Advice on sick tree

[mjenkins]

Hi pros,

I have an apple tree that is in bad shape. For the last few years it has been fine, growing at approximately the same rate as another one 20ish feet away. Last year it got a little scrawny looking but still produced fruit and looked healthy. This year it has taken a miserable turn. I took some pictures and was hoping you can help tell me what is wrong with it and if I can save it. You can see its healthy sibling in one of the pictures for comparison. Earlier in the year the sick tree had a LOT of medium sized black ants on it, the healthy one has had none as far as I could see. Also interesting is that the sick one did make a lot of (sick) fruit this year, but the healthy one had no fruit for the first time. I cleared some rocks away from the trunk for a picture as well.

Symptoms:
Dry discolored leaves
Dropping lots of leaves already
Droopy and dead feeling
bark splitting from trunk
sickly fruit

Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Also, there is an offshoot growing from the base of the trunk that looks somewhat healthy (also pictured)

 

[Raintree]

Looks like a possible girdling root in that last pic. If you want help, you need to remove the gravel & fabric around the trunk. Dig down & expose the root flare & post a few good close up pics from each side of the stump. We need to see if a restriction is causing your symptoms.

 

[mjenkins]

Looks like a possible girdling root in that last pic. If you want help, you need to remove the gravel & fabric around the trunk. Dig down & expose the root flare & post a few good close up pics from each side of the stump. We need to see if a restriction is causing your symptoms.

Thanks for the fast response!

Are these ok?

 

[Raintree]

It looks like the tree was planted too deep, keep that lower graft area welled out & dry. Soil depth in the well should be to the top of the buttress root. What I was seeing was the swollen area top of the graft union, not a girdling root.

Being in the ground too deep plus the wounds on the trunk your tree may take a few years to recover. Get a soil analyses done, make adjustments & maintain proper tree care.

 

[mjenkins]

Raintree thank you so much!

Is the line drawn on this picture the right spot for the soil line? Is it ok to have a weed mat + gravel above that or should I avoid that right now?

 

[Raintree]

Leave as is, I would error on the low side due to erosion from the well sides. Dish out, tapper back the hole, add a thin layer (1"-2") of good organic mulch, keep that lower trunk exposed & dry.

 

[mjenkins]

Thanks again! I'll do that

Is there anything I can do long term to raise the level of the tree? The hole is pretty deep.

 

[Raintree]

I appreciate your gratitude & diligence in following through on the instruction. We get a lot of one post wonders that don't even reply with a simple "thanks".
It's best to leave as planted, considering the wounded trunk & the fresh disruption (necessary) to the root zone. Don't over water, keep the well from filling in & get that soil tested. All the best!

 

[mjenkins]

Will do Raintree. I dug the hole a bit wider and put it at a grade so it should stay pretty dry (it's in a high traffic area so I will see it every day to be sure). I will get a soil test kit and check that out this weekend. If it comes back to life next year (or after), I'll make sure I post a pic here. I really appreciate the time you gave me today, I learned a lot.

 

[avason]

Raintree is always helpful with his posts. I don't know him at all (just his posts) but he always seems to get right to the point on what the op states/asks. Raintree...thanks for the helpful suggestions on the site.

 

[sac-climber]

Wow, where do I find clients like the OP?

And a for raintree for good advice!

 

[Ed Roland]

Rain is very good at what he does. I dig the cut of his jib.

The roots of cultivated fruit trees have only a few mycorhizal associations. It is my understanding these endomycorrhizal root associations might find better success without having to compete with the grasses and higher plants sharing the same space within the soil profile. I would suggest you get rid of the grasses <note the fact the lawn contains zero weeds> all the way to the dripline of the trees. Mulch appropriately. Look into "suberin" and how to increase defensive constituents within the tree. Avoid synthetic fertilizers.