Issue with Yellow Dog Crab Apple

[tlzkaasen]

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, -

I planted about 23 Crab Apples spring of 2022 from 3 nurseries. 22 out of 23 are doing phenomenal. Some are 12+ feet tall already with the exception of this yellow dog. Looking for advice if I can save this Yellow Dog or cut my losses look to plant another in Spring 2024?

The top has no leaves, but the bottom has plenty of leaves. Pictures are worth a thousand words so feel free to let me know what I'm looking at.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

@sandbur would be great if he was still around to answer this.

 

[homerj]

Have you scratched the bark on the section without leaves to see if the cambium is green?

 

[Native Hunter]

@sandbur would be great if he was still around to answer this.

Is he not posting anymore?

 

[Rubee]

Top might be winter die back or fire blight. scratch the bark as homer said and if dead cut it back to live wood.

 

[Prof.Kent]

The top is dead.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Everybody's comments have been good things to look at thus far. Did you potentially have a late hard freeze this Spring. Scratch through the bark up towards the top and see what the underlying tissue color is. Yellow Dog is slightly slower growing than a lot of crabapples. It always tends to bare a heavy crop, which probably slows downt the growth some if you arent removing some of the crop.

 

[tlzkaasen]

Top was dead. Cut back as recommended. Thanks all. Made sense to me, but wanted to make sure before I snipped.

 

[chickenlittle]

Next step is to get a new central leader.

I sometimes let it decide on its own and prune later to support the new leader.

Sometimes I’ll tape a piece of bamboo to the tree and gently bend a branch up and tape it to the bamboo. It’s easy to split the bark if you bend too tightly. Your branches look very green still so easy to set the shape.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Is he not posting anymore?

Someone on here said he lost his password, and doesn't remember it - or something along those lines. We need Sandbur back on here IMO. He's got lots of great info on crabs, and habitat in general.

 

[Native Hunter]

Someone on here said he lost his password, and doesn't remember it - or something along those lines. We need Sandbur back on here IMO. He's got lots of great info on crabs, and habitat in general.

Yes, I hope he is back soon.

 

[chickenlittle]

New account as Sandbur2?

 

[Bill]

Yes, I hope he is back soon.

I just emailed him. Hopefully he uses the email associated with his account.
If anyone is in contact with him let him know the "contact us" link at the bottom of the page comes to me and I can help.

 

[BobinCt]

My yellow dog is hammered by a disease. I’ll no longer buy that variety.

 

[sandbur]

My yellow Dog has been pretty much disease free in my location but disease pressure varies with soil and climate.

Is the new growth from above the graft? Winter hardiness has not been issue with me for Yellow Dog. I do seem to have increased winter hardiness issues with Anty rootstock during the first winter as compared to dolgo. I am not sure what rootstock your tree is on. I am beginning to wonder if the longer time for Anty rootstocks to establish can be a problem during the first year in our climate.