19/06/2022
Withered branches on trees - unfortunately a more common sight this year.
We've had success in bringing the affected trees back to health, so I wanted to share our procedure:
1) Identify any branches on which there is a lack of leaves and/ or budding.
2) Use a sharp knife to scrape back a small strip of bark. If the material underneath is green, then the branch is still alive. However, if the wood underneath presents as bone white, then that section of the plant is suffering/ likely dead material.
3) Remove the worst affected (bone white) sections, particularly if it is apparent that there is infection resulting from/ associated with the dead wood. Ensure the cuts are made at a slight angle, to allow rain water to drain off them.
4) Support/ tie back as you feel is needed.
5) Apply an organic feed (comfrey/ fish, blood and bone) around the base of the tree.
6) Water around the base of the tree (at least 6 liters if it doesn't rain) once per week, for at least a month/ until you can see evidence of the tree recovering. If the tree is planted in a rain shadow, then consider making this a weekly routine for the remainder of the season.
An aid to preventing this (along with e.g. fungal issues) is to ensure a decent winter pruning of the tree, to allow light and air to permeate the canopy effectively (and manage the transpiration rate).
Finally, always check the leaf condition versus known diseases. A good resource for this is: https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease. Often, a plant disease results from poor growing conditions/ a weakened plant, so always try to 'boost' your plants as best as you can in the spring. Happy growing!
