Dead branch in crabapple tree?

11 months ago

last modified: 11 months ago

This main limb in my ornamental crab does not look good. It budded out and then we had a late frost. What do you think, should I cut it out or wait for next year? The smaller branches still flex.

Pic in next comment. As you can see it will leave a large hole in the tree when removed.

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Comments (5)

RNmomof2 zone 5
Original Author
11 months ago
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 months ago
id give it time to see if it releafs after the frost...

dead is dead.. when the decision is made.. you properly prune it out.. the tree will fill back out.. in tree time.. might take 3 to 5 years or so..

i wonder if thats the only crab in the world.. that hasnt suckered wildly....

where are you.. z5 is about half the US.. big city name.. how bad was this frost???

ken
RNmomof2 zone 5 thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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how do you plan to get up there ... hire someone with a bucket truck NEVER leave dead stuff hanging .. IF you can get to it ... ken
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@dave4242 zone 5 What a beautiful tree & great job with your first pruning 5 years ago. Sad that the one side of it broke off. I take @luis_pr point of staking for support - especially now while it’s so heavily in bloom. I’m wondering if next spring it might be good to prune the right side (in the picture) heavily & barely touch left side. My thought is the top would look more balanced once fully leafed out. Not sure how the entire tree could be in balance again any time soon. Seems like any growth that might come from the short cut off side would have to be selectively pruned to promote a couple of shoots to become eventual trunks. A long term project for sure but a worthy one as I’d want to save that tree if only for its history!
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Thanks, everyone! cearbhaill, I just went out and did a slight trim - what a different a minor haircut makes! The whole thing looks much neater now. Thanks! Now, I don't think that it shows much of a different in the photo below, but trust me, in reality, it is much neater. Some branches were literally growing along the ground!!! The branches are just a few inches off the ground but it is not that apparent in the photo though... Ken, I think that the photo before looked surreal because my phone camera somehow added some bokeh effect to it, so that the background is blurry! It didn't do that to this latest photo.... who knows why? These smart phones are getting too smart for their own sake! LOL! In terms of the staking, the little tree actually was not staked last year. Then it started to really lean badly towards one side, probably due to the wind direction. So this year, I just staked it gently, so that it will grow up with a straighter trunk. You can see that there is still a slight lean but not as bad as before. I agree that the stakes should be removed soon.
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Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
11 months ago
Ditto. If it is obviously dead prune i. If not when would u all wait for? The next big summer holiday?
RNmomof2 zone 5 thanked Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
RNmomof2 zone 5
Original Author
11 months ago
Between Indy and Chicago for location. The fact that the lower branch I can reach is still flexible gives me hope that it is not dead. I will be mad at myself if I cut out the major section of the top of the tree and it is not dead.

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 Give it time like a few more weeks/months or to next season?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 months ago
a year or 3...

trees usually have a spring growth flush.. and then thats about it for wood growth during a season ..

after a sever hails storm.. a tree can releaf.. e.g. .... but wont grow more wood...

so as to filling in.. its all about tree time.. as i said.. counted in decades ...

now i will go look at your new post.. which should be linked here ...

ken

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Dead branch in crabapple tree?

Comments (5)

RNmomof2 zone 5
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Dead branch in crabapple tree?

Comments (5)

RNmomof2 zone 5Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

RNmomof2 zone 5Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

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RNmomof2 zone 5
Original Author

RNmomof2 zone 5
Original Author