Dead 3rd Leaf Apple Tree Dissection

General Fruit Growing
1

My 3rd leaf apple tree (Suncrisp on EMLA7) looked completely normal coming out of winter. It leafed out and bloomed this spring. Then things suddenly went downhill fast after we had some frost. The tree declined rapidly and eventually died, so I decided to do a full “dissection” to see if I could find clues about what happened.

What makes this more concerning is that I lost a different apple tree last year in the same row, just a neighboring planting hole with identical symptoms. That tree also appeared to wake up in spring before dying - Apple Trees - is it a Fire Blight strike? - #7 by ukie .

I took several photos during the process and wanted to share them here in case somebody notices something I missed and provides some clues to what happening.

I tried cutting progressively lower into the trunk, graft union and roots:

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2

Looks like fireblight made it down the trunk.

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3

How did the bark look on the dead side? If it was fireblight it should be blackened outside on the dead side. The asymmetry of the necrosis there does indicate fireblight going down a side but trees die in odd ways and it could also be that the roots died starting on one side which then spread up the tree. I would take a knife and cut in to the trunk right at the soil line to make sure there is no borer damage or other issue there such as girding.

Anyway I agree probably fireblight but I’m not certain.

2 Likes
4

Yes. Shoot Blight. Only takes a few days once the ooze phases kicks in.

1 Like