Sick Apple Tree?
Originally uploaded by mikeysklar
We have four apple trees. Three of them are doing pretty well, but this guy looks a bit sickly. I tried making it a batch of worm compost tea this morning. This is just two shovel scoops from the worm bin and 3 gallons of rain water. I'll try to remember to take a photo in a week and see if it is looking any better.
4 comments:
Poor thing. Looks like it needs those suckers removed, a gentle pruning and to have those competing weeds pulled and replaced with a nice mulch.
What variety is it?
I don't know why, lingering transplant shock? If so the compost tea will help.
It's a good idea to trim any branches coming from the root crown, they're known as "suckers" and they take energy away from the tree, and don't produce as much fruit as a regular branch. They are basically the tree's attempt at reproducing vegetatively. Useful in the wild, but less so when cultivating for fruit.
I think the photo shows one, maybe two suckers, but I can't see it exactly. If it comes from the trunk but several inches above the root level, then you can leave it if you wish, that's just a really low branch. Suckers come from the root crown, at or just below the soil level.
It's a bit hard to see on the pictures, but it looks like the main stem did get damaged. In that case the tree will bush out more and you might consider doing an apple trellis instead of a mighty tree. Easier harvest for sure.
this winter I pruned a lot of this tree. i think that's what is causing the struggle. i did not prune off the sucker as I didnt think the tree could take that much pruning. I had already taken off a lot of messy conflicting branches. i think it's shock and will cont giving it compost tea and see if it rebounds.
fingers crossed.
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