I planted 95 apples (nine varieties on G.30, G.969, MM.111 and B.118) in the last week of April, and finally managed to do my first spring holistic spray on Tuesday, May 29. This spray used the standard recipe (minus seaweed), which amounted to 1/3 c. neem, 1 1/4 c. liquid fish, 2/3 c. EM1 and 1/2 c. molasses in a 4 gallon tank - I used about 2 gallons on the apples and the rest spread between 100 young chestnuts and the garden. One week later, I noticed that the leaves on a few varieties (mainly Newtown Pippin and - especially - Dabinett) were looking scabby/rusty. I asked a local expert, who told me that this didn't look like CAR or scab, but was probably spray damage.
So was this due to a heavy hand in applying the holistic spray (even with 0.5% neem)? Has anyone else noticed a differential response to the same concentration of neem in a spray, where some varieties are fine and others end up with heavily-russetted leaves? I'm pretty sure I wasn't just extra-heavy on the Dabinetts and Pippins...
I'm sorry I haven't provided a photo here - if anyone has advice about uploading photos I'm happy to add one.
Willet, NY (Zone 5a)
100 semi-dwarf trees to be planted April 2018
(Farm name TBA)