Fruit Russeting

Fruit russet

18 host plants · Abiotic

Last updated

Golden apples develop brown netted russet patches, especially after cool, wet weather during bloom. Multiple causes include frost, viruses, spray materials, or powdery mildew. Late-maturing Golden strains like Criterion and Smoothee russet less; select these if russeting is chronic. Manage powdery mildew to reduce associated symptoms.

Grow cultivars less susceptible to russeting. The late-maturing 'Golden Delicious' strains, 'Criterion', and 'Hawaii' normally do not russet in mild, dry spring conditions.

What Should I Do?

  • Grow cultivars less susceptible to russeting. The late-maturing 'Golden Delicious' strains, 'Criterion', and 'Hawaii'...
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Quick Reference

Agent Type
abiotic
Causal Agent
Fruit russet
Host Plants
18
Spread
rain-splash
Favorable Conditions
cool wet conditions

Management

Cultural Controls

  • Grow cultivars less susceptible to russeting. The late-maturing 'Golden Delicious' strains, 'Criterion', and 'Hawaii' normally do not russet in the Willamette Valley. 'Smoothee' (a 'Golden Delicious' strain) and most of the red apples have little russeting. Manage trees for powdery mildew. Check for uneven spray distribution or worn nozzles. Use only virus-indexed scion wood.

Host Plants (18)

Sources & References

Primary: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Data Maturity
Baseline Extension data. Expert review underway.