Topic: Apple Tree Problem

[Simon05]

just came back from the plot, my 3 year old apple tree is starting to crack around the graft on one side, is there anything that can be done to stop it cracking all the way round?

[calendula]

is it a vertical or horizontal crack - horizontal might mean that it is going to literally snap off, vertical might mean that too much wet has got to it, my damson is looking that way

for sickly apples I make up a seaweed paste and rub it into the wounds that occur from canker etc and I've managed to bring a couple of trees back from the dead  :D

[Simon05]

its a horizontal crack about 1/4 inch long maybe smaller, thanks for the tip will make a paste up. Its not affecting the apple at the moment its covered it fruit. Would wrapping some tape around it help?

[Robert_Brenchley]

How thick is the trunk? A quarter-inch split in the bark is unlikely to be anything serious.

[Simon05]

I would say the trunk is about 5 or 6 inch thick

[calendula]

I think all you can do is keep an eye on it as it could succumb during the winter to further problems, for now it will be doing its best to supply fruit but bark splitting can result in disease later

this from Blackmoor Nursery

Is it advisable to wrap the trunks of apple trees?
Yes, when they are young and their bark is still thin, because then they are very susceptible to sunscald. This damage usually occurs when there is a sharp change in temperature, i.e. warm daytime temperatures cause sap to rise in the tree, and then nighttime freezing occurs. This sudden swing can make the bark split and inflict severe damage on the tree. Tree wrap will reflect the sun and lessen the likelihood of heat buildup in the trunk, thereby reducing the danger of sunscald. Tree wrap is only needed during winter and spring, or when there is a possibility of snow lying on the ground, since it is such a fierce reflector. We recommend it be removed when danger of snow has passed so the trunk gets acclimated to the "real" world.

[Simon05]

I think all you can do is keep an eye on it as it could succumb during the winter to further problems, for now it will be doing its best to supply fruit but bark splitting can result in disease later

this from Blackmoor Nursery

Is it advisable to wrap the trunks of apple trees?
Yes, when they are young and their bark is still thin, because then they are very susceptible to sunscald. This damage usually occurs when there is a sharp change in temperature, i.e. warm daytime temperatures cause sap to rise in the tree, and then nighttime freezing occurs. This sudden swing can make the bark split and inflict severe damage on the tree. Tree wrap will reflect the sun and lessen the likelihood of heat buildup in the trunk, thereby reducing the danger of sunscald. Tree wrap is only needed during winter and spring, or when there is a possibility of snow lying on the ground, since it is such a fierce reflector. We recommend it be removed when danger of snow has passed so the trunk gets acclimated to the "real" world.

thanks for the reply, its something to get ready for the winter