Why Are Apples Cracking While Growing?

Weavre Cooper

August 9, 20070 found this helpful

I took a minute to look this info up for you. It sounds like the most likely cause is the tree getting too much water too fast, at a time when the fruit can absorb the extra water and basically burst. Here's what I found ...

I found this on www.ext.vt.edu/.../422-023.html :

Fruit cracking. There are two types of fruit cracking. Physiological Cracking often occurs on 'Stayman' when a high percentage of fruit may split or crack, starting in July. This type of cracking is probably related to the water status in the tree and fruit, but there is no way to suppress cracking to acceptable levels. "Maturity Cracking" develops on varieties such as 'Golden Delicious' and 'Gala', often at the stem end, as the apples become mature. This type of cracking can be minimized by harvesting fruit as the first fruits start to crack.

And, this comes from postharvest.tfrec.wsu.edu/.../skincrack.html :
Occurrence and Importance
Fruit cracking occurs most frequently on Stayman, Wealthy, and York Imperial apples. The condition occurs so frequently and so seriously on the Stayman that it is often termed "Stayman cracking." Rain cracking develops after periods of cloudy, rainy weather, when the rates of evaporation and transpiration are very low. Dumping and floating apples in water before packing them may produce some cracking in thin-skinned varieties or in fruits with numerous open lenticels.

In York skin crack, the cracks are small and tend to run in a sidewise direction on the cheek of the fruits. The cracks may make a wavy line. They vary from being barely discernible to being open as much as 1/16 inch. In the late stages of York skin crack, the cracks are very numerous and are likely to be accompanied by wilting of the fruits.

Cracking may also occur in Golden Delicious apples from the absorption of rain water caught in the stem cavity of fully matured fruits. The cracks generally are small, but individual ones may exceed 1 inch in length and be up to 1/4 inch deep. They are oriented concentrically around the stem and are usually associated with russeting of the stem cavity. Cracking of Golden Delicious apples may also occur when immersion dumpers are used in the packing house.

Causal factors
Fruit cracking is more prevalent in the humid growing regions than in irrigated districts. Cracking occurs most frequently during periods of high humidity following rains. Absorption of rain water through the skin, coupled with the uptake of water from the roots, results in rapid enlargement of the fleshy cells. The internal pressure from the enlarged cells of the fruits creates a strain that cracks the skin. Differences in the thickness and composition of the cuticular layer of the fruits account for varietal differences in susceptibility to cracking. Russet is commonly associated with cracking in susceptible varieties.

York skin crack seems to occur on fruits grown on trees of comparatively low vitality or affected by drought during the growing season. It appears to be worse on light-crop trees than on those bearing heavy crops and on yellow and green parts of the fruits rather than on the red part.

Kim Churchman
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August 10, 20070 found this helpful

I would use a posthole digger and drill several holes around the tree, then fill up the holes with 2" rocks. This would provide drainage. Make sure that you are applying the compost only out at the drip line, the area straight down from the outermost branches, a zone a couple of feet wide all around. None should go near the trunk. You can apply raw manures and not get the burning effect because it doesn't touch any plant tissue. Hope something helps. BTW, Peach Leaf Curl is a disease that affects several fruit species, you might put that name into your web browser and see if treating for that helps.