Hail damage, what to do ?

[greyphase]

The hail storm that went through last week pounded this years grafts.

I'm wondering if I cut the worst of these leaves off will a new leaf grow in it's place? I'm afraid these damaged leaves will make the trees more susceptible to disease & insects. Opinions and advice welcomed.

Rick

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have been down the same road unfortunately more than once already this summer.:( I have just left mine as is except pruning off "major" stems if they are just hanging by a thread. In my opinion that brown edge is just the trees way of sealing off the rest of the growing leaf from disease, kind of like a scab. Generally I see new leaf growth in 2-3 weeks. I feel like at this point my grafts that were damaged the most are probably a months worth of growing time behind where the would be otherwise. After our 80 mph ++ wind storm last week I lost my best Chestnut apple, bark graft that was getting close to 30" of growth, ripped it completely off the trunk. I am happy about the rain we have had this summer, but the rest of the crap that seems to always come with it is getting old!

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I think some leaf is better than no leaf even if it's battered. Trees are a amazing in their ability to recover from catastrophic events

 

[CrazyEd]

I also think some leaf is better than none. my vote is let mother a nature do her thing.