Leaning bench graft advice

General Fruit Growing
1

I have a newly grafted flower of Kent apple on antanovka rootstock that has always had a lean to it. I didn’t think too much of it at first thinking it would grow and correct itself by growing towards the light but it doesn’t seem too interested as of yet. It is leaning due west. I am worried that this will weaken the graft union due to gravity/the wind etc. Should I splint it? Use a prop stick below the graft? Leave it be and let it correct itself? Any advice or thoughts are much appreciated!

Here’s a picture as of this morning:

IMG_20200730_062413
IMG_20200730_0624132138×2851 2.91 MB

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2

I would put a cane on the opposite side from the lean and tie it upright. If the graft union is still weak you could put a splint on it.

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3

Everett, you actually have 3 problems or causes of the situation.
1 Your rootstock is leaning
2 Your scionwood is leaning farther
3 You left the terminal bud of the scionwood facing even farther left (from view in pix)

You could dig the tree up and plant it again during dormancy.
Or you could prune back the growth to a major bud that faces the other direction and end up eventually with a very slightly crooked trunk. But, it does appear if you do nothing you have a problem down the road. Still, with this rootstock, it probably would just be a perpetually crooked tree, and not actually ride on over and come out of the ground like a dwarf or simi dwarf might.

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I agree with you Bill, although I would drive a piece of 5/8" rebar next to the tree and tie it up for a year or 2 and then remove the rebar after the tree sets it shape. Easy and I do it all the time.

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5

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice. I decided to stake it for the remainder of this season and see what the growth looks like next season before doing anything else. I have definitely learned my lesson and will hopefully avoid this problem in the future. :+1:

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