North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]

Toni,

 

If any of the limb tips have died, but there is new growth sprouting from the same branch, prune back the dead part to the new growth bud.  If you leave any dead wood on peach trees, the dead wood can become infected with disease, usually canker.  The split in the trunk should be wrapped to prevent borers from entering. 

 

Two years ago I had a large (3") scaffold (branch) split down the middle about 8" and was about to break off.  I needed to give it support and wrap it right away so I would'nt lose the branch or get borers.  All I had with me at the time was electrical tape.  I figured why not and wrapped it tight with the black electrical tape.  I took the tape off a couple of weeks ago after 2 years and the split had completely healed over and I could hardly tell where it had occurred.  Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention.  The tape stretched as the branch grew and left no indentation.  I now use electrical tape to wrap any tree trunk injury.

 

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com

----- Original Message -----

From: Toni Pralle

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 8:19 AM

Subject: [NAFEX] split limbs

After the April snow storm when the rabbits pruned my trees, I waited to see what lived and what died. At least one peach tree has split limbs - I presume (from reading here) that the sap froze. I expected those limbs to die but some haven't. They are not as leafed out as other parts of the tree but definately alive. I need to keep as much living tissue as possible since the rabbits did such a thorough job of pruning. Is there anything I can do for them at this late date? Or would it be better to cut those off, too? If I remember correctly there is a split in the trunk, too. These trees are not even 5 feet tall and the side branches are inches long.

--
Toni in zone 4 Iowa USA
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