This is my 6 year with these apple trees and they have never been quite right. Grew apples in Idaho and So.Calif.and never had so many problems. I have the same problem. The leaves look ok but they have a tendency to curl on the sides, some with slight brown edges. I gave them more water this year (ck my blog on garden site -fruit and orchard "Dry Apples") hoping the apples would be big and juicy and there was much improvement, but the leaves still look cooked. The apples also tend to get sun burn. I am giving the trees an incredable amount of water. 5gl per hour for 6 hours once a week then put the hose on them filling the trench around. I instert a pc. of rebar 3 feet deep near the trees to make sure they have enough. I too would like the leaves to look healthier, shinny and pretty, but I think the heat and sun are just to brutal. Instead of using the AZ site try fruit&orchard you will get answers from all over the us in your zone and it might help a bit more.

Primary cause
Apples will sunburn until they grow bark, make sure you paint the trunks until there old enough to handle it, Sunburn will cause added stress because the cambium overheats and can cause these symptom's.
Over and/or Under watering will cause the same issues.
Over fertilizing is a cause of leaf burn.
Check for Mites, they will cause the same symptom.
Most of the time its a issue of Heat Transpiration in your plant, In all the propagation material here in the nursery (currently over 700 Apples) I eliminate it by using Anti-Stress 550.

The trees at Reed's place (Turtleman) look real nice so I would follow his advice.

thanks for the help. It's hard to know if you're watering too much or too little.
can anyone tell me how much a dwarf apple should be watered?

thx
gallen

Turtleman---What is Anti stress 550? and where can I get some?
Thanks Camp Verde

Dwarf Apples will need less water, BUT! will need to be watered more often and over a wider range of area under your tree, I'm guessing its on M-27 understock which grows a shallow root system, so your roots are closer to the top of the soils. Flood your area under the dripline once each 3 days depending on your soils drainage.

Anti-Stress is a non-toxic, water diluteable polymer coating. I've used it for a number of years in propagation here and on my container grown fruit trees in the nursery here also. I am a dealer for the product but until today I've never sold any of it... LOL,, I use it! Maybe I should add it to my web site,,, Anyways, if you do use it "Do Not" use the "ready to use" items (anti-stress 2000) it will break down in our summers heat to fast. Use the Concentrate and dilute it at 25 to 40%

Here is a link that might be useful: Anti-Stress 550 link

Hey thanks Reid for hooking us up with the Anti-Stress and all the advice. The stuff if a great tool that allows you to plays some "tricks" that otherwise wouldnt be possible.

And for any of you that havent been out to see RSI growers you really owe it to yourselves to pay it a visit. You have to respect a operation that will ONLY sell varieties that they are positive will do excellent here. Go to Bakers or any other valley tree seller and they will sell you all kinds of things that may or MAY NOT survive here. And I think that providing advanced gardeners with risky specimens is important to broadening our knowledge, I adore the tropical and other hard to keep fruit trees I have but understand the risks. But for the vast majority of buyers they need a place that is like RSI and has a solid inventory of fully adapted ready to plant trees that are near zero risk. We love RSI.

Thanks Turtleman for all of your advice!