Apple trees tipped over

[Don P]

We've been without rain for the month until day before yesterday when the hurricane rains got here. We've had a bit over 7" so far. Our wild apple trees were about as heavy as I've ever seen them, they got last year off on account of a late frost and are really putting out this year. Two large standards about 25' tall tipped over. I think I can pick them and stand them back up but I seriously doubt I can get them to really settle back in. So the question of the day, has anyone done this successfully or should I just add some apple to the pile? If you have, do I prune them now or just stand them?

[DanG]

I can't answer your questions, but I think I'd try standing them back up and putting some guy wires on them.  You can always add them to the pile later, if they don't make it.  At the very least, it would be an interesting experiment.

[Don P]

That's kinda the way I'm, ummm, leaning
This is one, the other is in the background left, you can just see the crown on the ground behind the mulched dogwoods

[isawlogs]

 Don . I would alsotry to put it back up and wait it out , I would also prune it back come march , it would get a serious hair cut 

 ( March is the time for me to prune , I have no clue when its best for you ,  )

[Larry]

A guy I used to work with did it on a 30' or so tall blue spruce.  We used junked telephone company strand and guyed it three ways to anchors.  If I member right he left it guyed for 3 or 4 years...and the operation was a success.

 

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Might not hurt to mash the ground back tight where all the air is. Those hair roots might die if ground contact is not re-established.

[beenthere]

I'd pick the apples first, while they are close to the ground...

[Paul_H]

 Don,

this Transparent fell over around 10 years ago.It was loaded and it had been pouring rain for a few days and when I got home from work,the apples seemed to be touching the ground but I couldn't tell what had happened til I went around the far side.
I hooked a cable on it and pulled it upright with the truck and slipped a 2x6 under one branch and a 6x6 under the main trunk and it's still hanging in there and produces well.

It has 7 hamsters a couple cats,a few birds and a baby duck buried around the trunk.We call it the "Puffy tree" in honour of the 1st hamster buried under it.

[mike_van]

I'd pick the apples first, while they are close to the ground...

                               

[WDH]

I agree with the aforementioned.  Guy it back up and give it a stout pruning.  The roots may very well re-establish themselves.  With a smaller pruned crown, that will put less stress on the roots, and the top will re-vegetate if the roots get a renewed toe-hold.

[CLL]

Beenthere, here in Mo. we call that a blessing for lazy people. You can lay down and pick-em. Have some relatives that are almost that energetic.

[SPIKER]

If ya haven't yet picked it up ya might want to spray some light liquid mix of fert. under the root ball so that they can get to some good food fast & grow down re establishing it.  mix it light (more water than usual) so that it runs down through soil making roots chase it just don't wash soil off roots if at all possible.....   (couldn't see if there was much room in there..)
I agree with others pull it up right slowly (if you have a winch this is much easier.) move it a few degrees at a time so as it can let stress & soil move easier...   once up use a few stakes & wires to hold it for a good 2 years if not 3~4.   We had 3 or 4 dwarf fruit trees do same thing.   I'm looking out back at our pear tree which had top break out of it yesterday/night sometime.   top 1/3 was over loaded with fruit & snapped off   it is VERY OLD yard tree with the best pears on most years.  this year it really produced from same reason late frost last year wipped out the blossoms.

mark

[mike_van]

We lost this one a few weeks ago, no saving this apple as it just snapped off. 

[SwampDonkey]

I lost mine to the road crew. They shoved it over. That tree was there since well over 100 years. 

[johncinquo]

In the orchards around here they prop em back up with a couple poles, and then pile bags of lime and soil all around the trunk and base a couple feet out.  The weight keeps the roots from tipping back up.   In an couple years the bags just disintegrate. 

[moonhill]

Don, I think it is quite hard to do in an apple tree, they have a strong desire to live.  This topic reminded me of a book by Erick Sloane, A reverence for Wood.  I think that was the name, I just looked and couldn't fine it.  In the book he talks about the old apple trees falling down and the branches growing a new generation of trees.  Not that this would be the way to go around it, but you could leave it and sort of encourage it to grow in it's new position.  This thought is based on some old trees I have at my place that seem to be doing  all right in the prone position.  They have been like that for 17 years +, for they were that way when we restarted the old farm land.  The difference is the root ball was still grounded, the trunks gave way, hollow.

I have seen some old trees with different apples on the same tree, one side one variety and the other an other.  I haven't tried grafting as of yet but would like to some day.     Tim 

[mike_van]

Tim - I read that book too - Eric Sloane lived maybe 6 or 7 miles from me, the Slaone Stanley museum is about a mile from my place.

[moonhill]

I have heard that he is just an artist, and so take his info with that in mind.  He doesn't have a lot of hands on experience with the tools and techniques he covers.  Any input on that, Mike.  I am hearing of more books which carry incorrect information.  I like my own trials and tribulations, even then I can get into trouble, thats the fun part to life.  As with Don P's apple tree, if it was out of the way and not a favorite I may experiment.      Tim

[Don P]

We've got 1 truckload of slightly green apples up here. I put 2 ratchet straps on that one while we were picking and it isn't moving yet. I'll hook a come along to it today then the next plan is to start pruning it till I can lift it if that doesn't work.

The other one is far from ripe, broke out pretty bad when it landed, was not the best apples and has a board or three in. I guess you know the story on that one  . I'll let them ripen if the deer don't get em all first. They've got sore tummies by the looks of things  Oughta taste good  .

There are some mistakes in Sloane's book's. He was a man not a scholar, but most of it is correct, he was trying to document a fast vanishing way of life, and he was an excellent illustrator. I think he did a good job all in all. I remember the story of the "seek no further" apple tree  .

[Don P]

Well it's back up, man that thing was heavy.

We got about 100 gallons of apples and knocked off at least that much. It turned into 15 gallons of cider and some jelly. Some yeast and sugar fell in some of it  .

I'll have to leave it guyed permanently I think. It broke one major root and the leaves are looking tough. We'll just wait till spring.