. They're usually avid gardeners with a little bit of superficial training in the MG program. What bugs me is the reluctance to say, "I don't know," something that appears to be rampant in today's culture. A good MG would have said that and guided you to someone who can give an expert diagnosis.

I tend to shy away from fruit trees because they're so susceptible to insects and diseases that, in order to bear well, they require a strict spraying schedule. Otherwise, the fruit will be badly blemished and yield will be low. For commercial growers, this is crucial; not as much for the home gardener. I'd love to have 'Bing' cherries and Italian plums, but have never taken on the task. Incidentally, commercial growers tend to use fewer pesticides than homeowners because the scale of their operations demand economy. That varies, of course, among individuals.

I think my problem is that I'm chasing the dream... my last house had an amazing peach tree that bore a lot of fruit from the first summer we planted it, and after that only required watering (no sprays, nothing fancy). It was amazing. The people who bought our house immediately ripped it out and poured concrete over the whole yard.
Now, here all of our fruit trees we planted are failing to thrive. I'll just give up soon, I think!

JJet, any chance the root ball has not reached out beyond its planting size and it’s not getting enough water to support its new growth.