A young apple tree broke from the wind: what to do

If a branch near an apple tree breaks, this may be due to both strong winds and care errors (lack of supports, untimely harvesting, and others). Damage is best identified early. The wound is cleaned to a healthy place, then disinfected and intensively looked after.

Why do apple tree branches break off

As a rule, only thin branches break on trees, which is quite normal, since the wind can be very strong. Another objective reason is the heavy snow mass that lies on different parts of the crown for a long time. Both of these factors are exacerbated by temperature changes, which are also impossible to influence.

But there are other reasons associated with improper care:

• untimely installation of supports for large shoots;
• congestion with a crop that is not harvested for a long time;
• too frequent pruning;
• not carrying out a shaping and rejuvenating haircut;
• lack of mulching for the winter and other shelter (especially in regions with severe frosts);
• violation of other rules – irregular watering and top dressing.

The consequences can be quite serious. If the top or thin branches of a young apple tree break, fungi, bacteria and other infectious agents can penetrate through the resulting wound. If the damage is significant, the tree will begin to lag behind in development, and the yield will drop. Therefore, it is necessary to detect damage as early as possible and eliminate the consequences as soon as possible. In most cases, even old trees can be salvaged.

What to do if a branch of an apple tree breaks off

In general, the sequence of actions is the same. If the branch of the apple tree is broken, you need to clean it with a knife to a healthy place, treat it with garden pitch and install a support. However, the damage can be different, so you have to act accordingly. The main options are described in the following sections.

small break

If the break is small, for example, a small part of the top of a columnar apple tree is broken, you need to act like this:

1. If the shoot hangs, break it off completely by making a neat cut with a pruner or scissors pre-treated with an antiseptic (for example, potassium permanganate 1 g per 1 liter).
2. Sharpen the knife, clean the wound to a healthy place.
3. Treat it with an antiseptic. You can use a solution of copper sulfate 100 g per 10 liters or ferrous sulfate 500 g per 10 liters.
4. Lubricate the surface with a garden pitch or a special preparation (Blagosad, RanNet or others).
5. Install a stalk or other support under the middle of the damaged shoot.

Damage is cleaned to a healthy place

Next, you need to organize a thorough care. All ovaries and fruits are removed, maintaining “infertility” for two seasons. Watering is given regularly, using settled water. In autumn, the trunk circle is loosened and top dressing is applied – superphosphate 40 g per 10 l and potassium sulfate 30 g per 10 l.

Broken branch with fruit

If a branch breaks during fruiting or on the eve of harvest, all fruits should be removed immediately. Next, cut off the damaged parts, treat with an antiseptic and carefully tie the shoot in place. The wound is smeared with garden pitch or oily clay. In the first two years, all buds and ovaries should be removed from such a branch.

To do this, they are poured with a small amount of water, brought to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Then the water is drained, and the apples are filtered through cheesecloth. The resulting juice is evaporated by half – natural pectin is obtained.

A large branch of an apple tree broke off

If a large branch of an apple tree has broken, for example, a skeletal branch (growing directly from the trunk), it is necessary to carefully clean the damage and put a support.

To speed up recovery, it is recommended to use Bugorkov’s balm, which contains not only fatty components (wax, oil), but also growth stimulants. It can also be treated with a solution prepared independently on the basis of wood ash, “Fundazol” and “Kornevin” (1: 1: 1). The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Mix all components in equal amounts.
2. Grind a tablet of the drug “Immunocytofit” and add to the mixture.
3. Add BF-6 glue to get the consistency of thick sour cream.
4. Thoroughly treat the damage composition.

Under the damaged branch that has broken, install a support

Broken thin branch

In the case of a thin shoot, it is easiest to act. It is enough to cut off the broken part and carry out the treatment with garden pitch, oily clay or other antiseptic. In order for the branch to recover faster and not break again, it is recommended to pick flowers over the next two seasons.

What to do if an apple tree seedling breaks

If the top of an apple tree seedling has broken, you need to act like this:

1. Remove all damaged parts.
2. Clean with a knife to a healthy kidney.
3. Treat with garden pitch.
4. Organize enhanced care – watering, fertilizing, weeding the trunk circle.

