An apple tree seedling broke: what to do and how to save a tree with photos and videos

If something goes wrong and an apple seedling breaks, gardeners say it's a sure sign of poor care. But there is no time to blame yourself when this happened, and you should not put an end to a damaged plant. It is better to try to help the little tree and save it from possible death.

An apple tree seedling broke - what to do?

First of all, you should start with an assessment of the damage, and see what part of the tree was damaged - branches broke off, the trunk cracked, only the bark was damaged or it completely broke.

Injury to a seedling can occur for various reasons: due to bad weather, improperly installed props, improper crown formation or temperature changes.

It is important to find out what caused the damage to the plant.

Top deck damage

If a seedling has broken off half or more of one or a couple of the main branches of the crown, then after planting it in the ground, you need to prune it. During the process, damaged twigs are removed below the break point by one he althy bud.

When the branches are broken at the base, where they depart from the trunk, it is recommended that they be carefully cut off at the broken site. Then the damaged area should be cleaned with a sharp knife and the wounds that appeared on the trunk should be smeared with a layer of garden pitch - bought in a store or prepared by one's own hands.

After the event, the tree can be planted in a permanent area.

Fault in the lower tier

If a seedling has a damaged trunk in the trunk area - from the neck of the rhizome to the first skeletal branches of the crown, you need to act a little differently:

• If the bark is peeled off and the wood is visible, then the damage is also recommended to be carefully cleaned and covered with a layer of garden resin.
• If the seedling is broken in the trunk area above the grafting site, then it is advisable to plant it in a temporary place until it is fully restored. Before planting, it should be cut below the fracture, but before grafting. Subsequently, young shoots will appear on the stump, from which you can choose the strongest and get planting material from it.
• If the stem of the seedling broke below the grafting site, then knowledge of the technique of grafting this fruit crop will be required. After cutting the apple tree below the graft, it should be planted until it is restored.The strongest shoot is selected from the grown shoots, and the culture of the desired variety is grafted on it.

Can a seedling be restored?

When a seedling was completely broken, there are few chances for recovery, but they are. First of all, you should try to fasten the barrel with a bandage, for this you need the following:

• attach a rubber gasket to the barrel;
• wrap it around with wire up to 5 mm thick or rope;
• it is desirable to pull the mount so that it holds the barrel and prevents it from cracking;
• then the whole trunk should be covered with a mixture of ash, clay, mullein and vitriol, and wrapped with a clean medical bandage;
• the surface of the bandage also needs to be generously lubricated with a “healing” mixture, which has a fungicidal, stimulating and regenerating effect.

Before winter, the composition should be washed off, the dressing should be removed. The wire still remains, and it is recommended to grease the cracks with melted garden pitch. In the spring, the procedure is repeated.

Helpful tips from gardeners

It is not easy to treat a young tree, it will require some effort and skills, so it is advisable to prevent possible damage:

1. To stimulate the growth of lateral shoots and further eliminate the possibility of breaking the fragile trunk from the winds, it is recommended to shorten the trunk by 2-3 buds after planting the seedling in the ground.
2. Young apple trees are the object of desire of gluttonous rodents, and in order to protect the plant from them, you can tie it up using spruce branches or reeds - this is done until the trunk is covered with strong bark, which is "too tough" for small beast.

Following useful recommendations, you can reanimate a damaged seedling, which will subsequently delight the gardener with a rich harvest.

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