Old apple tree with peeling bark

[rmctc]

We have an old apple tree in our yard in Montreal that we love. Late last summer two of the main branches (there are ~7 of them total) dropped their leaves. I tried to get an arborist to come to have a look with no luck. Instead, I spread some mix of nutrients that the local garden centre suggested and some sheep manure this spring.

There on no leaves on the two branches that had trouble last summer, despite the fact that the rest of the tree has leaves as usual. It's now clear that there are slabs of bark that have separated from the dead branches. The wood underneath seems solid, it's not black, and I can't see any sign of boring insect holes. What's even more concerning is that one of the main remaining "healthy" branches also has a slab of bark coming off, so I'm worried that it will suffer the same fate over the course of the summer.

I've included a picture of the tree and of a couple of the areas of problems with the bark. We'd love to have the community's advice on what might be wrong and what we can do to help the tree.

General picture of the tree.

Lifting bark on an (otherwise) healthy branch.

Lifting bark on a dead branch.

[applestar]

Wow. That looks like a big old tree.

I am not an expert. My oldest apple tree is maybe 20 years old (and mine is suffering from some issues as well)

But if the branches have not grown out this spring, and if the tips break when bent, then those and likely dead and should be cut off.

Work your way down the branches toward the trunk, lightly tapping with a stick or something, and if the branch feels light (gives easily) and sounds hollow — try comparing with live branches — they are likely to be dead as well.

Cut off all dead branches. (I am known to bend and snap off dead branches that are finger-thick up to maybe 1 inch — making clean cuts above the break to finish) I’m not sure if they should be cut to just above live section or they should be cut until clean wood …. Hmm. Need someone else to weigh in on that.

You’ll want to sterilize the saw and pruners/secateurs before cutting into healthy wood.

You should probably get some kind of pruning paste.

[rmctc]

Thanks Applestar!

There was no sign of life in those branches all the way down to the trunk, so they both had to come off. Luckily they were on opposite sides of the tree so it's still reasonably well balanced.

There were some very small (1mm) little bugs running around under where the bark had come up, but the tree experts at the local garden centre think that they are more a symptom of the problem rather than the problem itself (I.e. that they're just taking advantage of the open wood).

I'm also making another attempt to find a local arborist who could give some on-site advice. But for sure any further guidance would be fantastic!

[rmctc]

We had an arborist take a look at the tree, and he was less concerned that I expected him to be. He suggested simply removing the peeling bark and to let everything get dried out and prevent rotting. Another bit of good news was that he saw no reason to apply any sort of pesticide (topical or systemic).

He noted that my use of sealer where I'd cut the dead limbs was "old school" and that it's better to let the tree heal the cuts naturally (a bit late to take it off now, but I'll know for next time). Finally, he suggested pruning every other year rather than annually so that the tree gets more nutrients with a heavier leaf load.

[imafan26]

I'm glad you were able to get help for the tree.
It is true, it is no longer recommended to paint the cuts. However, it is still important that when you prune the tree that the pruners are sharp and clean.