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Whoops! Throttled Apple Tree!

Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
in Problem solving
Hi, so I hadn't spotted that a jute twine knot had gotten too tight over the season around a new branch on my espalier apple tree.

It was really stuck in there! But I managed to remove it as carefully as I could with a pruning knife and tweezers. Only very minimal scraping caused in a couple of spots.

The inside looks fine, solid, not raw or diseased. It doesn't seem to have affected growth on the branch.

Basically is it ok to leave it like this now?

If I had to cut below it that would mean restarting the whole branch, and unabalancing the tier from left and right. Obviously there will always be a bit of a disfigurement there - but I can live with that so long as it's not actually negatively impacting the future growth of the tree.

Thanks


East Yorkshire

Posts

  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    Ouch!  I bet the apple tree is feeling a lot better now!  Hope it makes some new bark - I'm sure it will.
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    didyw said:
    Ouch!  I bet the apple tree is feeling a lot better now!  Hope it makes some new bark - I'm sure it will.
    The inside is already hard so I think it should be ok!
    East Yorkshire
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I agree with the others. As long as the branch is making new growth and looking healthy beyond the restriction it should be fine. I've forgotten ties like this before, it's easily done.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Just remember there will always be a weakness there … be sure not to allow that branch to carry a very heavy load of fruit. 👍 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    Update:  It’s perfectly fine!
    East Yorkshire
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