Marian Hardiman asked 9 years ago
Very old apple tree (100 + yrs old) was pruned too hard to allow light to house, 3 parts of trunk cut straight across leaving main trunk and 3 stumps. It sprouted briefly afterwards but this year it seems totally dead. Twigs are dry and brown. Is there any way to save the tree? Was thinking of digging around base and applying some fertilizer/mulch to encourage growth.
1 Answers
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
If an old tree is cut hard in winter or early spring, it will almost always recover, even if cut to ground level. But if it is cut in summer or autumn before the leaves fall, it may not have stored enough sugars in the roots and limbs to keep it alive in winter.
It sounds like your tree was not able to sprout and has probably died. Wait a few weeks to see if any new shoots appear. There is no treatment you can give.
