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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

crabapple tree problems

Hi JONA or anyone else with fruit tree experience...

Please check out this thread https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 16&t=68632
and see what you think.

I have limited experience with fruit trees and zero experience with irrigation systems. Is fifteen minutes every other day of irrigation a reasonable way to water a large old crabapple tree?

JONA
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Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

I don't believe that's a watering problem.
I think all that die back on branches and shoots is typical canker damage.
First I would advise cutting all that dead wood off. Making sure that you cut back well into clean wood.
Check the cambium layer as you cut for brown staining.
Just constant pruning of any wood that starts to look damaged will at least keep spore spread under control.
Canker always travels upwards in a tree ...so if you can get to the lowest site of infection you can deal with it. However.....if it is from a source well down in the trunk area, then you will always be fighting for control, and it's enevitable that in the end the canker will win.
There is one other possability...there is a virus that can cause consistent die back on fruit trees.
Star Crack virus can cause these symptoms on malus.
There is no cure for it and the only treatment is like that for the canker....keep cutting.
We had a tree in the middle of an orchard with this virus.
We managed to keep it going for many years....and it never spread to neighbouring trees.

Toadsch
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:21 pm
Location: South Shore Massachusetts

Thank you. I think the tree beside it died of some virus thing. There were black puffy things on the branches and trunk. I pruned it down to almost nothing trying to get rid of it. Never survived after last winter.

I'm going to look into what is in the fertilizer just to be safe.

Is it safe to prune year round to fight the disease?

JONA
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Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

You can prune malus at any time Toadsch,
In fact with cordon and Espalier trees, summer pruning is essential.

I hope you have good luck with your trees. Never give up on them. They are tougher than you think.
Just keep that removing the die back and your fingers crossed!



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