If you can post a picture of the trees, it would be a lot easier to reply. Some of the old 'Pioneer trees'- most in fact, are full of heart rot from improper care and many are also virus infected. When you say "old", just how old do you think they are? How large is your property? Can you live with the apple trees using up half of your lot? I tend to think that, unless a tree has immpressive value as an ornamental or shade, it is best in many respects to cut them about at ground level. We now have a variety of size controlling rootstocks, that keep fruit trees below 12 feet tall. This means they take up less room in the yard Are easier to prune Are easier to spray Are easier to harvest Also, the size controlling rootstocks bring the tree into bearing age faster than a standard tree. The cost of disposing of pruning branches on a standard tree or several can easily cost $100/year. Are the apples on one tree enough to justify this cost? So, in brief, unless one of those trees has outstanding fruit and has an attractive form........... Call for the chainsaw. Apple does make awesome firewood.

Patience.......... Spring of 2000 I purchased a three foot scrawny pomegranate from the California Rare Fruit Growers booth at their Green Scene garden show. It had a typewritten tag that said the variety was "Juan" and it came from Mexico. Over the years I've wanted to find out who donated this big non bearing plant to the group for sale. Now, seven years later, for the first time ever, we have beautiful, large, green fruits. The color was quite unexpected but well worth the wait. The literature says may take two to three years to fruit. The Ambrosia we have fruited at two years and 1 1/2 ft tall. But then there are some that take 7, 8 years. As fruitnut mentioned, your tree looks very healthy. Maybe 2008 will be your year. Pam Here is a link that might be useful: Pomegranate fruit facts

native .. schmative .... so many facts.. too much coffee .... ooooooohhhhhhh ... dramatic moan ... linden .. let me get this straight ... you have an otherwise healthy tree.. and this guy wants to .. on a preventative basis ... drill holes and add cables.. so that he can insure that you pay him every few years to come back a 'maintain' this threat to your garage ... sounds like a tuition investment program for his son in college.. or a repeating boat payment ... be done with it ... ITS A THREAT ... the poplars ... get rid of them .. period ... figure out how to do it legally with the lot owner ... since you will have the tree guys out.. offer to pay for it ... since it will be a minor cost since they are there .... DO NOT RELY ON THE COURTS for you might be homeless for the few years it takes to sue them ... the box elder .... i have a 50 footer .. what a carp tree ... horrible form .. ugly ... and those darn bugs ... harmless but irritating when they come in the house ... be done with it ... its just another maple.. and you should know my hated of such ... the smaller ... if you were to keep it .. just cut off the two side ones.. and ignore the tree canopy reduction theory ... its a maple.. with no root zone impact from transplant/planting ... it will probably double in size in 2 years ... but i would still get rid of it ... did i hit them all ... ??? was there an ash ... is not EAB an issue up there.. if so.. just get rid of the ash .... if the team is there.. do everything that needs to be done .. its a lot cheaper than repeatedly calling them back ... as i recall.. you have down-sized the property size .... and you need all the space you can get... on your new 1/2 acre ... WHY WASTE SPACE WITH THESE WEEDS .... native or not ... if you had 5 acres.. and more space than you need.. what the heck .. but we both know you can do so much better ... the best upside.. this time of year.. the chips are all wood ... have them leave them.. and make some nice beds next spring ... with my first house.. i 'saved' all the prior/original owners 'problems' for the history of it .... what a nightmare.. and the happiest day of my life at that house... was when the last was gone ... YOU CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER ... please... just bite the bit.. and be done with them ... ken PS: as you are addicted to gardening .... have no guilt.... as i am sure.. you will replace it all if not twice... mother earth on the plus side ... Here is a link that might be useful: WI EAB

Ninety-nine percent of problems that arise after pruning are due to improper techniques, rather than a lack of dressing applied to the wound. Cuts that are made too close to the main trunk (called a flush cut) are not good, nor are cuts that leave too large a stub. All pruning cuts, on large or small trees, should be made just outside what is called the branch collar in order that the tree or shrub can swiftly seal itself from problems. This process is called compartmentalization, and is a physiological response that most woody plants have to injury. Using a pruning paint or dressing can impede this natural phenomenon. Compartmentalization can only occur if the branch collar is not removed or cut into. I'm linking you to a small slide show with lots of information in the form of images. You'll be able to identify branch collars on just about anything after you review it. Just click on the directional arrow to view the whole presentation. Also, be sure to sterilize your pruners, loppers, or hand saw prior to use. We can transfer pathogens via our hands, gloves, clothes, too. I prefer straight rubbing alcohol to bleach. Air borne pathogens, by the way, can enter a tree through any kind of wound...even those that may seem insignificant. Here is a link that might be useful: Removing branches