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Old 20-04-2003, 04:20 AM
Sean Houtman
 
Posts: n/a
Default help this old apple tree

From: Archimedes Plutonium


snip a bit of prelude


My question is this. Can such a tree be saved? Is there some insecticide
to
throw into that hollow trunk? Or is it better not waste any time on it
and
plant an new tree nearby in anticipation of its final demise.


If it is stil alive, there is hope.


One thought occurred to me was to buy gallons of tar patch and just fill

up that trunk hole. But since it did not work before why should it work
now?


Look up some books by Alex Shigo, in particular "A New Tree Biology..." where
you can learn a whole lot about tree health.


I guess what I am asking is whether anyone has had a similar experience
with an old apple tree and has found a clever way of keep it alive much
longer.


Shigo did a whole lot of practical research on this subject.


I am curious if this old tree will yield any apples this year. And that
would
certainly give me the incentive to find a way to save it as long as
possible.


Did it flower? If it did, it will likely bear fruit. This assumes that
flowering time for apples in your area has arrived.


Finally. I have noticed on apple trees damaged that they seem to find
new
sucker shoots off the old and dying trunk. Sort of like a clone. Sort of
like
elm or locust trees cut down and a new tree comes from the old roots.
So I wonder if some apple trees are say 200 or 300 years old by the
owner
keeping new clones from the dead and dying rest of the tree.

Any thoughts from apple experts?


Sloan(e) has some illustrations in one of his books about wood or trees or
something, I have forgotten his first name, (Eric?) as well as the titles of
his books. What you describe is an established method of propagation of apples.

Sean



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