About 3 weeks ago, I removed a large branch because it was looking terrible and maybe like fireblight I left a stub. All the rest of the branches are turning yellow now. The trunk has a black spot at the base as well as damage from (probably) deer. However, some green shoots are coming out of the trunk.
It has really bad rust and spot. I sprayed but it was my first year spraying and I know I didn’t get the timing right. All my other trees have a little bit (see Tree #2) - nothing like this one.
The other side of the trunk looks fine/normal. The shoots at the bottom are from Autumn Olive that was growing next to the tree. This is the reason I said it might be damaged from glyphosate. When I cut those autumn olive stumps I likely painted a little on the stumps to keep them from returning. I now know this can kill nearby trees, as I accidently killed a pear tree 10’ from another tree in this manner.
Do I give up on this tree and cut it down? Do I cut it above the new growth? Spray it with something else? Cut it (where?) and try to graft it next year? Is that spot at the base really bad?
Tree 2
This tree is 30-40 feet tall. It is directly next to Tree #1 (maybe tree #1 made it sick?) It didn’t get pruned much/at all because I got busy. However, the tree was going along fine, it has fruit on it, didn’t look too bad. But now, so many branches have this sad fireblighty look. I noticed it at first yesterday, but it could have started anytime in the last week when we’ve had a lot of rain. This tree does have fruit on it.
I can do some pruning, I’m sure more air/light circulation would help, but to take out every one of those sad little brown bits doesn’t really seem possible with such a large tree and so many of them. What’s the best way to take care of this tree?
Not the most experienced person here, but I think I would cut the first tree pretty much to the ground. If the roots are still good, it should put out some new growth that you can eventually graft to. If they’re not strong enough to put out new growth, the tree was a goner anyway, so you just put it out of its misery. But I don’t think it’s worth trying to save anything above that big bad spot on the trunk.
With the second tree, I would be inclined to guess that if it’s an older tree, it’s probably had similar issues before. If it hasn’t died yet, and it hasn’t spread fireblight to everything around it yet, there’s a good chance that nothing catastrophic is going to happen right away. So maybe just leave it for now, keep an eye on it, and do some research on how to renovate an older apple tree. (There are a number of good threads on this site.)
That kinda looks like sunscald damage on tree #1. Maybe with no foliage in the dormant months the sun hits the bark long enough to cause damage but then in the growing season it has enough shade for lichen to grow. I would investigate that damage further and if it is just sunscald I would cut out all of the dead cambium (see many YouTube videos) and whitewash over it to reflect the sun better. I would also protect that new growth so a deer won’t eat it off and let it grow out. Every couple weeks spray the leaves with a foliar fertilizer spray and dump a bunch of bonemeal around the perimeter so the roots will have what they need to overcome the glyphosate damage.
My eyes aren’t catching what is wrong with #2 but it wouldn’t hurt to also use a foliar spray and then in the winter prune about 1/3 of it to let more light in.
I was considering this, but if fireblight resistance is a function of rootstock (which I’m to understand rootstock is one factor) then I guess I should figure out if the tree has fireblight?
LOL. I have definitely heard this advice before! thanks for reminding me. These trees were all neglected for years and if they’re still kicking along…
I also think it’s more likely tree #1 is spreading fireblight - another tree next to it looks affected now, so I’m going to cut that one down today.
Foliar spray works to quickly absorb the nutrients into the leaves instead of waiting for the roots to absorb them and transport them up. I’ve been doing it for 3 years now and definitely have seen an improvement.
I think the disadvantage to foliar sprays is that the absorption rate is not as good as via the roots and wind can dry out the application pretty quick, but to that point, if it rains then gravity will take it down to the roots so no big deal.
My understanding is that FB-resistant rootstocks are valuable mostly because they increase the chances that you’ll be able to regraft to healthy roots if FB kills the scion portion of the tree. See for example this article and especially this quote:
“Resistant rootstocks will not protect susceptible scion varieties, he said, but a dead rootstock won’t support any scion variety at all. If the rootstock survives after fireblight infection, it limits the damage if the tree can be pruned or topworked and restored to production. The use of renewal pruning, as used in the high-density plantings, also makes it easier to take out infected shoots without affecting the overall structure of the tree.”
So, if you cut down the tree and get healthy shoots from the rootstock, you’d be getting what you would hope for from a FB-resistant rootstock, and in general the value of an established root system means that it’s worth giving it a shot. If you cut the tree down now, you’ll probably see whether the roots are going to give you something to work with or not by the end of the growing season, so you’ll be able to make a more informed decision about what you want to do from there. (I had this same experience with a tree that I had to cut down due to FB this spring and is now putting up new growth from the rootstock.)
Yeah, I’m guessing that the second tree is probably fine in terms of its own health (though you will probably be able to put it in better shape with some judicious pruning). But you are in a more FB-prone area than I am, so if other people in a similar situation suggest that the tree could be a problem in terms of spreading FB to others, I would definitely take that into consideration.
