Hey apple experts - did the weather do this?

[Native Hunter]

Liberty survived some brutal winters in WI for me....so ya, not a variety issue (or a rootstock issue IMHO).
I didn't get my trees painted with diluted latex last year...gotta get that done this year

Yep, since global warming doesn't seem to be helping me much, I'm going to have to do more protecting too.:)

 

[Native Hunter]

The correct terminology is "Frost Crack." Good writeup at the link below:

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

 

[Maya]

Native, it stems from a stress during the fall or summer last year(drought) and then the winter stress further caused the sun scald/frost crack. Water it more, there is not much more you can do. It has nothing to do with "global warming", it happened long before any so called global warming and will happen again even if there is no "global warming".

 

[Native Hunter]

Native, it stems from a stress during the fall or summer last year(drought) and then the winter stress further caused the sun scald/frost crack. Water it more, there is not much more you can do. It has nothing to do with "global warming", it happened long before any so called global warming and will happen again even if there is no "global warming".

Thanks Maya. That tree shouldn't have been stressed last year, but perhaps there was something we overlooked. I try to look for the silver lining in every cloud, so if nothing else I'm at least more educated on the subject now.

 

[sandbur]

Here is what I have been trying . I double or quadruple the screen on the south/southwest side of the tree for added shade. Leave a few weeds around the tree, also.

As you can see, I no longer worried about grass control with this tree

.

 

[chummer]

This is what happened to all my pears last year. Just came across this pic.

 

[buckvelvet]

Aren't these deals cheap solutions to avoid such problems and they deter the pests of small stature?

 

[Native Hunter]

Chummer, I agree - that looks like the exact same thing.

 

[buckvelvet]

I've seen photos of girdled trees that had those plastic wraps on them. I think NovemberForever had a buddy that lost a nice tree. If the tree gets large and the plastic expands exposing the bark the mice will chew the exposed bark. Go with the aluminum screen.

I meant more of the sun scald aspect of it as far as this being a protection option for this, correct or no?

 

[sandbur]

Young maples often get sunscauld in Minnesota yards.

 

[chummer]

I was walking today at lunch and noticed several non apple trees that were severely damaged on their south sides by sun scald this winter. One was a younger oak. Another was a good 4" diameter tree. Not sure the variety.
I'm going to be painting my open exposed trees with latex later this summer. Not worth the risk not to do it.

I painted all my trees last fall and it seems to have worked great. After all of them cracking last winter it appears none of them cracked this winter.

 

[Native Hunter]

Update. Look close at the first pic. You can see through to the other side. Bark is now completely separated from tree. Just watching now for educational purposes and waiting for the end.

 

[Turkey Creek]

That is crazy that the tree foilage looks as good as it does and didnt abort the fruit.

 

[Native Hunter]

That is crazy that the tree foilage looks as good as it does and didnt abort the fruit.

Just crazy isn't it? Like I said, its just waiting now to watch it die, but it is educational.

I can't believe how the new bark is curling outward away from the tree instead of trying to wrap around it.

 

[Native Hunter]

Yep, that tree was an old monarch.

At this point since I have nothing to lose, I'm thinking about putting a thick, flexible coating of some sort over it and just seeing how long I could keep it going. But if I did that I couldn't plant a new one in its place, and I really want a new tree.:)