Apple Tree Has No Leaves While Everything Else Is Thriving?
we bought a house last summer and there is an apple tree in the back yard. when we got the house the tree had leaves on it but we only ever saw 1 apple on the tree which disappeared pretty quickly (probably a squirrel). anyhow, all the leaves fell during winter and about a month ago or more there were 2 leaves on the tree. however, the 2 leaves have long disappeared and there is nothing else to be seen on the tree. I do not think it is a watering problem since there is a sprinkler that hits the tree directly and it is watered for 10mins 3 times a week and the grass around it is growing pretty well. Even the grape vine which I thought was long dead and barely gets much water now has numerous leaves but the apple tree seems to be struggling. any ideas on what might be going on are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Trees are lovely things when they leaf and flower in spring; however, there are many diseases, and enemies that can gnaw on the treebark all the way around and cause what is known as "girdling". Tree bark is much like our skin and holds all the working tree components together. This was a tough winter in most places, animals had to battle huge snow drifts looking for food. There was likely lots of damage to trees everywhere when winter food stuffs disappeared for weeks under the snow. Your problem may be due to illness instead of injury, but you need to examine the tree for signs of both. If the tree was young, it would be more apt to succomb to injury than an older one with lots of root system. In our growing area, it’s not time for leaves to appear just yet on fruit trees. If you break off the end of a small branch of your tree and discover that there is no green beneath the young bark, continue breaking off small pieces till you either find a green layer or discover that all the branches are brown. Green is a sign of life. Brown means the branch is dead and likely won’t recover.