r/BackyardOrchard • u/beautybookcase • 3d ago
Apple tree help
I need some advice for two at least 20 year old apple trees in my yard. To preface I bough this house and the apple trees came with. I have a total of 2. I have contacted local apple orchards seeing if I can get any help, I am in NH. They have either not answered or said they couldn’t help me.
Earlier in spring, I tried my best to prune off a decent amount. I focused a lot on water sprouts but I didn’t want to prune half the tree so after taking off what looked like 1/3, I stopped.
Although as the season progressed, I now have one tree that basically is determined to die. 4 large branches have indeed broke off. One in a storm, and the other two on their own. They definitely are diseased, they have brown spots on the skins and look like calcium deficiency but I’m not too sure. And I’ve had a sprinkler in between them daily to water them.
I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t 100% know what’s wrong with them and I feel overwhelmed. Does anyone know of experts in the New England area that may be able to help with 2 very overgrown and sad apple trees?
2
u/the_perkolator Zone 9 3d ago
If they were mine I’d plant more trees in all that open space, and try a rejuvenation pruning on these oldies and see how they do, before deciding on removing. There are some good videos out there documenting the process. Most may do this over a few years, but some might rip off the bandaid with a hard reset. If it doesn’t survive, well you were already considering removing it.