70 year old apple tree uprooting? - Ask Extension
Following the heavy rains in late Sept., our 70+-year-old apple tree, laden with over 800 pounds of apples started to uproot. A quickly inserted 4x4 ...
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70 year old apple tree uprooting? #163454
Asked January 05, 2014, 3:04 PM EST
Following the heavy rains in late Sept., our 70+-year-old apple tree, laden with over 800 pounds of apples started to uproot. A quickly inserted 4x4 is currently supporting one of the major limbs and halting further uprooting. The uprooting was about 2", just breaking the surface of the ground resulting in the tree leaning and lowering the tips of the lowest branches by a couple feet. With the apples harvested, leaves dropped, and sap down, can I jack up the leaning side and erect a permanent support system. There is a fence on the downside of the leaning tree with three 4x4 posts secured in cement. Using these posts as anchors, I could erect a single post directly beneath one limb and a 4x4 cross member supported by two 4x4s attached to the tops of the two remaining fence posts to support another major limb. My question is whether I should leave the tree at its current angle or try to jack it up some to try to get it closer to its pre-leaning angle. If jacking is okay, how far and how quickly should I do this?
Having been in our house for over 35 years, pressing apples from this tree has become a family tradition. Since it is at the top of a slope, pruning the tree is a major undertaking. While still a challenge, most of the pruning can be down either from the ground or from a solidly-footed ladder using a pole pruner. It took several years to restore the tree to its current very productive state.
We appreciate any suggestions and hope that the tree can be saved.
Regards,
Bill Kemper
Corvallis
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello:
I approached Kristin Ramstad of the OR Department of Forestry on your behalf for this inquiry-her response is below. Note the emphasis on pruning and thinning of the crop (I thin to one fruit per cluster). This will help with fruit yield, size and quality, if it is not already being done. Feel free to contact me with other questions.
My inclination was to simply encourage the building of the downhill support, pruning to balance the tree crown as much as possible, and then letting it be… However, I then forwarded this query to my husband, who works with our orchard trees all the time. He had a much more detailed and proactive approach that involves pulling the tree back into its original position as much as possible, reflecting his belief that apple trees are pretty tough. Here is what he suggests: “I would pull it back some (quite a bit actually) if we get (or he creates) saturated soft soil conditions. Do it slowly, pulling gradually but without breaking too many roots. Pad the trunk well with carpet or similar and use broad webbing so it doesn't cut into tree. When he reaches a point of very high resistance to pulling, anchor it in the pulled position and maybe add a temporary brace, wait a day or two, then do it again. Repeat until it gets close to original position. Then put in the supports (not necessarily permanent) and start pruning to bring center of gravity back over the center of tree base. Apples are tough and can take a lot of abuse so I would try to get it upright and balanced as best I could now. It will not get stable until after new root growth next summer, maybe the following summer as well. Even then I would be careful and not allow and unbalanced apple crop to develop.” Apropos of Alan’s last point, I would even thin the apple crop for the next few years so that the tree is not as heavily weighted as it was.
I approached Kristin Ramstad of the OR Department of Forestry on your behalf for this inquiry-her response is below. Note the emphasis on pruning and thinning of the crop (I thin to one fruit per cluster). This will help with fruit yield, size and quality, if it is not already being done. Feel free to contact me with other questions.
My inclination was to simply encourage the building of the downhill support, pruning to balance the tree crown as much as possible, and then letting it be… However, I then forwarded this query to my husband, who works with our orchard trees all the time. He had a much more detailed and proactive approach that involves pulling the tree back into its original position as much as possible, reflecting his belief that apple trees are pretty tough. Here is what he suggests: “I would pull it back some (quite a bit actually) if we get (or he creates) saturated soft soil conditions. Do it slowly, pulling gradually but without breaking too many roots. Pad the trunk well with carpet or similar and use broad webbing so it doesn't cut into tree. When he reaches a point of very high resistance to pulling, anchor it in the pulled position and maybe add a temporary brace, wait a day or two, then do it again. Repeat until it gets close to original position. Then put in the supports (not necessarily permanent) and start pruning to bring center of gravity back over the center of tree base. Apples are tough and can take a lot of abuse so I would try to get it upright and balanced as best I could now. It will not get stable until after new root growth next summer, maybe the following summer as well. Even then I would be careful and not allow and unbalanced apple crop to develop.” Apropos of Alan’s last point, I would even thin the apple crop for the next few years so that the tree is not as heavily weighted as it was.
Neil,
Thanks for the response. Since I have no way of pulling the tree back into position, I will utilize a bottle jack and 4x4 supports under the major limb to move the tree back into position in several steps over the next few weeks. I will then add a permanent support structure using the existing fence posts. The original tree had several grafts, but the current tree has three, maybe four, major trunks. All of them are leaning away from the house towards the downslope in the yard. I have considered thinning the apples in the past, but the apples are mostly growing above the 12' height. Each year, for the past decade, I have pruned the tree heavily in February using the advice of my neighbor's deceased father, "Go ahead, cut more!" I think that this strategy has paid off in increasing the harvest, but I will add additional culling of the apples in the summer to try and ease the load on the tree. In any case, I feel confident that my plans to try and upright the tree are worth the effort and will go for it.
Thanks!
Thanks for the response. Since I have no way of pulling the tree back into position, I will utilize a bottle jack and 4x4 supports under the major limb to move the tree back into position in several steps over the next few weeks. I will then add a permanent support structure using the existing fence posts. The original tree had several grafts, but the current tree has three, maybe four, major trunks. All of them are leaning away from the house towards the downslope in the yard. I have considered thinning the apples in the past, but the apples are mostly growing above the 12' height. Each year, for the past decade, I have pruned the tree heavily in February using the advice of my neighbor's deceased father, "Go ahead, cut more!" I think that this strategy has paid off in increasing the harvest, but I will add additional culling of the apples in the summer to try and ease the load on the tree. In any case, I feel confident that my plans to try and upright the tree are worth the effort and will go for it.
Thanks!
