what is this on apple trunk?

[organic vic]

HI I just noticed this on the trunk of my young mini braeburn apple tree and cannot identify it in my books on pests and diseases. Can anyone tell me what it is,if it can be treated organically or whether to dispose of the tree. I have had no crop from it as was only planted last Autumn but was told I would get a crop this year but it flowered not long after planting? As shown it has affected 3 areas of the trunk. It might have something to do with air circulation? as I just pulled up some wallflowers that were around the base which had not flowered.

[littlemark]

Them's roots 'organic vic', nothing to worry about. Some rootstocks (the part of the trunk from the graft down to the roots) have a tendancy to produce these knobbly rootlets. The ones right down near the ground level will likely root into the soil, the ones further up will either die back or more likely form watershoots which will need removing at some stage.

FB may know better about when/if to remove.

Mark

[FB.]

The red fleshy protrusions are the tree attempting to produce roots.
In my experience, MM106 rootstock is particularly prone to doing it - especially if weeds or grass touch the trunk - but all rootstocks will do it to some extent.
Easy formation of roots is a desirable feature of a good fruit tree rootstock and that is exactly what you are seeing; the rootstock is being very keen to root!
It's nothing to worry about. The pink rootlets will eventually go brown and wither if constantly exposed to light and air - unless they find something to root into.

I don't bother to remove them on my trees and it doesn't cause any harm, although if the rootstock is anything other than MM106 or MM111, you might want to ensure that woolly aphids are not allowed to colonise the rootlets, since woolly aphids can allow canker to enter - which is very bad news if the trunk gets canker, since you can't prune it out.
As the tree gets older and the bark thickens, it won't produce so many.

If you were to grow a rootstock without grafting anything onto it, you might even find the rootlets or knobbly bits growing on the branches. If the tree was to fall over, it would root-in within a matter of weeks!

[organic vic]

Wow Thanks guys what a relief!! Should I cover the bottom ones with soil or just leave them to it?

[FB.]

I would leave them. If you cover them with soil, your tree will be growing on a mound of soil - which will get larger if your tree keeps sending out rootlets and you keep trying to cover them.
Somewhere on this forum, I posted a picture of one of mine doing the same thing, but in a much more spectacular way. I'll see if I can find it......

> > Link here < <

[organic vic]

Wow they are long. Thanks for the advice FB - greatly appreciated!