I've got a 10-year-old apple tree that's flowering, but it's not showing any leaves yet. I live in the southeast, so I thought it should have leaves by now. The part of the stem below the graft is still alive and even has a new branch with a few leaves. Last year, the tree had some kind of illness that made it lose its leaves early, and it looked a lot like fire blight, but I didn't find any cankers on it. Is there any chance to save my tree?
2 Answers
Are you giving it enough water? Sometimes, under-watering can delay leaf growth. Once a week might not be enough, especially if it's flowering. Consider watering it a bit more often and see how that goes!
You might want to think about removing that branch under the graft. It's probably not going to give you good fruit and could be taking nutrients away from the top part of the tree that needs it. Just a thought!
I usually water my trees every few days during flowering. Just make sure the soil is moist but not soggy!