Why aren't my trees growing?

[ReptileAddiction]

On the first apple it looks like the upper leaves are eaten/burned. Can you give us a picture of that.

[sheeshshe]

it is from the japanese beetles.

[JONA878]

also, the plum I think I trained it 4 years ago to be an open centered tree? I think that is what it is called. no central leader or whatever. so how does it grow to be taller if the center doesn't ever grow?

Open centred trees grow their branches just from a central point with no centre leader allowed. The tree grows up with the extension of the trunk. Your tree will grow to a big eventually.
However, you will have to make sure that all the branches that grow from the centre are roughly balanced as if one should grow away more vigorously than the others ...that branch will become the dominant one. Only careful pruning can help on this score.

I would add just one thing more.. With all those large trees around your fruit trees, which appear to rather dominate them, you are going to always have a pest problem.
Large trees or woodland play host to a large amount of pests that will enjoy the young growth and fruit. So you will have to keep an eye out for unwanted guests throughout the year.

[applestar]

I bought some inexpensive wind chimes and hung them on fruit tree branches as weights. They weigh down the branches and help to scare away.

I also found bird feeding suet baskets work great during the summer since I can add or subtract stones in the baskets for just the right amount of weight.

[sheeshshe]

I bought some inexpensive wind chimes and hung them on fruit tree branches as weights. They weigh down the branches and help to scare away.

I also found bird feeding suet baskets work great during the summer since I can add or subtract stones in the baskets for just the right amount of weight.

Brilliant!

[sheeshshe]

also, the plum I think I trained it 4 years ago to be an open centered tree? I think that is what it is called. no central leader or whatever. so how does it grow to be taller if the center doesn't ever grow?

Open centred trees grow their branches just from a central point with no centre leader allowed. The tree grows up with the extension of the trunk. Your tree will grow to a big eventually.
However, you will have to make sure that all the branches that grow from the centre are roughly balanced as if one should grow away more vigorously than the others ...that branch will become the dominant one. Only careful pruning can help on this score.

I would add just one thing more.. With all those large trees around your fruit trees, which appear to rather dominate them, you are going to always have a pest problem.
Large trees or woodland play host to a large amount of pests that will enjoy the young growth and fruit. So you will have to keep an eye out for unwanted guests throughout the year.

so the trunk itself will grow taller? I thought that in order for it to grow taller, that there would have to be new ground in the center. Ok, I will weigh down that branch that is trying to become dominant.

UGH. well, living in maine, I don't think there is much choice in avoiding the woodland stuff LOL. our state is majority woods. We go out two times a day and pest pick. I usually only see the japanese beetles, but the other day there was some weird caterpillar on the plum tree. it looked just like the "very hungry caterpillar" from the book was pretty funny... and I was not impressed all at the same time