I don't think you would need to worry about "fumigating" the soil for something so un-established (but am not an expert on this)......and I definitely don't think you would need to worry about even replanting.....I agree with Hman's perception and would be willing to bet that this tree will re-sprout. Am continually amazed at how sturdy trees (and fruit trees) are.....I don't believe I have ever killed one by pruning.....am also amazed at how much people are worried about killing them by pruning too much or at the wrong time, etc, etc. Trees need care, yes, but they are also tough.....often tougher than we think. The story of one of our oldest pear trees, the Endicott Pear, is almost a comi-tragedy at just how many times this pear tree was destroyed......only to come back to life again.....year after year....for literally hundreds of years. Try getting a link here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endicott_Pear_Tree

Thanks for the update and the pictures! Itâs good to know that your trees healed well. I was curious how they did because Iâve got a ton of rabbit and vole damage to deal with. Iâve got about 200 apple and pear trees in a fenced-in 60â x 60â nursery. The trees are 1 to 4 years old, ranging in size from less than a foot to 7 feet tall, with each one wrapped with a 24â plastic vole guard. Even though the nursery is surrounded by an 8-foot polypropylene mesh deer fence fortified with a 28-inch welded wire rabbit fence, it was no match for the 2 to 5 feet of snow thatâs been on the ground for most of the winter. With the snow higher than the rabbit fence, they easily chewed through the polypropylene mesh, and, in a single night, nipped almost everything down to snow-level (about 30â). The bigger trees are missing big patches of bark, maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of the way around the trunk. Oh - and under the snow, on the smaller trees, voles skeletonized everything above - and sticking out of - the plastic guards like piranhas. I saved what I could by wrapping what was still standing above the guards in aluminum foil, made some patches in the fence with poultry netting, and dug a trench in the snow all the way around the nursery. In the process of mending the fence (which took a few days), rabbits got in only once. They ignored all the aluminum-covered trees, and gnawed on raspberry canes instead. Once mended, the rabbits havenât got back in. As for the vole guards, they can only save the wood that theyâre guarding. I wonât know the full extent of the damage until the snow melts. It stands at a little under 2 feet deep right now. Itâs just devastating to see such damage. Heartbreak aside, my concerns/questions are: Will there be new growth (from the scion/variety Iâm trying to grow) if there are no visible buds? Is there anything I should do to keep disease (scab, canker, fireblight) from entering the wounds? Good luck!

unfortunately it can be difficult to be certain or even confident. we may get the right conditions for a fungal attack or another difficult winter that could push an already crippled tree past its ability to recover. it is a simple enough thing to transplant the tree to a less desirable location on your property and replace them with healthy trees in the spots you really want them, then hope for the best and learn from your observations. I have had luck transplanting in the past, but those were healthy trees, and moving a damaged one may be more than it can take too. If they do recover they should be able to cope with the injury better over time, but it will set you back some. Its really a chance, but it is hard to cut down a living apple tree you have already time, money, and hopes invested in. On the other hand, establishing a healthier tree may well be the way to go, and less angst over time. I have a huge wolf river tree that was backed over by a bulldozer, run over by a tractor, browsed back by deer and battled shade its whole life. It is the healthiest tree in my orchard (though a little misshapen) Trees want to survive! Good luck!

Konrad and harvestmann -- thanks again for the insight. Interesting -- hadn't thought about tying up the side branch and turning it into the leader -- will give that a shot. As to rootstock -- I'm not sure about the specific rootstock, but pretty sure it is Semi-Dwarf (possibly standard)... one of the local fruit old-timers who owns the nursery where it was purchased doesn't believe in dwarfs (non-natural) here in the harsh conditions of CO. No grass or weeds... the front yard was actually scraped of grass 3 years ago, and low water local flowering plants were put in, with compost turned in and mulch elsewhere -- still a work in progress. However, it is pretty dry here... and there are some crocus bulbs around the tree (beyond the current drip-line) and 4 gooseberry and current bushes. This spring I'll setup dripline irrigation... peaches and pears in the back already have it. However, I haven't done much in the way of fertilization, and will probably auger some 2" holes and pack with compost and fertilizer this spring -- if that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Just a note -- the only reason the tree was topped was due to the fireblight... there were some small branches at that point, but being a newbie, I didn't make the connection about re-directing that other branch upward, as Konrad pointed out. Thanks for your guidance and for the link -- there's a lot to learn!