[Frog]

Just wondered if anyone had any advice re what we can do with our apple tree. We planted it in our back garden shortly after we moved here nearly 7 years ago.  When it was planted it was nice and straight. After last years bumper crop, it is now leaning at a 35 - 45 degree angle. The weight of the apples almost had the tree over completely, so we ended up picking lots off a few weeks early. The original stake had rotted, so we have replaced it, but the tree is still leaning. Is there anything we should be doing to get it upright again? Just abit worried it may completely topple over if we have a similar crop to last year.

[Yorkie]

My hunch, and I hope I'm not right, is that you'll find it difficult to straighten it up now - it's not that young any more so can't be dug up, and the trunk is likely to be too thick to bend.  I'd make sure it's braced properly with the new stake, ensuring that it can't rub against the trunk.

Hopefully someone will be along to disagree 

[Frog]

Thanks Yorkie. That's our hunch too. Just thought we'd ask............

[muckshifter]

Had similar happen with a plum tree, I wrapped the trunk in lots of sponge to protect the bark from the rope,drove a length of scaffold tube 3 feet into the ground and put a loop of very strong rope between the two then put a metal bar between the the rope loop and a stake in the ground to tie the bar to.
By winding the metal bar the rope tightens and as our tree had been shifted by the wind it slowly came back upright then tied the metal bar to the stake to keep every thing in place. I think they call it a windlass

[gillie]

I suggest you cut one or two hefty branches off the downward side to relieve some of the weight and then do as muckshifter advises. But do it NOW before the tree comes into leaf.

We had a pear tree keel over and actually come out of the ground.  We managed to get it back up straight and it is now fine.

[Frog]

Thank you both muckshifter and gillie - will certainly give it a try