I have two 5 year old Anna apples planted together and one of them is having a problem. I will post 3 or 4 pictures to try and show the problem. Does anyone know what is wrong with my apple tree and will it affect the other one too? This is a picture of both of them together with the one on the right being to one in distress.
Trunk at the soil line
Another view of the trunk
Leaf distortion
Bare spots along the branches
Those circular things at the base could be borer damage (they could also just be burr knots). The problems on the leaves looks like they are not getting proper nutrients somehow. It could be the borer damage is producing this. Type apple borer into Google and read up a bit about how to detect and treat them. I have never had them myself so don't have much knowledge there.
Scott
The second and third photos show a vertical lesion on the trunk and the bark seems to have separated from the wood. It's difficult to tell whether that is an old mechanical wound or a lesion caused by disease. The result is the death of the cambium layer in that area. I also noticed that bark on the upper part of the bark shown in the third photo looks drier, or thinner and kind of yellowish in the photo. Take a closer look at that area of the tree to see what is happening there. It could just be an optical illusion, but it could be the result of the damage the trunk incurred down below. I don't see any signs of healing in the bark wound either. Since the bark has peeled back that may not happen. I would take a few samples and photos to the local Cooperative Extension agent. He may be able to tell you what the problem is.
You might also want to see how extensive the damage to the trunk is around that split. Sterilize a sharp garden knife and cut off the dead and loose bark back to healthy. Sterilize the wound with a 10% bleach solution. If the damage is great enough, you may be fighting a losing battle. You definitely want to find out what is causing the problem because if you have to replace the tree you don't want to put it in the same spot if this one is diseased.
#2 photo is burr knots, nothing to worry about.
Your tree looks like it has a case of sun scald/southwest injury, which you being in Arizona, is not surprising. What happens is the bark of a young tree heats up during the day and expands. At night the temperatures rapidly drop and the bark splits and cracks. In photo #3 it also looks like your tree is sunburned.
I would suggest is two things :
* tracing the wound - take a sharp knife and clean it with bleach. Starting from one end of the split, trace around one side of the wound, no more than one-half to one inch back from the split bark. Stop at the other end and do the same procedure on the opposite side of the split. Knives should be sterilized between cuts by dipping for several minutes in a 1:10, bleach:water solution or a 70 percent alcohol solution to avoid contaminating the cuts. Carefully remove the bark from inside the traced area.
You should now have a bare area with smooth edges. Remember to leave this untreated. A tree growing with good vigor usually calluses over quickest. Encourage vigor in the tree via fertilizer applications (use aged steer or horse manure) and provide adequate irrigation in hot, dry weather. Bark splits will often close over completely leaving a slight ridge in the trunk where callus tissue has been produced.
* painting the trunk of your tree with a mixture of %50 outdoor white latex paint and %50 water. Do not paint the bark one inch or so away from the wound so the tree can heal itself The white paint will reflect sunlight and prevent your tree's bark from being damaged by the sun.
An issue with the bark crack is that it provides an opening for borers to attack your tree, so keep a watch for them. I would suggest feeding your tree with a ring of composted manure around it in order to to encourage the tree to put out vegetative growth, heal that wound and produce sap to drown any insects that many venture in via that bark damage.
In regards to the photos of the leaves, a wild guess would to check for aphids. Another possibility is nutrients deficiencies. You can send leaves from your tree into a lab and they can check for deficiencies - the one I use is A&L Western Laboratories, they cost $33 dollars to run tests and send you back graphical results as to what is missing. Their address is here http://www.al-labs-west.com/sections/anservices
Thanks for all your comments. bettydee you are correct that trunk has a yellow streak. amandalily the trunk has been shaded from the sun since the tree was planted as a way to avoid painting which yes, is a common way to avoid sunburn in the Phoenix area. I will look into all your suggestions as I want to save the tree.
Overlooked seems to be the fact that the other tree has no sign or mention of similar problems. It seems most unlikely that the problem is soil based or fertilization needs. I assume both trees were managed the same to the best of your ability.
Sometime happens. The whole issue may have been nursery related starting with the trunk injury that did not show up for a number of years. I would most likely bite the bullet, and replant. Over the years we have spent untold money trying to doctor when replacement would have made more sense.
Reminds me of the old preacher who trimmed and pruned his apple tree untill the tree finaly just gave up. In the spring of final year or year of decision the ole preacher was standing there with nippers and clippers in hand. He at last realized he was in trouble as a heavy storm was fast moving in. With the nipper in one hand, the clippers in the other he gazed into the big black cloud and uttered a prayer........Dear Lord What Now? The cloud opened, a big deep voise came through loud and clear....."Replant and thin no more".
You are absolutely correct docgipe. Both trees were planted at the same time and cared for in the same manner. I always deep water on a schedule and until this year I fed with dried organic chicken manure. This year I fed with compost augmented with llama. They are planted close together and the other tree looks healthy with none of the symptoms displayed by it's sibling. I actually had thought of digging it out and replanting before I decided to post and see what suggestions I might get. If I go that route I am thinking I can replant in the same area because like you said it does appear to be the tree and not the soil. Do you agree?
I have to believe it was injured early on. I would take those pix to the orchards and or the county agent for a local second opinion. It would just flat out seem odd to me that the other tree has no problems while this one for some reason is a cripple.
docgipe I wish we had a county agent and orchards for that matter. Alas, this is the desert and most growing information is disseminated by master gardners whose opinions vary greatly. I do have a couple of nurserys near me and will take the pictures there to see what they might say. Thanks for your comments.
I still go back to those burr knots. That yellow streak seems to start there, there is a big blob of yellow sap-stuff by one of them and the yellow streak carries straight up from there. Borers commonly enter via burr knots. A borer could have entered there some time ago and caused an infection of some sort to enter the wound it made. So I would look by that yellow stuff for a hole, but even if you don't find a borer hole you may have had one a long time ago and it introduced an infection into the tree.
I think docpipes advice on whacking it is the conclusion, whatever the problem in fact is.
Scott
If you do wack that tree may I share with you the fact that apple wood creates one of the best smokes for the charcoal smoker grill. Applewood smoke laced with grilling meats odors would be a fitting end for both the tree and a good steak, fish or chicken.
Sounds a bit far fetched but green wood can be frozen in small packs where the wood is not commonly found. If you have and use a chipper the chips are just as good for the making of grill smoke.
Oh, for sure I am going to use the wood to smoke meats if I wack the tree.
