Apple tree query...

[jemma_charlie]

Having just read F.B.s blossom list i am wondering if my egremont russet is dead. It is a new tree planted at the start of march. I dug in loads of compost and bfb and have made sure it has been watered at least once a week, if there has been no rain. It still looks dormant. The buds aren't any different to when i was brought it, (it was a present). Anything I can do to either help it or check it is alive or will it just be a late starter? Thank you in advance

[Jeanied]

You could try scraping the bark to see if it is green underneath - that will indicate if the tree is still aliv. Try on a branch first. My Egremont is in full flower at the moment, the first of my three varieties.

[jemma_charlie]

thanks jeanied i'll go and scrape of a little in the morning.

[littleexperience]

i would not be to concerned yet newly planted fruit trees can take 2-3 months to show signs of life if you planted it late in the bare rooted season. i would give it to june myself.i know first hand i planted a new opal plum tree in late feb and just in the last few days is showing signs of bud swelling

[FB.]

Sometimes, if the tree is newly-planted, it can be delayed in coming out of dormancy. That is especially true if the climate at the nursery is very different to the climate at your location.....and even more so if we've had a harsh winter, since the trees will be slow to come out of dormancy as a protection against a late frost.
Also bear in mind that some nurseries keep their trees in special cold storage in the spring, to allow them to keep selling "bare root" trees well after the normal bare root season ends. These trees can be very slow to leaf-out, until they have experienced enough warm days to convince them that winter is over. Consider that if the tree was stored in freezing temperatures until last week, it isn't going to rush to leaf-out after just a few warm days, otherwise in the wild, the trees would risk leafing-out after a few warm days in February and getting badly frost damaged.
In other words; your trees biological clock may be disrupted by artificial storage and will take a while to re-set itself. But it should eventually grow normally and in future years, it should leaf-out at the normal time.

Bear in mind that my trees are in a very warm and sunny part of the country where spring comes early. Other parts of the country can be up to a couple of weeks later. Not all of my trees are in flower yet - most of those that are flowering are on the notoriously early-flowering MM106 rootstock. My Egremont Russet on MM111 rootstock is in a shadier position and is only just coming out of dormancy - it will be at least a week behind my M26 Egremont Russet.

As Jeanied says; if you're really worried, scrape off a tiny piece of bark and if it is moist and with a greenish layer just under the surface, then your tree is fine.

I think you'll be OK.

[jemma_charlie]

Thank you, I'll Stop paniking and give it some more time then.
Thanks as always for your help