apple trees -Winter kill??

[bornagain62511]

Hi, I haven't looked around the threads here much so I'm sorry if this has been addressed already. We had actual temps as low as -40F not including wind chill this winter, and a day or two later, 45F above zero! Looks like a lot of my apple trees have some winter kill with lots of buds not leafing out. Some trees appear to have died off altogether with no leaves popping from the buds yet. These are grafted on B118 and the B118 all appear to be healthy. Galarina seem to be hard hit with lots of buds not leafing out, and little to not blossoms, looks like most/all of the fruit buds were killed off.

Question, will this permanently stunt the trees or make the vulnerable to a complete die off in the next year or two with those trees that appear to be really hit hard? Or will they bounce back with little to no long term effect?

thanks

 

[chummer]

A subject I know all to well. I have Enterprise and Liberty among others that die back every winter. I finally grafted something different on them this year at the rootstock. I have had some die off completely, gold rush comes to mind. NY BONKERS is the only one I have that had severe die off their first winter and six years later it has not happened again. I would leave them for now because it is to late to replace them this year. If they don’t recover this summer replace them next year. Short answer yes they will be stunted this year, may or may not effect them going forward.

 

[H20fwler]

This was the worst year I've had for winter fruit tree trouble too. Lost two Galarina to winter kill and three NWC to mice/voles climbing a couple feet of screen to girdle trees. Also lost a few second year Stark pears that fire blighted almost immediately this cold wet spring...my fault for trying them out with their weak DR I should have stuck to known growers.

 

[sandbur]

I may have lost one tree, but am keeping an eye on it. Better than I thought as an old thermometer said -41.


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[4wanderingeyes]

I peaked at my apple trees, and all were green tip to starting to leaf out last weekend, except one, that had swollen silver tips, so I think all of mine will survive this year.

 

[Peeps]

I was a little worried but all of mine made thru the deep freeze.

 

[NE PA QDM]

I lost one and a half this winter, my first winter losses in the last 6 years. One looks like it was from sunscald 5’ up the tree just above the tree tube. The other I’m not sure, it was a dolgo. Damage was well above the graft union so at least it’s not a total loss, just a 1-2 year set back.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

This was the worst year I've had for winter fruit tree trouble too. Lost two Galarina to winter kill and three NWC to mice/voles climbing a couple feet of screen to girdle trees. Also lost a few second year Stark pears that fire blighted almost immediately this cold wet spring...my fault for trying them out with their weak DR I should have stuck to known growers.

If it’s high enough on the tree cut it off above girdle and it should sprout some new growth I should have said below girdle duhhhh

 

[bwoods11]

I may have lost one tree, but am keeping an eye on it. Better than I thought as an old thermometer said -41.


Sandbur—one tree? I’m guessing you’ll still be ok!

 

[chummer]

I may have to add to the casualties. Looks like my last liberty which is 6 years old is not wakening up. An orange Cox pippin and a sweet sixteen also look like they are struggling.

 

[sandbur]

I may have lost one tree, but am keeping an eye on it. Better than I thought as an old thermometer said -41.


Sandbur—one tree? I’m guessing you’ll still be ok!

I planted 24 or 25 more. Plus topworked some rootstock.


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[H20fwler]

If it’s high enough on the tree cut it off above girdle and it should sprout some new growth I should have said below girdle duhhhh

I looked at them Saturday and they are trying to push some new growth lower so I will be cutting them off soon and doing the restart with them. Sucks loosing the good top growth on them but that's how it goes sometimes. I had really good luck doing that with a Fuji a couple years ago.
Definitely going to be doing some type of vole/mice control next fall winter.