Apple tree problems

Hi all,

Have a very mature(probably 25ft tall and 15ft across) Granny Smith
tree in the backyard that is being slowly devoured by borers. They are
leaving the sapwood and an outer shell, strong enough to keep teh tree
upright and alive.
Now, the tree fruited this year, but dropped the fruit after a few
weeks, probably due to stress.
I know the tree is history, so what is the best way to go about growing
another tree from the seeds? Or should I graft? This tree, according to
the neighbours(only owned the place 18 months) produces really good
apples and lots of them, so I would like to try and grow another.

Regards, Andrew.

Hello Andrew.

Growing another from seed may not produce the same results that the original
tree did, but you should get something as good as granny smith apples (I
dont like them unless we are making an apple pie).

Save some seeds and apple scraps from your harvest. Dump them inot a pile
and cover them with about an inch of dirt. Protect the pile from what ever
might dig around in it, until spring. At that time you should have trees
coming up. Then transplant them where ever you want them to grow and water
them as needed. I have done that with pears and it worked very well.

You can also let the seeds dry out after washing them off and saving them
until about 3 months before spring. Then put them into a small plastic bag
with some moist dirt. Lay them in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator
and check every 30 days. Usually after 60 days you will find that they have
sprouted. When that happens, plant them with the white root down and water
them as needed. I potted mine and then transplanted them in the spring. If
you want to do it that way, you can start the seeds in the refrigerator any
time. I have done that with Fuji and New Zealand Rose apples and have one
of each growing in my yard.

Have fun. Dwayne



"Andrew Puddifer" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Have a very mature(probably 25ft tall and 15ft across) Granny Smith
tree in the backyard that is being slowly devoured by borers. They are
leaving the sapwood and an outer shell, strong enough to keep teh tree
upright and alive.
Now, the tree fruited this year, but dropped the fruit after a few
weeks, probably due to stress.
I know the tree is history, so what is the best way to go about growing
another tree from the seeds? Or should I graft? This tree, according to
the neighbours(only owned the place 18 months) produces really good
apples and lots of them, so I would like to try and grow another.

Regards, Andrew.

Thanks for the information Dwayne.

Regards, Andrew.

Dwayne wrote:

Hello Andrew.

Growing another from seed may not produce the same results that the original
tree did, but you should get something as good as granny smith apples (I
dont like them unless we are making an apple pie).

Save some seeds and apple scraps from your harvest. Dump them inot a pile
and cover them with about an inch of dirt. Protect the pile from what ever
might dig around in it, until spring. At that time you should have trees
coming up. Then transplant them where ever you want them to grow and water
them as needed. I have done that with pears and it worked very well.

You can also let the seeds dry out after washing them off and saving them
until about 3 months before spring. Then put them into a small plastic bag
with some moist dirt. Lay them in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator
and check every 30 days. Usually after 60 days you will find that they have
sprouted. When that happens, plant them with the white root down and water
them as needed. I potted mine and then transplanted them in the spring. If
you want to do it that way, you can start the seeds in the refrigerator any
time. I have done that with Fuji and New Zealand Rose apples and have one
of each growing in my yard.

Have fun. Dwayne

Andrew Puddifer writes:
Have a very mature(probably 25ft tall and 15ft across) Granny Smith
tree in the backyard that is being slowly devoured by borers.

I'm surprised that you didn't ask how to go about treating the borers?
Anyway, it could be that the borers have moved in because the tree is on
the way out for other reasons, rather than them being the actual cause of
its destruction.

I know the tree is history, so what is the best way to go about growing
another tree from the seeds? Or should I graft?

Well, grafting is going to get you fruit a lot sooner than growing from
seed! But why not try it anyway, rather than have all your eggs in one
basket. There is also another method, it involves scratching or scoring a
suitable branch and encasing the wound in a bundle of sphagnum moss wrapped
up in plastic. The site of the wound develops roots, and after a year or so
you can cut that branch off the tree and plant it as a new specimen. That's
all I know, and I don't know what the likely success is with apple trees,
but it will give you a start for a web search.

There is also "layering" which IIRC could be carried out by raising a tub
of good potting mix on a secure stand tall enough so you can bend a supple
branch/twig down and securely bury its central length in the soil. After a
year or so the buried part develops roots. You wouldn't want to let the mix
dry out, I'd say, so not as "set and forget" as the above.

To other readers: please add any personal experiences of either of these
methods of tree propagation, as I'm also keen to learn more.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)

Thanks for that information John. I am not too concerned about
treating the borers at the moment, as I know the tree is not going to
survive(it is hollow). I know where the borers are at the moment, so
when the time comes, I can find them. There are a few other tasty trees
nearby I am sure they would love to move in on, so I don't want to
disturb them till I get another tree going.
However, if you know a really good way to treat them, let me know!

Regards, Andrew.

John Savage wrote:


I'm surprised that you didn't ask how to go about treating the borers?
Anyway, it could be that the borers have moved in because the tree is on
the way out for other reasons, rather than them being the actual cause of
its destruction.

Well, grafting is going to get you fruit a lot sooner than growing from
seed! But why not try it anyway, rather than have all your eggs in one
basket. There is also another method, it involves scratching or scoring a
suitable branch and encasing the wound in a bundle of sphagnum moss wrapped
up in plastic. The site of the wound develops roots, and after a year or so
you can cut that branch off the tree and plant it as a new specimen. That's
all I know, and I don't know what the likely success is with apple trees,
but it will give you a start for a web search.

There is also "layering" which IIRC could be carried out by raising a tub
of good potting mix on a secure stand tall enough so you can bend a supple
branch/twig down and securely bury its central length in the soil. After a
year or so the buried part develops roots. You wouldn't want to let the mix
dry out, I'd say, so not as "set and forget" as the above.

To other readers: please add any personal experiences of either of these
methods of tree propagation, as I'm also keen to learn more.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)