What are the disease-resistant apple cultivars recommended for Wisconsin?

The following are some of the cultivars that will grow well in Wisconsin:

• Redfree: This is an early season, medium-sized, attractive red apple. You can store these apples up to 30 days.

• Prima: Prima produces medium to large fruit, red blushed on yellow skin. Mild, juicy, white flesh matures a week before McIntosh. You can store this apple for one to two months.

• Priscilla: This is a medium to large apple if you thin trees adequately after …

What causes the yellow leaf spots that later develop a brown center on my apple leaves?

This a fungal disease called cedar-apple rust. Cedar-apple rust is a common disease of apple and crabapple. The fungus that causes the disease, Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae, is unusual because it must spend a phase of its life cycle as a parasite on Juniperus species, such as red cedar or ornamental junipers. Control: Grow resistant apple or crabapple varieties. Apple varieties that normally show good to excellent resistance to cedar-apple rust include ‘Red Delicious’, ‘McIntosh’, ‘Arkansas Black’, ‘Winesap’, ‘Mollies Delicious’, ‘Spartan’, …