William O Connor asked 14 years ago
I have a four year old cooking apple tree and I came home from holidays to find it had fallen over. It had been leaning. The trunk has split almost all the way through just above the graft. Can this tree be saved? What’s the best plan of action? It has a good amount of crop on it and the leaves are still green. I was only away for five days so it hasn’t been down for too long. Any advice.
1 Answers
Gerry Daly Staff answered 7 years ago
The tree has partly broken its graft union and it is unlikely ever to have the structural strength to stand upright again.
It could be propped up but that will hav eto be permanent.
You could cut the tree about 30cm above the graft union in winter and dispose of the top. Select on good shoot fromt he tree-side of the graft union and allow it to grow out as a new top. It will take several years to make a new top and fruit again. Do not let rootstock suckers take over.Â
