Old Apple Tree wound
 

Hi All

I have a n old apple tree with a nice shape and lovely fruit every
year. But it has aon old split that has become open and rotting out
from the heart of it. Its obviously a very old wound but I'd hate to
lose the tree, so was wondering if there is any 'filler' I could apply
to stop further rot. It faces upwards on a horizontal lower main
branch and as such fills with water and debris.

Also, The squirrels like this tree and clamber all over it and strip
bark off which leads to dead branches. What to do here?

Many thanks

Mark

"MG" wrote in message
...
Hi All

I have a n old apple tree with a nice shape and lovely fruit every
year. But it has aon old split that has become open and rotting out
from the heart of it. Its obviously a very old wound but I'd hate to
lose the tree, so was wondering if there is any 'filler' I could apply
to stop further rot. It faces upwards on a horizontal lower main
branch and as such fills with water and debris.

Also, The squirrels like this tree and clamber all over it and strip
bark off which leads to dead branches. What to do here?

Would it be possible to post a picture showing overall framework of the
apple tree, and possibly a pic or two showing extent of rot on upward facing
branches. The squirrel activity peeling bark puzzles me, so a picture of
that might be nice too, if possible. I've never known squirrels to do this;
I wonder if they're getting at bark already weakened by being near old
wounds.

Whatever finally turns out to be wrong with the tree is probably fixable,
but also probably over a spread of several years pruning sessions in
mid-late winter. Not all at once!

Scott

On 31/12/04 1:13, in article , "Scott L.
Hadley" wrote:
snip

Would it be possible to post a picture showing overall framework of the
apple tree, and possibly a pic or two showing extent of rot on upward facing
branches.

Not on this newsgroup. Perhaps the OP could either post the pic in an
appropriate site or email it to you?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 19:16:59 GMT, (MG)
wrote:

Hi All

I have a n old apple tree with a nice shape and lovely fruit every
year. But it has aon old split that has become open and rotting out
from the heart of it. Its obviously a very old wound but I'd hate to
lose the tree, so was wondering if there is any 'filler' I could apply
to stop further rot. It faces upwards on a horizontal lower main
branch and as such fills with water and debris.

Also, The squirrels like this tree and clamber all over it and strip
bark off which leads to dead branches. What to do here?

Difficult to be sure without seeing it but I'd be tempted to sacrifice
the shape temporarily to get rid of the rotten branch (fillers are not
effective in stopping rot in cavities, most tree professionals I know
don't use or recommend them)
Are you sure the squirrels are doing the damage? Sure they're running
all over it but have you seen them doing it with your own eyes? I am
asking this because it's not common on apple trees but what is common
on old apple trees is the damage caused by woolly aphids, in bad cases
this causes bark loss and cankerous lesions, so just check very
carefully in crevices in the bark and in damaged areas to see if you
can find greyish white woolly congregations of aphids. What you do
about that if you find it depends on your attitude to pesticides. If
you are of the organic persuasion you will encourage blue tits and
other small birds in your garden. Otherwise you'll be looking for a
spray, it used to be tar oil winter wash applied in the dormant season
but I think that's been withdrawn. Not sure about the alternatives
atm.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

Not on this newsgroup. Perhaps the OP could either post the pic in an
appropriate site or email it to you?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Right, I knew not to post or ask for posts of images on this newsgroup. I
would be fine with either the email option or posting the pic to an
appropriate site. Still no guarantee of a cure, but it would be helpful to
be able to see what the OP sees, if possible.

Thanks, Scott

"MG" wrote in message
...
Hi All

I have a n old apple tree with a nice shape and lovely fruit every
year. But it has aon old split that has become open and rotting out
from the heart of it. Its obviously a very old wound but I'd hate to
lose the tree, so was wondering if there is any 'filler' I could apply
to stop further rot. It faces upwards on a horizontal lower main
branch and as such fills with water and debris.

Also, The squirrels like this tree and clamber all over it and strip
bark off which leads to dead branches. What to do here?

Catch the squirrels and kill them!

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but I'm just trying to catch up!

--
alan

reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net

Alan Holmes wrote:
"MG" wrote in message
...
Hi All

I have a n old apple tree with a nice shape and lovely fruit every
year. But it has aon old split that has become open and rotting
out
from the heart of it. Its obviously a very old wound but I'd hate
to
lose the tree, so was wondering if there is any 'filler' I could
apply to stop further rot. It faces upwards on a horizontal lower
main branch and as such fills with water and debris.

Also, The squirrels like this tree and clamber all over it and
strip
bark off which leads to dead branches. What to do here?

Catch the squirrels and kill them!

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but I'm just trying to catch
up!

I'd graft one or two replacements onto new stocks (Deacon's Nursery,
etc), as you are going to lose this tree sooner or later. I have seen
fillers used, but I don't know what they were or how long they staved
off the evil day.

If it would spoil the tree's looks -- and an old apple tree is among
the handsomest small trees you can have -- to cut the branch off, I
suspect you may just have to set a stout prop under the branch and
let nature take its course. You say that rot has already taken hold,
so I don't think even a coat of something waterproof like well grease
would help: I speculate that it could make matters worse by cutting
off the flow of air. (Where's Anton when we need him?)

Mike.