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Apple Tree Trouble

Rebel Darling
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growalot Newbie

growalot

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Is that a recent picture? if so...I'm thinking your right...with out seeing it in person all I could suggest is once it's dormant...November or December Go in and top it take out the lower branches as well hit it with dormant oil and burn what you cut... If it sends out new growth in the spring immediately hit it with a fungus and bug spray... Also lay down grub killer...

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Rebel Darling Newbie

Rebel Darling

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Is that a recent picture? if so...I'm thinking your right...with out seeing it in person all I could suggest is once it's dormant...November or December Go in and top it take out the lower branches as well hit it with dormant oil and burn what you cut... If it sends out new growth in the spring immediately hit it with a fungus and bug spray... Also lay down grub killer...



Just snapped that photo right before I posted...


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b3h Apprentice

b3h

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Yep it needs a lot of work. We have 4 old trees that need a lot of tlc also. Been working on 1 of them for 2 years now to avoid stress. It looks terrible when it's done but the thing is actually coming around a is producing well now. Work out a reasonable plan for taking care of the maintenance if ur doing it yourself or hire someone that knows what they r doing. Utube videos can help


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dbHunterNY Proficient

dbHunterNY

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you need to see if the tree that was dormant is still alive or dead.  otherwise you're wasting time.  Go out to the bases of some of the smoother younger branches that you can get to your knive and carefully scratch away a SMALL spot of the bark to see if you can get to an inner green layer of the vascular system.  if it's all brown and not even a dull green and you get to dense wood that part is dead.  test a SMALL few spots on different branches as some branches can die even on a living healthy tree.

once you've verified it's still alive then you should get someone in to prune it and fertilize it. a ring of grub and bug killer around the base wouldn't hurt if you thought that could be a problem.  looks like it needs it a lot.  pruning at the right time will put some vigor back into an old tree thinking it should grow more.  a branch should only "Y" once as it works it's way toward the sun.  that way light will get through and into the tree top for more leaves and fruit, not just on the outside.

no tree expert at all.  i've learned a little, because deer love apples and most properties have old apple trees that can be revived or kept up to draw in deer.

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philoshop Newbie

philoshop

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That tree looks like it's been pruned and pampered for much of its life and is now suffering for lack of that attention over the last several years. 'Orchard' trees are like Thoroughbred horses, they don't do well outside of captivity.

There are plenty of websites that will show you how to prune that tree back to it's 'captive' nature and make it productive again if it's still viable. It's worth a try. My brother did it with an entire 'orchard' he found on his property amid all the brambles and locust saplings. Most of his fruit trees have since died, but he had 25 years of very tasty fruit and a chance to plant replacements.

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Rebel Darling Newbie

Rebel Darling

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you need to see if the tree that was dormant is still alive or dead.  otherwise you're wasting time.  Go out to the bases of some of the smoother younger branches that you can get to your knive and carefully scratch away a SMALL spot of the bark to see if you can get to an inner green layer of the vascular system.  if it's all brown and not even a dull green and you get to dense wood that part is dead.  test a SMALL few spots on different branches as some branches can die even on a living healthy tree.

once you've verified it's still alive then you should get someone in to prune it and fertilize it. a ring of grub and bug killer around the base wouldn't hurt if you thought that could be a problem.  looks like it needs it a lot.  pruning at the right time will put some vigor back into an old tree thinking it should grow more.  a branch should only "Y" once as it works it's way toward the sun.  that way light will get through and into the tree top for more leaves and fruit, not just on the outside.

no tree expert at all.  i've learned a little, because deer love apples and most properties have old apple trees that can be revived or kept up to draw in deer.



I think it's still alive. I didn't scrape at any of the younger branches, but it's still holding fruit (the few it produced), and leaves, which are at the top.


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Rebel Darling Newbie

Rebel Darling

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The apples trees are full this year for me compared to last year....has anything happend to change the soil around the tree 


Well, not that I can tell. In the spring, I placed a little bit of 10 10 10 fertilizer around the rain ring, on recommendation of the Agway fella, but that's all I'm certain of.


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Rebel Darling Newbie

Rebel Darling

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That tree looks like it's been pruned and pampered for much of its life and is now suffering for lack of that attention over the last several years. 'Orchard' trees are like Thoroughbred horses, they don't do well outside of captivity.
There are plenty of websites that will show you how to prune that tree back to it's 'captive' nature and make it productive again if it's still viable. It's worth a try. My brother did it with an entire 'orchard' he found on his property amid all the brambles and locust saplings. Most of his fruit trees have since died, but he had 25 years of very tasty fruit and a chance to plant replacements.



Yeah, I've been on the property for three summers now. The first year we were here, it was FULL of apples. Then the hard May frost killed every bud last year, and now this...

I'm hoping to find someone to head over and show me how best to prune. While YouTube is great, the Internet here ain't. Ha...


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stubborn1VT Proficient

stubborn1VT

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This wet spring/summer made it a bad one for fungi.  The bad news is it can lead to leaf drop like that.  The good news is that it usually isn't fatal.  Pruning is a good idea.  Pruning an overgrown tree all at once can be hard on them.  Some folks recommend re-shaping a tree over 3 or 3 years.  I'm no expert.  I have over-pruned a neglected tree and set it back for a year.  

Grow gives good advice in regards to dormant oil and spring spraying.  Don't give up hope!

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growalot Newbie

growalot

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Rebel...the fact it drop its leafs when it did  shores up what I suspect..especially with the weather this year.. if the leafs have a yellowing and brown spotting  it is most like one or even both these problems ,  Apple scab and Apple rust. .both fungal diseases...look them up and spray accordingly. Use the dormant oil and do the winter pruning...but cleans the equipment before touching any other trees. Rake  and remove all leaf litter under that tree  before  spring then do a surface liming under it late winter when ground permits

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Rebel Darling Newbie

Rebel Darling

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Rebel...the fact it drop its leafs when it did  shores up what I suspect..especially with the weather this year.. if the leafs have a yellowing and brown spotting  it is most like one or even both these problems ,  Apple scab and Apple rust. .both fungal diseases...look them up and spray accordingly. Use the dormant oil and do the winter pruning...but cleans the equipment before touching any other trees. Rake  and remove all leaf litter under that tree  before  spring then do a surface liming under it late winter when ground permits



Roger that, Grow. Heading to Agway this morning. Needed some Whitetail Institute throw and grow anyway...

Yep. Those leaves spotted and yellowed...


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growalot Newbie

growalot

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It's stress induced... The link is one of the better explanations of this and  with the drought we had last year and I don't know how your areas been this year it is probably closest to what your seeing which is why I picked it.... Don't hesitate on the spraying because of this because stressed trees are susceptible trees

Quote

 

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/why_are_my_apples_blooming_in_fall

here's another

http://fruitgrowersnews.com/article/cold-injury-to-fruit-trees-a-big-concern/

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  • 2 weeks later...
the blur Rookie

the blur

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Fuuuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkkk.  

My 2 very mature Apple trees look worse than that.     I have no idea what wrongs with it.    All of the bottom branches are dead

Is there a list of steps I need to take?

The deer still visit looking for apples....

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Fletch Mentor

Fletch

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I have a couple in similar shape. Pruning apple tree is not a hobby if you have a bunch and big ones!! It can be a full time job lol. I have tried to work on a few, some I dont touch and one i prune every year and that tree alone takes days and 20+ foot ladders and such!

 

I also had blossoms on a tree this week that had dropped most of its apples!!

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