Apple tree bark "splitting"

[HeyWayne]

Harvesting the last remaining sack load of apples from my tree at the weekend, and upon clambering up the tree to reach the highest fruits I noticed that on a couple of branches the back has "split" along the length of the branch. It's happened on one of the large branches and a couple of the smaller ones too.

Any ideas?

Also - the previous tenant wrapped the lower part of the tree in chicken wire as it was being nibbled (any cut branches I leave on the ground after pruning get stripped in a few days) by rabbits/dear/other. Slightly above the chicken wire the bark looks like it's peeling off.

Rest of the tree seems ok, but just worried it's something festering.

[chris]

Possibly canker?

[HeyWayne]

Possibly canker?

Doesn't sound like this: Apple canker / Royal Horticultural Society

Splits are long and down the length of the branch, not circular.

[perkin]

That's weird - I noticed the same thing on my apple tree just yesterday. It looks fine aside from that.

[Glutton4...]

My Dad has an Acer with damage similar to that, and there is nothing else to give a clue. The only time I've seen any similar damage, but on a much larger scale, was a split caused by a lightning strike. A crossing branch will rub through bark, but only where they touch. Other than that, I can only suggest wind/weather damage.

As for netting round the bottom of the trunk, I think you need to extend the netting up to about 2 metres in height. It sounds very much like Deer damage, and if it goes all round the trunk it will kill the tree.

[Aberdeenplotter]

could well be residual damage from the frosts of last winter with the sap beneath the bark being frozen and then expanding and bursting.

[FB.]

If it's not canker (which shows as sunken discoloured or peeling bark), then it's probably due to the abnormal seasons this year - the very cold winter, followed by a sudden transition to a mild (and very dry in some areas) spring, followed by the recent cool/damp weather.