You can move the apple tree, but you do risk injuring or killing the tree due to transplant shock. If you do move it, make sure to prepare the new site before you dig the tree up (e.g. dig the new hole ahead of time). This preparation work will reduce the amount of time the roots are exposed. Also, wait until winter when the tree is dormant to move it, and prune the tree before the move. Dig a wide hole around the tree and be very careful not to damage the root ball. Once dug up, gently lift the tree out of the hole and place the tree and root ball onto a tarp or burlap sack to slide the tree to the new location. Carefully place the rootball into the new hole and fill in the hole with the original soil (do not fill with compost or other potting mixes, use the soil you dug out of the new hole to refill it). After you have filled in the hole, tap down gently around the tree to remove some of the air pockets and allow the soil to settle. Make sure the graft union is at least an inch above the soil line, and water the tree in. I would also suggest you stake the tree to provide extra support as it settles into its new home. Make sure the tree is watered well, especially during dry periods, and give it a little fertilizer in the spring. Again, there is a risk that this move may cause transplant shock and the tree may not recover.

If you decide to replace the tree, what you choose will really depend on your preferences. If selecting another fruit tree or shrub, be sure to plant something that you would want to eat. In terms of what grows well here, apples, pears, plums, and persimmons are the best options. However, you can also grow figs (select Desert King or Brown Turkey) or cherries. Cherries grafted onto Gisela 5, Gisela 3, or Newroot rootstock result in trees in the 6 to 12 foot range. Stella, Lapins, and Starkrimson are self-fruitful and wouldn’t require a pollinizer tree. There are no dwarf rootstocks for figs, but they can be kept short through pruning and they espalier well. An elderberry shrub is also a good option (Sambucus canadensis and S. nigra are edible options), they grow to about 10-15 feet tall and there is a lot you can do with the fruit (jams, pies, syrups, etc.). For more information on some of these options, see: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec819.

There are hundreds of options for non-fruiting trees and shrubs, and it really depends on what you are looking for (shade, showy flowers, etc.). I would recommend a native, since they grow well here and generally require a little less maintenance. You can find a list of native trees and shrubs (with photos and general information) here: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/ec1577.pdf.

In terms of organic management options for scab, it is important that you rake up and dispose of all of the fallen leaves in the fall (burn, bury or send off to landfill), as the fungus overwinters on infected leaves and twigs. Prune out any infected twigs and dispose of them. Use irrigation that won’t wet the foliage of the tree. Even with these practices, you still may need to spray. The organic options are lime sulfur and Serenade (a biological, Bacillus subtilis). These materials need to be applied in the delayed dormant season before the trees bloom. You will need to read the label to determine risk to the rabbits, but both are less toxic than other options. You can find more information on management options here: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/pear-pyrus-spp-scab and here https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec631.

On 05/14/2021 4:25 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

 

 

Plums are the lowest maintenance and have fewer pest issues than apples, pears and cherries. Apples are really susceptible to coddling moth, apple maggot and scab and would need to be sprayed. Pears, as you know, are also susceptible to scab and codling moth. Cherries need to be sprayed for spotted wing drosophila and the cherry fruit fly. That is not to say plums won't ever have any issues, but if well cared for (watered, pruned, etc.) they can be quite hearty and don't have the same pest issues that cherries, apples and pears can have.