Backyard Farming Forum
Bringing food production home

Hi all
I've got an apricot tree that's at least 20+ years old, and I've lived here for 10 years. It was always healthy looking and provided a great shady spot to watch the kids in the pool, but has never really fruited well. In the past I have occaisionally cut branches off and have usually done this in the winter although now I understand that I should have been doing this in summer while the tree is growing. Now I've noticed that some of the branches, mostly near where I have previously removed branches, are dying off. They are void of leaves and brittle to the point where I can sometimes snap them off easily. Other branches however are quite healthy looking. Is there any way to save the tree and stop the rot spreading through the good branches. I am mostly wanting to keep the shady spot, but more fruit would be good too.
Any advice most welcome

Erik XIV

Hi KE, my parents have an apricot tree that is older than me 45ish and i always remember as a kid they would get a man in to do a proper prune every couple of years. He would take it all the way back.

Maybe you should think about getting an aborist (not sure how to spell) to have a look at it.

A lot of trees like a hard prune every now and then. Also look out for boring insects that can kill off branches. Signs are sap blocking a small hole.

_________________
To think before you act is a wise option. But not as funny.

I had a massive apricot tree for a few years at an old house, it would have been over 40 years old.
I mainly pruned out the dead wood and any crossing branches,

I had a bit of die back on some branches but there was so much fruit every year enough for me my family and friends and all the neighbours and millions for the birds to.
I never watered it or fertilised it ,it just survived on its own.The fruit flavour was fantastic too ,my dad grew a seedling and he looks after his and his fruit tastes watery and tasteless in comparison.

any how enough bragging.
How long has the pool been near it and how much chemical or salt splash does it get on its roots or where the roots destroyed when the pool went in?
Have you paved around it stopping water and heating up the roots?

Hi KE,

Pity you weren't listening to Jon Lamb yesterday on the ABC radio. They had Chris Perry talking about pruning fruit trees and problems you may have with them.

From your description it sounds like a borer attack, which is a symptom of a tree under stress. I'm guessing lack of water over the last few years.

I would actually take some photos and go talk to Chris. Most of us would just be guessing at what the problem and solution is based on our experiance, which is probably limited to when compared to Chris'.

Himzo