# help, can broken apple tree be fixed?



## bbbuddy (Jul 29, 2002)

Goats got into garden, they broke a year old apple tree almost in two.

The trunk is about 3/4 inch thick, ragged break.

Can I cut the break cleanly into a v shaped graft and splint it together?


They also chewed one down past the branches, will that one sprout new branches or is it toast?

TIA


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Yes, you can graft it back together, but you will have to cut the top back to nearly nothing. A graft won't support a large scion.

If a part of the bark is still connected, you can simply push the pieces back together and nail the tree together. I'd prune a lot of the weight out of the top.

If the break is above the original graft, it will probably send out new branches. I've had deer eat a new tree down to nearly nothing and it recovered well and is now bigger than it's "litter mates".


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I think that your best shot, is to cut off above the broken area , take some branches from the place above the break and graft them. But to graft the whole tree above the broken part would probably be too fragile to hold together. The only advantage to grafting is that you will have a large root supplying the grafts which should then grow on fast. You could then select a new leader.
But this is a lot of work for an uncertain end. Unless this is a special variety, it might just be more useful to plant a new tree.
Good luck with whatever you do.


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## TooManyHobbies! (Mar 27, 2011)

I would definitely try. Back when I was a teen, we'd just planted some nice new trees. Now, normally, we had just whatever came up. For some reason that year, though, we bought the first trees I ever remembered buying (other than 3 pear trees when I was small). I remember that one was my favorite. Darned if a horse didn't wipe it out the first week, cracking it clean in two.

Family figured it was a goner. I rigged it up with electrical tape, string, gauze, and whatever else I got my hands on. Last I knew, it was still going strong some 20-25 years later...healed nicely. I did watch the bandage and removed it eventually as it healed.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I had on that broke right off,put it together. When pruneing this year it is just fine. It's been 3 years sinse the break.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

TooManyHobbies! said:


> I would definitely try. Back when I was a teen, we'd just planted some nice new trees. Now, normally, we had just whatever came up. For some reason that year, though, we bought the first trees I ever remembered buying (other than 3 pear trees when I was small). I remember that one was my favorite. Darned if a horse didn't wipe it out the first week, cracking it clean in two.
> 
> Family figured it was a goner. I rigged it up with electrical tape, string, gauze, and whatever else I got my hands on. Last I knew, it was still going strong some 20-25 years later...healed nicely. I did watch the bandage and removed it eventually as it healed.



That's really amazing- trees really want to survive.


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