I wonder if anyone can help me with this? I had to transplant a cox's apple tree in a hurry for reasons I won't go into in the interest of brevity. Unfortunately due to the limited time factor I had to cut most of the main (taproots?) quite short. I"ve already replanted it with some care but I'm wondering what are the odds on it surviving? I should add that there were quite afew smaller lateral roots which I removed mostly intact.
Chances of 5 year old apple tree surviving after being transplanted
- Thread starter shearwater
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I can only suggest you educate yourself on the relationship of the size of the root relativeto size of the plant. The primary care must be given to the root obviously, but as the farmer you need to recognize you cut the breathing tubes for a big plant and unless you clip down that above ground surface area you are gonna suffocate most of it. Its not that it wont survive, it may. Its that in order to survive it will begin cutting off its own limbs due to lack of oxygen like a climber stuck in a crevasse trying to live. (did you see that movie?) Anyway what it will give you is a grotesque shape and other self destroyed aesthetic issues that may never fix themselves. @Tetters can speak at length on what is called hard pruning. She has that shrubby movement experience.
thank you for that, it makes perfect sense. I never saw the film but read the book (someone called Ralston if my memory serves me ) Anyway, it's a good analogy so I'll take your advice and prune it right back tomorrow morning
I think firstly that if you have destroyed more than a quarter of the tree's main ''anchoring '' roots or taproots, there is a strong possibility that you have probably killed it. The best time to prune or move an apple tree in my estimation is definitely when the tree is fully dormant, and later in the winter just before springtime. It might be a good idea to double check exactly which branches to reduce anyway for the tree to have a chance of bearing fruit. It might be preferable to invest in another tree and start this from scratch.
In any event, a bit welcome to the forums, and I sincerely wish you lots of luck with the tree
In any event, a bit welcome to the forums, and I sincerely wish you lots of luck with the tree
Thankyou for your reply, it wasn't either an ideal time of year or situation (I offered to save it from a neighbour who had a building project on the go and needed a bit of land cleared)-the rush was mainly down to me as I had something pressing to be getting on with. This is actually in Bulgaria and I'm leaving to go back to the UK in a couple of days so I won't find out how the tree has fared until I retun in spring. I will probably bring a replacement with me in the eventuality that it dies. I've heavily pruned it and will keep fingers crossed but your thoughts that it's survival are not that great sort of confirm my own. Thanks again