I'm not an expert gardener. I think the main cause is that either too much exposure to sunlight or too much watering maybe.

Toronto:

I think this is a problem that originates in the roots of the trees, and when that is the case the prime suspect is usually too much/too little water. Given the rainy weather conditions this season, I would say too much, especially if you have been watering the trees in addition to natural rainfall. Soil type and drainage are also factors to consider. Some soils can drain away excess water quickly; others cannot. Apple trees are normally not highly sensitive to soggy soil, but even apple trees have their limits.

It is also possible that, if you planted potted or rootballed trees, and added amendments to a small planting hole, you have created an underground water bowl that contributed to the problem. Plant bare-root trees rather than containerized, and loosen the soil in a wide area around the new tree, adding no amendments to the native soil. Then mulch on top if you like.

So tell us what the water situation has been with these trees, and whether they are planted in a flat site where drainage is poor. Also, please tell us the source of your trees, and whether they were containerized, rootbound specimens.

Given the appearance of the leaves, it is possible that enough root damage has occurred to kill the trees. If drowning turns out to be the problem, next time plant in a better-drained site. And when lots of blossoms turn into lots of apples the first year, remove most of them to give your tree a break from early fruit production.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thank you for the responses!

The trees are planted in well-drained sandy soil. I haven't watered at all. They were planted in the Fall by a professional, so I'm sure the planting hole was large enough. The source was a local nursery.

In the meantime, we sprayed with insecticidal soap as a shot in the dark.

I could try to take a better picture if you think that would help.

Question - should I remove the blossoms next Spring?

Thanks!

Toronto:

If the trees were planted by a "professional", then you need to call that professional back out to see what he has wrought. I don't think it is always safe to assume that trees will be properly planted by nursery employees. If the nursery supplies any kind of guarantee for their trees, then you deserve new trees if anyone does.

While late fall is a fine time to plant bare root trees, it is not the time to put in containerized trees that are not fully dormant, or, worse yet, in full leaf. The nursery should know this. Your soil sounds fine, so it is something about the planting or its timing that has fouled you up. Perhaps the nursery employee dug a hole the size of the container, and simply dropped the tree in, creating the bowl effect I mentioned earlier.

I don't think these particular trees are going to see a next spring if they all look like the one in the photo, but if they do you should remove all fruit the first season or, better yet, clip the blossoms.

Another photo showing drooping and dying leaves would probably not tell us much that we don't already know. Insecticidal soap is not the answer here; the problem is something more fundamental. Next time, order in dormant, bare root trees and plant them yourself in late fall or very early spring if you want to be successful.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA