Subject: need advice on OLD apple tree

From: [email-masked] (Sambo)
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 10:34:23 -0500

We have a really old apple tree in our backyard, it's probably 90+ years
old.  We used to get lots of apples off of it for making pies, but
recently the apples ALL have worms in them and are basically just all
funny looking.  Do y'all think the tree is nearing the end of it's life or
maybe it's an improper ph or fertility thing.  We don't 'tend' it at all. 
I'm sure the soil is the wrong ph for an apple tree..here in Seattle. 
Should I put compost or mulch around the base of the tree and give some
dolomite lime to it in the spring? Or should we cut it down and plant
another one?   (Probably not very likely to happen at all)

Adios,
Sambo

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From: [email-masked] (Ben Sharvy)
Date: 7 Oct 1996 13:57:24 -0700

>I'm sure the soil is the wrong ph for an apple tree..here in Seattle. 

Why?
-- 
Eco-Socialist-Libertarian-Capitalism Made Simple:
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From: [email-masked] (Sambo)
Date: Tue, 08 Oct 1996 22:42:28 -0500

> >I'm sure the soil is the wrong ph for an apple tree..here in Seattle. 

Because it rains a lot here and no one ever gives it dolomite lime for a
neutral ph..the soil out here is naturally pretty acidic.

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From: [email-masked] (Graeme Hirst)
Date: 9 Oct 96 20:58:59 GMT

>another one?   (Probably not very likely to happen at all)

An apple tree can live quite a lot longer than 90 years in many parts of 
the world, more like 150 years maximum (I don't know if Seattle is 
particularly likely to shorten the life of a tree).  A tree that old 
might be of interest to someone who collects old varieties.  Try cleaning 
up all dropped apples from under the tree and fertilizing and adding the 
dolomite lime, and it might help.  Pruning by an expert would also 
increase the number of apples, but it shouldn't be done without some 
knowledge of how to go about it.

Nadia Talent, Department of Botany, University of Toronto
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Maarten van Helden)
Date: 10 Oct 1996 06:26:00 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, 
[email-masked] says...
>another one?   (Probably not very likely to happen at all)

The main reason probably is not wrong PH or old age but PRUNING. Apple trees 
need pruning. If the plant gets too many branches the yield will go down and 
too many apples will mean many small and malformed apples. Get a good book on 
pruning and prune the tree to a better structure, if necessary get an axpert 
to help you (he might do it out of interest for such an old tree. 

-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
||\\  //||  Dr. Maarten van Helden
|| \\// ||  Dept. of Entomology
||  \/  ||  Wageningen Agricultural University
||||||||||  Binnenhaven 7, 6709 PD
||      ||  Wageningen, the Netherlands
||      ||  Tel +31-317-485118 Fax +31-317-484821
||      ||  Email: <[email-masked]>
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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From: [email-masked] (Una Smith)
Date: 10 Oct 1996 14:36:43 GMT

[email-masked] wrote:

>>We have a really old apple tree in our backyard ...
>>recently the apples ALL have worms in them ...

[email-masked] (Maarten van Helden) wrote:

>The main reason probably is not wrong PH or old age but PRUNING. ...

True, but will that solve the main problem, worms?  How about a
treatment with insecticide?

This is a topic for rec.gardens, where I have set followups.

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From: [email-masked] (Laurie Lacey)
Date: 13 Oct 1996 03:42:32 GMT

Hi, Here in Nova Scotia the people used to plow around apple trees 
to revive the tree - I just give this as something you might want
to consider. Laurie

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...

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From: [email-masked] (Nathaniel N Horton)
Date: 12 Oct 1996 23:31:10 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,
>to help you (he might do it out of interest for such an old tree. 
Pruning, maybe, but the fact the writer (Sacharof) says all the apples have 
worms makes it sound like apple codling moth or some other insect and not a 
pruning problem.  Being that you (Dr. van Helden) are in Entomolgy makes me 
think you have substainial knowledge in the area of insects and such, but it 
still sounds like it could be a pest problem instead of pruning or pH to 
little ol' me.  I would recomend (to Sacharof)trying an extension office from 
one of the regional Uni's- I don't know what or even if UW has an Ag or 
Horticulture Dept, as WSU is very strong in both areas.  In fact, the 
best thing to do would probably use Gopher to find the WSU extentionists 
and email them.

	Good luck w/ yer apples!

	Grey N. Horton
	Grad Student
	Dept. of Horticulture
	U of Minnesota
	(Damn it's cold here already!)

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From: [email-masked] (Terry)
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 06:20:07 GMT

>Get a good book on 

Pruning Neglected Apple Trees:
http://www.lofthouse.com/apple/neglect.html

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From: [email-masked] (Maarten van Helden)
Date: 15 Oct 1996 12:23:17 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...

>        (Damn it's cold here already!)
Yes, Grey, it will be insects in the apples, and it would be nice and useful 
to get a proper identification from an extension officer, maybe together with 
a chemical cure. The question is wether this would solve the problem. If the 
larvae are IN the apples there is no way to kill them by spraying. the crop 
for this year will be partially lost (you can still make excellen apple sauce, 
and a little extra protein nevere harmed anybody). What i am more interested 
in is the CAUSE of the infestation. Could be a coincidence, just a couple of 
egg batches more from this particular insect, but it COULD be that teh cause 
lays in an increase vulnerability of the tree due to age, overpopulation of 
apples, fertilization etc. etc.. I was moer looking for a long term approach 
for an old tree, then a short term solution (nonexistent in this case ??) 

Maarten.