Tree help

4wanderingeyes

5 year old buck +
i have 10 apple trees, I planted them, 1-3 years ago, and I haven't touched them since. Other then some weeding around them, and cages. I don't know anything about them, I know I should be trimming them, and spraying them for something. I have a couple that it looks like something is eating the leaves, but I don't see anything on the trees. I will post some pictures, I would love some feed back, and thoughts on anything you see on the pictures. Recommendation on what to spray them with, and when. They aren't producing yet, mostly because late frosts.

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They don't look too bad. You'll always have some bug damage. I'd trim those lower limbs off this winter and maybe tie down or use spreaders to open up the trees. I see multiple central leaders. You need to trim back to one main central leader this winter.
 
Would you spray them with anything? Fertilize? I had a few last you with buds, but then it froze right after. This year it froze right at bud break. I am hoping to get apples next year.


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Too late in the year to fertilize. Late winter early spring is the time for fertilizer.
 
Thanks everyone! I was hoping I didn't harm them by not attending to them. Trim them this winter and fertilize with triple 19 in the spring.


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All the above guys gave good advice. March is a good time to prune before the trees start to come out of dormancy. That's when I prune mine & it's past the worst of the cold. I usually fertilize the camp's trees in early April, and spread some 15-15-15 or 19-19-19 under the edges of the landscape cloth around the trees.

At this time of the year, Japanese beetles seem to be the biggest threat. Sevin or Bonide fruit tree spray work to keep them off the trees. Some of our trees look like yours with the bug damage, but no worries.

Spend some time researching how to prune apple trees and train the limbs. Getting the shape of the tree right can save on disease problems and broken limbs from heavy fruit loads. Shaping the trees to a central leader also gets more sunlight to all parts of the tree from the top down. Think " Christmas tree " for a shape with the longest limbs at the bottom and the shortest ones at the top. Limb angles should be 90 degrees to the trunk ( straight out ) to 60 degrees upward. 60 degrees is about perfect from all I've read. Check into U. of Wisconsin for apple tree info on pruning and care, or U. of Minn., Penn State, or Cornell. Much good info to be had at those places.
 
I have been buying dominion 2l or imidiacloprid (sp?) and I make my own dilution to .3% and apply it systemically. I have had great success on the chewing insects. I have been using bonide fruit tree spray also on a pretty strict schedule. I don't go too heavy and it's a mist with my sprayer. All I care about is tree health. I don't give a crap what the apples look like and whether or not bugs make the fruit look visually bad. I have eaten apples like that all my life and I am fine. if the tree is healthy I am happy.
 
Wanderer, here's a little more detail on the pruning that I think Greyphase is recommending for next winter/spring. In order of importance:
  • Make sure you only have a single central leader. You may be able to 'train down' limbs competing with your central leader, but don't be afraid to take competitors out completely. Removing the competition to your central leader will direct the tree's energy to the top bud of your leader to achieve maximum height for your tree and give you the room to create more scaffold branches
  • 'Train down' the scaffold limbs that you intend to keep. The general consensus is to have 'swirl' of 4-5 limbs starting at about the 5' mark, then another swirl every 18"-36" up the tree. You can train down with either limb spreaders, weights, or by tying down the branches with twine/string to the cage. BTW, you can do that now if you have the time.
  • Remove completely as many limbs below the 5' mark as you can, keeping in mind that you shouldn't take out more than a third of the tree in any one year. Getting those limbs out will direct the tree's energy where you want it.
- Lot2Learn
 
Dumb question, but I would just snip it with a shears as close to the main tree as possible, or do I leave a half inch from the main tree?
 
Dumb question, but I would just snip it with a shears as close to the main tree as possible, or do I leave a half inch from the main tree?
There are no dumb questions!

Yes, shear or saw the limbs that you're taking out as close to the central leader as you can.
 
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