I think our crabapple tree is dead

redballoon_2

We moved into our house july last year
the garden was very overgrown!
we found a crabapple tree uderneath the wilderness and it had a few leaves and a few apples. we pruned it back and now nothing!
how do you tell if it is dead??
and if it is i wanna get rid of it and buy another tree for my birds to sit in.
any advice??

Katgoddess

Well the blossom has recently fallen off my crabapple tree and it looking a bit sorry for its self. There are lots of leaves still on it though. Can't be anymore help than that. I'm not a gardener.

Hope you sort it out.

margaretclare

Try pruning some of the twigs and branches - if they're green inside, still a bit bendy, then it's still living. Sometimes a branch can be dead but not the whole tree. Scrape about a bit in the bark lower down the trunk of the tree. It should look green and 'living' - there's a difference!

If you want to replace a dead tree have a look at this site. http://www.native-tree-shop.com/

The point about native trees is that they support far more of our native wildlife. If you want to encourage birds then trees which support insects on which they feed while they're raising their young, berries for later in the year, are much more useful than showy imported specimens.

If your tree is dead, don't forget that even dead wood supports insects. The trunk could be laid down as part of your wood-pile for creepy-crawlies.

Best wishes

Margaret Clare

RoCas

Poor tree :-(

You might find some helpful advice here:
http://www.treehelp.com/trees/crabapple/index.asp
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/tree/crbapple.htm

RoCas

margaretclare

Katgoddess wrote:

Well the blossom has recently fallen off my crabapple tree and it looking a bit sorry for its self. There are lots of leaves still on it though. Can't be anymore help than that. I'm not a gardener.

The blossom has finished now. Especially with the gales and heavy rain recently, any blossom left will have gone.

If you look closely you'll probably be able to see the tiny fruits forming where the blossom was.

Margaret Clare

redballoon_2

i have had no blossom! no leaves!!!! i will check the branches now...