Young seedlings recover quite quickly. Even if the branch has not broken, gardeners have to carry out radical pruning annually, stimulating the growth of all the main shoots.

What to do if the apple tree broke in half

This is one of the most difficult cases, which is often unrealistic to cope with. You can try to save the tree by doing this:

1. Remove the damaged branch that broke.
2. Clean the edges very carefully.
3. Remove all protruding parts of the bark, as an infection can penetrate there.
4. Cover with garden var.
5. Cover with cling film and care intensively.

What to do if the trunk of an apple tree breaks

This case is the most difficult. If not a separate branch breaks, but a trunk, then the tree often has to be uprooted. You can try to cut it down below the fault, and in the spring graft it onto the stump.

Cuttings (graft) are harvested in advance, in the fall. They are stored in a cool room or on the street (dig a trench, throw soil, mulch and snow cover). Then an oblique lower cut is made and grafted into a split, under the bark, or by budding.

Compounds for putty broken branches

Regardless of which branches broke at a young or old apple tree, they need not only to be reanimated, but also disinfected. To do this, use special compounds that can be purchased at the store for summer residents:

• “RanNet”;
• “Blessing”
• garden var.

They contain various components, for example, copper sulfate, which effectively destroys fungi and bacteria that cause dangerous infections.

Blagosad is an effective wound disinfectant

If a branch on an apple tree has broken off, but there is no ready-made composition at hand, you can help in another way. For example, prepare a garden pitch on your own based on animal fat (without lard), wax and rosin. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Warm up the rosin (take 60 g).
2. Take 200 g of wax, grate and add to the rosin, mix.
3. After both components are completely melted, add 100 g of unsalted animal fat – mutton tail is better.
4. Then cool the composition and pour in 50 ml of ethyl alcohol.
5. Let it cool down and proceed to cover the damaged area. The advantage of the composition is that it does not need to be warmed up the day before use. Therefore, it is allowed to use both in summer and in winter, for example, when a branch of an apple tree is broken by snow.

If a minimum of ingredients is available, and you need to act quickly, it is permissible to prepare a composition based on clay. The instruction is as follows:

1. Take copper or iron sulfate, mullein and fatty clay in a ratio of 1:3:6.
2. To stir thoroughly.
3. Add to the mixture 1-2 tbsp. l. wood ash.
4. Bring to a thick consistency (toothpaste) and immediately proceed to the treatment of wounds.

How to strengthen an apple tree so that it does not break

If a branch breaks at an apple tree or a tree breaks at the root, this can become a rather serious problem, up to the complete death of the plant. To avoid it, it is necessary to strengthen the trunk, as well as observe other preventive measures. In old trees, the skeletal branches become very massive. Under them, it is recommended to install props. You need to focus exactly on the middle of the branch so that it does not break under its own weight.

There are a lot of support options:

1. A stand with a horn – a “horned” branch that has broken from another tree, is taken near the site or in the forest, then dug into the soil. You can put a wooden support, and lay a branch on it.
2. Umbrella chatalovka – a central support is placed along the trunk, dug into the soil, and then several wires are pulled down and tied to a branch with a loop so that it does not break

   

3. “Support-ladder” – so that the central trunk under the root and other branches does not break at the apple tree, they dig in a ladder and attach large shoots to the steps using wires or soft wire.

   

4. There is also an option for a telescopic support. It can be a plastic water pipe from several parts (each subsequent one is easily inserted into the previous one). Dropped, installed at the desired height and fixed with bolts and nuts.

   

5. T-shaped support in the form of a special design. A very reliable version of two “T” poles that are attached to each other.

   

6. There are also metal supports. They are used so that the branches do not break on old, very large apple trees with massive shoots. You can make such structures yourself from pipes. Several elements are selected, holes are drilled and fixed with nails.

Conclusion

When a branch near an apple tree breaks, you need to act immediately. If it is a thin shoot, it is simply removed with a pruner. If the branch is large, it is cut down, processed with garden pitch, covered with a film and waiting for restoration. Over the next two years, you need to take care of such an apple tree especially carefully.