Can I straighten up an old apple tree?

Question

I bought an old farm with several apple trees. One is leaning over at about a 50 degree angle, and all of the branches are to one side of the trunk. Is there any way to retrain the tree to grown straight up, or is it a lost cause? The trunk is about 6 inches in diameter, and appears to be the older of the bunch. It still produces nice apples!

Answer 1

You can do some adjustment with pruning, but if the trunk is leaning that's the way it will stay.  If you are just concerned with it falling over, you can brace the tree with stout boards.  Be sure to use rubber or something soft where the boards touch the tree.  You could also anchor the other side with a metal stake and cable (again be sure to protect the tree) if that side is easier to work from.  Consult a pruning guide to see how to encourage more growth away from the low side.

Answer 2

Both Paul and Fluff's answers are good.  Heed them!

Prune, stake and stabilize is all you can do now if you don't mind the angle of bend.  Just make sure as the tree grows that it does not create a danger for people or other trees.  As long as it's producing fruit and you don't mind the angle, let it be.  Just prune and stake is all you can do with a trunk that thick.

Answer 3

chop it in half and squish it flat,lol,jk, i have no idea i just felf like saying that.

Answer 4

This old guy has a permanent bend.  Either live with it or replace it.  As for the branching on one side.....is it from older branches dieing out and being remove?  Are their no branches at all?  Then replace the tree or enjoy it's oddity...of course as it grows it becomes more likely to crack........

If there are branches you can learn how to graft and graft on small stems to the branches in hopes of making something out of this oddity.  Of course grafting is the last resort and even I won't bother......and I had a 60 tree orchard.

Answer 5

.. said Paul!