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Apple Canker?

peterbarkermorganpeterbarkermorgan Posts: 7
in Fruit & veg
Hi All,

Apologies for my first post asking for help / info.

Could anyone help me with what's shown in the attached photo?

It's an apple tree (Broxwood Foxwhelp) that I planted last year.

Is it canker? Or something else? And what are the prospects for the tree should I prune it? Will it stunt it? The root stock is mm25 and the bit I'm concerned about is between 2 1/2 ft and 3ft off the ground.

The tree is more or less exactly the same hight as me, which is 5ft 6 inches.

Many thanks,

Peter

Posts

  • peterbarkermorganpeterbarkermorgan Posts: 7

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I think it is canker and you need to prune it below the damage.  Assuming we're looking at the trunk, if the small branch to the left is still flexible, you could tie and train it to become the new leader.  Alternatively, you could remove that little branch too and cut it lower down, just above above that shoot below and to the right, which will then become the new leader.  I had an apple tree snapped off just a few inches above the graft and it produced a shoot which then became a very productive tree a few years later.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • peterbarkermorganpeterbarkermorgan Posts: 7
    Thank you both
  • peterbarkermorganpeterbarkermorgan Posts: 7
    edited April 2020
    So, after trying to cut the canker out with a number of shallow knife strokes, to no effect (inside the tree was brown), I cut it off with loppers what I judged to be a judicial distance below, so that that the cut showed no brown stain.

    I have attempted to train on of the lower branches up the post that is supporting the tree, but my concern is now that it on a bit of a severe angle?

    I've included another picture for refrence - what do you think?

    Or should I wait for some new growth and train those if they are at a better angle?
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Agree, it may look like it won't work well now, but trees want to grow!  Here's a photo of the tree I mentioned earlier.  There was hardly any of the original scion left when the badger snapped it off (it was about 1/2" dia. and 4 ft high then) and you can hardly see where the old trunk was, now it has mostly healed over.
    BTW, those orange root buds coming from the rootstock are 'adventitious' roots and of no concern on a grafted tree.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • peterbarkermorganpeterbarkermorgan Posts: 7
    Fantastic, some cause for hope
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