Question about my macintosh apple tree

[B L]

Looking for some help, or at least hoping I can help the tree. This started late last summer and with all the wet weather has been getting progressively worse. I'm hoping something can be done to help the tree recover.

I'll attach a photo in here too...

Thanks for any help and tips

 

[greengreer]

Hard to give a truly accurate assessment from a picture. To me it looks like the tree may be "pinching off" that central leader. Basically girdling it as the other two push into it's vascular tissues. I'm sure the wet weather isn't helping any either. Take some pics of the leaves and twigs and we might be able to help more.

 

[Jed1124]

There’s to much soil around the base of the tree. It needs to be cleaned off to expose the root flare.
It looks like the tree is putting on good reaction wood.

 

[B L]

Hard to give a truly accurate assessment from a picture. To me it looks like the tree may be "pinching off" that central leader. Basically girdling it as the other two push into it's vascular tissues. I'm sure the wet weather isn't helping any either. Take some pics of the leaves and twigs and we might be able to help more.

Hi there. Thanks for getting back to me. I have taken some more pictures as requested. Tree overall looks the same as it does every year, lots of nice flowers in the spring, leaves looks good as well. My concern was also what Jed1124 mentioned too about the soil around the base we put that in about 4 years ago, but it's always concerned me if it was something that the tree would take exception too But pinching off sounds like it could what it happening as well. My main concern is really if this is gonna kill the tree or not.

There’s to much soil around the base of the tree. It needs to be cleaned off to expose the root flare.
It looks like the tree is putting on good reaction wood.

That was my thoughts too since we've put that in was it might cause issues. I have to google what reaction wood is, but I'm guessing what the tree is doing to counter the rotting on the base ? Thanks for your reply as well !

 

[B L]

One more photo...

 

[greengreer]

A root collar excavation certainly won't hurt. It does look a little deep. That being said it probably won't fix your issue but it most likely will be helpful in the long run to let the tree focus on compartmentalizing the decay.
Apple trees are pretty amazing at enduring things like this. A little digging around the root flare and I would just sit back and monitor the tree's health.

 

[B L]

A root collar excavation certainly won't hurt. It does look a little deep. That being said it probably won't fix your issue but it most likely will be helpful in the long run to let the tree focus on compartmentalizing the decay.
Apple trees are pretty amazing at enduring things like this. A little digging around the root flare and I would just sit back and monitor the tree's health.

Sounds good to me we will try that. Anything I should be on the look out for then after I clear the dirt to monitor the trees health ? I don't want it to get windy one day and have the centre piece of the tree coming down

Thanks for your help

 

[TNTreeHugger]

What I would do, and I'm no tree expert, is to move the stones back the length of the stones, expanding the border circle, and carefully rake the dirt away from the trunk about 8", or so, to expose the root flares, as jed1124 said. No need to remove the soil, just spread it out inside the now larger circle.

 

[B L]

What I would do, and I'm no tree expert, is to move the stones back the length of the stones, expanding the border circle, and carefully rake the dirt away from the trunk about 8", or so, to expose the root flares, as jed1124 said. No need to remove the soil, just spread it out inside the now larger circle.

Thanks for the reply.

That's actually what I was looking at was ways to expose the root flares again and have the garden still in place. I've begun removing the stones and dirt around the tree, trying my best not to damage anything. So far so good.

I'm thinking i'll put some stone around the tree as like a perimeter (could i fill the area around the root with small red clay rocks a little bit ?) then build another circle around the perimeter stones then put the garden in. I'll have to play around with it a bit and see what happens.

Thanks everyone again for the help !

 

[B L]

So dug it all up. I think I dug up enough...i was finding large roots just under the soil.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

So dug it all up. I think I dug up enough...i was finding large roots just under the soil.

That tree's looking better already! Good looking soil, too, btw.
Do you mean the small red lava rocks? I would think they would be okay near the truck since they are porous and not very heavy, but one of the experts would know better.
I was thinking something similar - sort of a circle within a circle? I think that would be real pretty.
Sort of like this, but with the lava stones in the center and the center rock wall not so tall:

Good luck with the project and post more photos as you go!

 

[B L]

Just a quick update. After much deliberation we decided to just lay down some dirt and grass. Almost no new dirt around the base of the tree just enough on the inside of the circle to level it up with the existing soil.

Thanks again to everyone for their help and suggestions !