Whether the old apple tree is producing little or no fruit for harvest, or is infested with powdery mildew or other diseases, there can be a variety of reasons for removing an apple tree.

Properly prepare for removing the apple tree

If you don't have any mechanical help to remove the apple tree, removing a larger specimen can be time-consuming and exhausting. The following tools should be available for manual removal:

  • tree saw
  • spade/shovel
  • strong helpers/neighbors

You should think in advance whether an apple tree or another tree should be planted at the same location. This means that you also have to remove the rootstock from the ground.

Remove an apple tree without a rootstock

If no foreseeable use other than a lawn is planned at the location of the apple tree, its roots can sometimes remain in the ground. In this case, the soil around the trunk should be generously dug about 20 centimeters deep. Then the trunk can be cut through with a chainsaw or handsaw. In the case of larger trees, however, the branches should first be cut off as far as possible in order to minimize safety risks when cutting over the trunk. Once the tree is removed, the stump can be covered with soil and will rot within about ten years.

Removing an apple tree by the root

Especially when planting a new seedling, all the old roots of the apple tree must be dug up so as not to disturb the growth of the new tree. This is associated with a greater amount of work, which can be reduced with a little trick. With this variant, cut the trunk of the apple tree at a height of at least one meter. This way you can use the rest of the log as a lever to pry the flat root disc out of the ground.

tips and tricks

Sometimes an apple tree should only be removed because it does not produce enough fruit. If this is not due to waterlogging around the tree trunk, the tree can perhaps achieve new vitality and yield strength by grafting a new apple variety.

Category:

Trees