Arkansas Black tree issue

[Bowsnbucks]

Given the fact that a number of apple-care sources say pruning can be done in the summer, as well as the dormant early spring time period, I don't think removing that lower limb caused your tree to fade. Juglone, gypsy moths, dry soil - bad combination of conditions. Gypsy moths, Japanese beetles, tent caterpillars - all can defoliate & kill trees - especially young ones.

I've removed much bigger limbs than the one you took off, and had no negative effects to the trees. I cut off basically half of an Enterprise tree that had a competing main limb to the central leader. The diameter of that competing limb was about 1 1/2" - not a small tree at that point - and it turned out great. Members of the camp thought I killed the tree by such a drastic cut, but going by professional advice from Penn State, it turned out to be the best move for a balanced tree.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

So here’s an interesting update..this tree has jumped back to life! It doesn’t have tons of leaves, but they are green and the trees not actively dying..amazing what a little fertilizer and rain (and maybe a little prayer) will do..

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Prayer, patience, a bit of fertilizer, and it helps to get some rain, too. Glad this tree is recovering for you!

 

[Teeder]

Wish I could say the same for my chestnut crab. I planted it last year and it looked great all season. Late winter I trimmed it up a little. It put out one leaf this spring and died.

 

[blueKYstream]

I know this is an older thread but I had a similar thing happen to my Arkansas Black. It's not near a walnut tree or anything else. I couldn't spot a disease. It leafed out briefly and the leaves wilted. It's 6 years old if I remember right. The only thing I can think is maybe overfertilization. It's the first time I fertilized any of my fruit trees, so I tried to be conservative with a 1/2 cup in Fall and 1/2 cup in Spring. A scratch test showed the limb tips were still green under the bark. I'm hoping it'll bounce back.

 

[bigboreblr]

Fall is a bad time to fertilize with nitrogen. Let the limbs harden. In general fertilize in april or may, thrn some in june and done

APple orchards do fertilize with pottasium only in the fall. Takes awhile to get down in the soil.

 

[blueKYstream]

I want to say that it was late November when I fertilized. The leaves had fallen and trees were dormant. I hadn't noticed any adverse effects to this point on the other 5 apples and about 20 or 25 pears that I've checked so far. I figured at worst, the roots wouldn't take it up. It certainly didn't/wouldn't cause new growth at that point.

 

[bigboreblr]

Grass is sorta thick, any moles or field mice / vole issues. Could of got nibbled up over the winter. Even if the tree leafs out, no roots to support it.

 

[Teeder]

Grass is sorta thick, any moles or field mice / vole issues. Could of got nibbled up over the winter. Even if the tree leafs out, no roots to support it.

That's what I'm fighting.

 

[blueKYstream]

No mice or vole issues.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We've kept the grass in our orchard and also our outlying, scattered fruit trees mowed. That - and 3" deep crushed limestone screenings, and 30" tall aluminum screening seem to have kept any mice/vole damage to only 1 tree since 2013. The screen came loose on that tree, allowing mice or voles to have lunch. Keeping grass & weeds cut low makes exposure to predators a danger to mice & voles, so they're less likely to stick their necks out in the open. Hawks, owls, foxes, and even snakes are great for keeping the rodent populations trimmed down, too. FWIW.