Zootal wrote:
A large branch on my big old apple tree died, and looks like this:

http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5423.JPG
http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5424.JPG
http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5425.JPG

Last year it dropped all leaves and fruit towards the end of summer, and
this year there is no growth on it at all.

Question: Should I remove the branch, and if I do, how close to the trunk of
the tree should I cut it?



I agree with David Ross about the copper spray to kill the peach leaf
curl. Be sure you remove all dead leaves and clean up the area aroung
the tree as it can harbor the disease. I think David meant to say you
should use a spreader and a sticker. The soap does the spreading, but
you need something else for a sticker. Without the sticker, anything
you spray may wash off too quickly in future rainfalls. You may have
to give it more than one spray of copper sulfate during next season,
but the early one done before the buds swell is the most important.


As regards your apple tree:
Check the branche first to see if it is still alive. All fruit trees
have a layer of growth called the cambium just below the bark. It is
a green colored layer. Just scratch off the bark in a small area to
check this. If the cambium is brown, that branch is dead and should
be removed. If the entire branch is dead, you can cut it way back to
the main trunk. If this branch is dead, is is probably doing no harm,
but it may be a future home for insects.


Sherwin