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  • From: Steve <sdw12986@aol.com>
  • To: NAFEx <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Trouble in paradise? (apple tree)
  • Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:41:15 -0400

When I first joined this group last year, I told that I had 4 apple trees, 3 of which I have grafted to multiple varieties. (I have other fruits; sticking to apples here.)

I'm afraid one of my multi graft trees is doomed. It has taken me a while to get around to asking the questions. I took these pictures last September on Labor Day Monday! The problem is that the branches on the north side of the tree had the leaves turn yellow and fall off early. About 3 branches were completely bare by the end of September, long before the first frost and long before any leaves were lost on other branches and other trees. Twice, over the last 20 years, I have had a whole tree (one cherry and one plum, I think) loose the leaves early and, of course, it was completely dead in the spring.

Here is a branch that was grafted over to Red Baron:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2fe5ae800000036103AaNmrJi4Ze
As you can see, 80 or 90% of the leaves have fallen on this branch.

This branch was grafted over to Connel Red:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2e3dbc500000036103AaNmrJi4Ze
This still has some green leaves but every day, more and more turned yellow and fell off.

Both of these branches and at least one other tried to produce apples but they were not edible. Around on the other side of the same tree, this Sweet Sixteen branch was all business as usual:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2efdbc900000036103AaNmrJi4Ze

Last of all, here is a picture of the lower trunk. This is the north side, directly below the bad branches. I certainly assume this is the source of the problem:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df24b3127cceb36cc2d7dbf100000035103AaNmrJi4Ze
After the picture, I did a little poking around and I believe the bark is alive right at the soil line and below. There seems to be a dead zone where it looks bad in the picture. Don't suggest that it is lawnmower damage. I'm the only one who mows the area and I DO NOT touch the trees with the mower. I'm thinking it is simply some disease which is very bad news for this tree. I'm expecting the affected branches to be dead this spring. I will not know for sure until at least 2 more months. So what happened here? Is there anything I can try, to salvage the remaining part of the tree?

Steve in the Adirondacks (zone 4 on the map, zone 3 in real life).








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