Suggestions for Salvaging These 3 Wild Apples?

[Natty Bumppo]

Hey guys…now that I have my own land I am looking forward to doing some intensive TSI, food plotting, trail making, and releasing all of the wild apples I spent the last year locating and marking…about 35 of them. Most of the apples are in good condition, and just need to be release. Others were buried under the tops of trees that came down in the 2008 ice storm.

Could I get some advice on what, if anything, I can do about these 3 wild apples?

Apple #1:

This is clump of 4 individual trunks about 15 to 18 ft. high. One of the 4 trunks, the biggest and most dominant, has a large knot hole that is rotting out. Would it be best to just take out this trunk to salvage the other 3? Could I try cutting it off below the knot and trying a rind graft? Or will that knot hole heal over? Seems like it rots more each year. I tried to cut a small relief notch in the bottom of it so it would drain water better. Suggestions?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Apple #2

Apple #2 is a small apple that is missing all of its bark on one side of the tree from the top of the damaged area where I pruned it down to just about the ground. It has 3 "leaders" growing off it (not sure if leader is the proper term). One from ground level, one from the middle of the trunk, and the 3rd from the very top of the origin trunk that is about 12 ft. high. I have these in red. Does this tree have any hope? Should I just cut it back and hope for the best from the ground level leader?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Apple #3

Apple 3 is a fairly large apple that I released about 3 years ago. You couldn't even see this apple in the spruce when I first bumped into it. I've been pruning the crown back little by little and encouraging more vertical growth. This guy also has a rotten hole in it, but this hole goes all the way through the trunk. Basically the trunk is hollow in the area of the damage. Again…will this heal over? Or is it doomed? Saw it off below the damage and try a rind graft?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Maya]

Natty, I'm sure that your property is like many here in the NE, there is a lot of wild trees to play with.IMO, you have to learn to pick your poison, and work on the healthiest ones first. Get them all freed up first, then go back and start any pruning on the good ones, cut out vines and dead wood the first year. Work your way to the crappier ones. If the trees were fairly healthy and getting some pretty good light already, you can do some light pruning of some suckers and thinning of thick areas, but keep it light. The second year start doing more of this light pruning and removal of suckers, but again keep it light. Removal of to much wood will stimulate them to really put on some wood and get to crowded very quick. Take your time. This sounds like what you have been doing, though as far as freeing and pruning.

That being said, like Woodchuck said, you could try some grafting, I'd just do it on the ones that I've probably got nothing left to loose though. I've had decent luck with it.

My best advise though, is get those good ones in shape first. It's a lot of work, so work wisely. If these are three of your poorer ones and you've got nothing to loose, get radical, and cut them back to one leader and/ or try some grafting. They are in pretty bad shape though. Good luck!

 

[Maya]

One more thing Natty. Since you have trees like that with all that dead wood it will be a host for pests, like borers, which may have caused some of the problems in the first place. Might you want to take them out? I don't know, but it's something to think about.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Natty, I'm sure that your property is like many here in the NE, there is a lot of wild trees to play with.IMO, you have to learn to pick your poison, and work on the healthiest ones first. Get them all freed up first, then go back and start any pruning on the good ones, cut out vines and dead wood the first year. Work your way to the crappier ones. If the trees were fairly healthy and getting some pretty good light already, you can do some light pruning of some suckers and thinning of thick areas, but keep it light. The second year start doing more of this light pruning and removal of suckers, but again keep it light. Removal of to much wood will stimulate them to really put on some wood and get to crowded very quick. Take your time. This sounds like what you have been doing, though as far as freeing and pruning.

That being said, like Woodchuck said, you could try some grafting, I'd just do it on the ones that I've probably got nothing left to loose though. I've had decent luck with it.

My best advise though, is get those good ones in shape first. It's a lot of work, so work wisely. If these are three of your poorer ones and you've got nothing to loose, get radical, and cut them back to one leader and/ or try some grafting. They are in pretty bad shape though. Good luck!

Thanks Maya and Wooduck. Great advice.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Other than the borer issue that Maya pointed out I think I'd prune and clear around them as you've been doing.

#1 I'd take out the hollow leader if it will not damage the other trunk that seems like it might be attached?

#2 I would cut it out and let that other younger leader take over.

#3. I'd leave it but, cut 4-5' off the end of it to get its balance more upright. (I've got several trees shaped like this one that I'm slowly pruning to more upright growth)
Eventually it will come down but, it could produce a lot of apples before it comes down.

Thanks NH Mountains. Yes, good eyes...the apple in #1 is attached to a 2nd trunk in places. I think I can remove the hollow leader without damaging the other trunk.

Good advice.