Video: Some fruit tree problems

Dan Neuteboom explains how to recognize and deal with some common problems with fruit trees in a garden.

Aphis or greenfly can be seen from the way that the leaves curl up. If there is not too much, you can leave it and let natural predators deal with the aphis; alternatively, if a lot of shoots are infected, you can cut it out with a pair of secateurs, ensuring that you remove the affected shoots from the garden via the non-recycling bin.

A young tree struggles if it is having to compete for water and nutrients with grass and weeds. A tree like this should be watered weekly, and the weeds around it removed, over an area of at least one metre diameter.

When a tree is short of moisture, its leaves hang down in a distinctive way. The solution is obvious: water the tree.

Rabbit damage causes leaves to yellow, and an examination of the base of the trunk shows where rabbits have nibbled the bark, interrupting the flow of nutrients in the cambium. If the damage is not all the way around, the tree will survive. Wrap cling film around the wounded part of the trunk, and the tree will heal itself in about 2 years.