Strange growth on my apple tree

[Jkmills]

There are some leafy evergreen shoots that appeared last summer and have lasted through the winter on my apple tree.
The tree has not been well looked after and was in a pot for a long time before finally being planted in the ground.
Does anyone know what they are, are they harmful?
See the attached pics for examples.

 

[Chuck]

There are some leafy evergreen shoots that appeared last summer and have lasted through the winter on my apple tree.
The tree has not been well looked after and was in a pot for a long time before finally being planted in the ground.
Does anyone know what they are, are they harmful?
See the attached pics for examples.
View attachment 62426View attachment 62427

Looks like mistletoe. It is a little harmful to a distressed tree such as your apple. The way I have always treated mistletoe is to cut it off at slightly below the bark and wrap the limb where the wound is with black plastic and leave it on until the plastic rots and falls off. If you don't stop the sunlight it will come right back. There are chemical compounds for mistletoe but I don't know what they are.

 

[Jkmills]

Looks like mistletoe. It is a little harmful to a distressed tree such as your apple. The way I have always treated mistletoe is to cut it off at slightly below the bark and wrap the limb where the wound is with black plastic and leave it on until the plastic rots and falls off. If you don't stop the sunlight it will come right back. There are chemical compounds for mistletoe but I don't know what they are.

Ok, thanks Chuck, I'll give it a go.

 

[oneeye]

I noticed you have a lot of (tree injuries) in the top photo. That's is causing the tree to be in a weakened state. A tree in a weakened state will have many invaders from the environment. What you are seeing on your tree, is the beginning of the end.

 

[cpp gardener]

It would be better to cut the trunk below the mistletoe and start over. Most Rosaceous fruit trees are very tolerant of extreme pruning and will rebound strongly after being topped. Just cut and give it a good feeding and you’ll be surprised at how fast it grows back.