Sub100
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Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:43 am

How to Tell if Dwarf Gala Apple Tree Dead?

This was in a pot but as soon as I transfered to my garden, the leaves started to die and top of stem started to turn black. Is it completely dead or is there a chance to revive it.

Many thanks in advance
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Last edited by Sub100 on Sun Aug 30, 2015 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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

Hi Sub
Your tree is suffering from canker.
The green shoots that are at the lower point appear to be above the graft point so cut the trunk back to just above them.
With any luck you may get away with it. Cankers move upwards through the tree, so there is a good chance that your tree can be saved.

Sub100
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Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:43 am

Hi Jona thanks for posting reply.
I changed main picture which includes an arrow now at the place where I plan to cut. Could you please have a look, would that be the right place to cut?

Thanks

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

Hi Sub

First....looking down from your arrow, just above the leaves it looks like a darker area on the trunk.
With a sharp knife scrape that patch carefully and make sure the cambium layer below is clean and not carrying a brown stain. If it's clear ok cut at your arrow. If it's stained cut just above the leaves...where you know the trunk must be clean.

Sub100
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Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:43 am

I have cut by the arrows but still showing brown stain at the tip of the trunk. should I cut some more until its all clear?
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JONA
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Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Yes Sub.
Until you get stain free you are in infected wood.
It is possible that you may find the whole tree is infected as in some cases the infection can occur in the nursery where the original tree came from and was just sitting there waiting to erupt.

I would add that personally I would recommend that any young tree that contracts canker in its main trunk should be removed and burnt. You may indeed save it...but you may also have a continual battle to keep her going.

Good luck!.

CharlieBear
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Location: Pacific NW

I would also remove it, if you are in many parts of the US, the Gala apple trees are very disease prone. Some of them, will develop splits in the trunk down the road as well, that require removing the tree or constant treatment. If you do remove it, unless you are very attached to Gala's, I would purchase a different type of apple, unless you live in say the Yakima or Hood River Valley or similar climes. There are many disease resistant dwarf apple trees now available that you might consider. Check out the catalog from Raintree Nursery, it contains really good descriptions of many of the available dwarf apple varieties and their size range and bloom time. Note, the even on ultra dwarf stock some apple will still get 15 or more feet tall, while some types of apples on m-26 will top out at 6-8'. If you replace it, make sure to get m-26 or an even more dwarfing stock. Dwarf is a very relative term in the US. Many people I know have purchased dwarf trees that now look like semi-dwarfs after 6 years, because they didn't check on the dwarfing stock used.



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