Weird apple find?

[trampledbyturtles]

Seems like these dang apples find new ways to kick a man in the shins every year.

This was one of the old guys I tried to kickstart. Probably 8yrs old. Started out as a busted mess, with one little side branch on the bottom I cut back to.

Just stared to make some decent progress then I find this. Not sure what the deal is.
But the bark looks like it is sluffing off completely around the truck.

Current plan is to cut down and replace.
Any ideas?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Is the bark damage on the SW side of the tree? Spray a 50/50 blend of white interior latex paint and water on the trunks in the fall to prevent that.

I wouldn't give up on the tree yet. Try wrapping something extremely tight around the damaged area to see if it can graft itself back together in a couple years. It might work out fine and you save the tree. If not, the top will die off and the tree will send out a new leader from below the damaged area and eventually that will replace the dead area.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Damage is on the very N side of the tree.
I paint all my trees every year. Although I still get a fair bit of sun scald.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That's odd. Was the bark completely separated all the way around or just near the crack? If the bark is connected on part of the tree it still could heal up with a little luck. It's hard to tell from the picture though.

That's a nice looking tree though, so I would try to wrap some bungee cords or something similar really tight in a few areas above, below and on the crack just to see if it can help.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

The bark was coming off at least 1/2 way around the diameter of the truck.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I once had rabbits eat 3/4 of the way around an apple tree and it survived since it wasn't damaged on one portion of the trunk. I would at least try something since you're not out anything if it doesn't work.

If you can find a healthy bark section above and below the crack you could put on a bridge graft there as well. I'll be trying that this year for the first time where a buck rubbed 3/4 of the way around a nice apple tree.

 

[homerj]

What variety?

 

[chummer]

My guess is Enterprise or Liberty. Almost everyone of those I have planted has done that. My experience says that tree is toast. It should root sucker so leave the cage on. Is it a zone 4 tree?

 

[Prof.Kent]

Could be the roots died add you're just seeing the after effects as the upper tree dies and bark cracks.

 

[BuckSnort]

I have the same exact thing happening on one of my B118 rootstocks, tree is a great looking 3 year old Galarina. The rest of the tree is fine, it is just on the exposed portion of the rootstock.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

What variety?

Its either a freedom, liberty or fireside.
Our record keeping was not quite up to par back then.

 

[Native Hunter]

Below is a thread on my similar issue:

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?t...-sunscald-on-a-liberty-apple-tree.7462/page-2

 

[cavey]

Im going to agree with P.K. there... I believe, plain and simple, you have a dead tree.... drying out and cracking. I saw the pic and instantly went "Ohhh thats a dead tree" she gave up the ghost from the bottom up.

 

[cavey]

Sometimes they just die.... could be something got at the roots like voles . You said you had to kick start it... maybe it was struggling from the start ..

It is to bad, other than that it looks like a very nice tree. It looks like the bark has slipped away from the trunk and looks pretty dead dry in there. Does the other side seem good - Im guessing not. But you could seal or wrap it tight and see what happens. Take a upper branch and give it a scrap to see how green it is, cut an end and look at the wood to see if is dying off above too. Look like more than just a frost pop to me. Like mentioned above if it is just one sided you still have a chance with it.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

That's the thing, the first orchard Dad and I put in about 10 years ago had it ruff. This guy was coming back from the dead to start.

Really was only keeping them him alive for the memories.

Trees planted properly 3 years ago dwarf him at this point.

Gunna cut bait and replant with a zestar on dolgo stock.

 

[cavey]

Sounds like a good move. I have had trees like that... lol still do... they just hang around for a while till they cack off. I have some from about 15 years ago that have to be on dwarfing rootstock they just have gone nowhere and one be one they are dying off. Should have cut bait along time ago with them.