Apple Tree Problems

[4Shoes]

Just out pruning my apple trees and came across a couple of trees like this.

This is the trunk from a 4 year old Weight Apple - Cooker from Scotland. Should have been ok on the west coast (or so I was told)





What is it and can they recover? - Is it canker?


What do I need to do?


PC know it was not caused by rabbits because base surrounded by chicken wire

Any advice welcome

[Lardman]

It's not easy to tell from the picture as the camera has focused on the background. I sure does look like something took a bite out of it though. If a few trees have it at the same height I doubt it would be canker. Deer perhaps or a rabbit with wire cutters.

Any chance of more detailed pictures of the tree and any others with the same problem.

[nickdub]

Not sure - as Lardman says, looks like physical damage followed by infection. Depending on how the rest of the tree looks I'd be tempted to chop it off just below the wound - if you go for this check for discolouration in the wood that the cut reveals and if there is any, cut again a bit lower.

[4Shoes]

It's not easy to tell from the picture as the camera has focused on the background. I sure does look like something took a bite out of it though. If a few trees have it at the same height I doubt it would be canker. Deer perhaps or a rabbit with wire cutters.

Any chance of more detailed pictures of the tree and any others with the same problem.

Here is the original picture before I took the snippet.




I know it does look like animal damage, but I'd put the chicken wire on the day the trees were planted. The wire is just into the ground and was 3' tall so rabbits didn't get in and too low below top of guard for deer. I didn't get round to pruning last year, so this is likely to have developed over 2.5 years.

I originally thought this was below the graft, but the graft is just below the lowest side shoot.

I just noticed that there is an infection starting at the join to the trunk there too.

Probably better getting replacement tree.

I had one other tree with similar damage at join to trunk, but that was pruned out to clean wood and went straight onto the fire.

[Scarlet]

Your image is blurred 4shoes - the background is in focus and not the tree.

It may be best to take another photo.

[veggiechicken]

Squirrels?
Strimmer?

[nickdub]

Although its interesting to know what happened and might be useful as well to stop it happening again - it hardly matters in the case of this particular tree, because if the graft line is above/near the damage, all you really have left is the root-stock - so if this is the case you either replace it with something-else or get started on some grafting.

[4Shoes]

Went out again with the phone.... pictures still fuzzy. Need to do a bit more work learning how to focus it.

To cut a long story short, I did a search and found this video that confirms my suspicions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnZiupuI1V0

It is canker and I'll need to have a good look at the tree. I've also found another infected tree in another part of the garden,

Also a wee tip in the video on cleaning tools. Wipe blade with Milk.


I'd been told these trees were ideal for West coast Scotland, so not chuffed.

[4Shoes]

Squirrels?
Strimmer?

No and no.

Don't have squirrels here (might be a few Reds up in the local forest but that is about a mile away across grassland)


Hand weeding (when I get round to it) and then mower

[4Shoes]

Although its interesting to know what happened and might be useful as well to stop it happening again - it hardly matters in the case of this particular tree, because if the graft line is above/near the damage, all you really have left is the root-stock - so if this is the case you either replace it with something-else or get started on some grafting.

Agree on this tree. In the video I found, another more detailed canker eradication and rescue video was mentioned. May have a look for it and see. Not hopeful.


I had been thinking about moving the trees, but perhaps a new Orchard is required. Canker resistant trees

[Kirk]

Looks like canker, I had it on one of mine. Looked very similar except my trunk appeared to be a bit thicker. It lived until all the bark and been destroyed and so no way for nutrients to pass up and down.
Not sure there is really anything you can do, well I tried and found nothing that "cured" it. And back then say 12-15 years ago the garden centres sold a lot more then they do now.

Cannot recall if mine was Orange De'Sonneville, or Vlaandaren Roems. Think the first one. What variety was yours - if you said then I didn't register it.

Might the root stock that is susceptable or partially susceptable, M27 in my case. Might be worth a search to see if they have a problem.

[4Shoes]

2 trees infected

Weight - Scottish Cooker
Warden - Scottish Cooker

Might be a clue there - none of the Eating Apples are infected - All my trees are on same root stock... so not the root stock.