In article ,
"Bob Hobden" writes:
|
| The reason I say take it out is that it's not fruiting well, is sick with
| canker and the look of that trunk near the ground gives me another cause for
| concern, very strange, peeling bark etc.

The first and last reasons are good ones; the second isn't, really.
Not fruiting well is the real one, and is the indicator of whether
anything is seriously wrong.

| Coupled with the comment " I’m a
| complete beginner in the garden " from the poster suggests he/she may not
| have the knowledge or patience for a long uphill struggle to get the tree
| back into some semblance of health.

Well as, generally, no treatment is needed for canker, surely he
starts at an advantage? :-)

| That said I know one little tree down in N.Cornwall that I get to prune
| every few years that is riddled with canker but still produces a good crop
| of well sized apples. I wonder if the salt spray helps keep the disease in
| check.

Nope. I have seen that on trees a long way from the sea. I stand
by my comment that canker isn't critical - I take your point about
the other aspects indicating that it may be beyond recovery.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.