What's happened to my apple tree roots?

[lottie8b]

My 2 yr old Bramley Apple tree was growing and begining to flower only 2 weeks ago but when I looked at it today all the buds had died and it looked very sorry for itself. So I decided I would dig it up and take to my Mums to see if that would help, but, when I came to pull the tree out, there where no roots and it looked like the bark had been eaten...... Can anyone tell me why?

[Two_Sheds]

Wabbits maybe?

[rustylady]

Was the tree in a pot, or in the ground? I wouldn't have thought wabbits would have eaten tree roots, but who knows?

[lottie8b]

It was in the ground, I have been told it could be voles!!! I will have to ask others on the allotment if they have had any trouble

[Two_Sheds]

I was thinking the wabbits ate the bark and the roots died/rotted away

[FB.]

I was thinking the wabbits ate the bark and the roots died/rotted away

That was my first thought.

It is possible for a tree to leaf-out for a season or two after the lower trunk has been badly damaged and sap flow impaired ("girdled") by rabbit nibbling.
Usually, a girdled tree (or otherwise dying tree), instinctively knowing that it's going to die, will have an amazing show of blossom in an attempt to direct all it's "last gasp" towards reproducing with as many seeds in its last year or two of life.