[Kirpi]

I plan to get photos for this post, but just to say I bought a 4-variety family apple tree four years ago. I thought one of the grafts looked dodgey when it first arrived, but lack of experience meanty I didn't do anything about it. I now know I should have taken a photograph and contacted the supplier. I suppose I don't have a leg to stand on.

Now, four years later and the canker has opened a large hole to the heartwood about two thirds of the way round the main trunk and the leaves on at least one grafted branch have all died and the fruit is shrivelled.

I guess there is nothing to do but pull it out and start again.

Very sad - I hate to lose trees.

[BobE]

Without seeing it.... Could you prune out the bad graft and keep the others.
Bandage the split. Tightly and it might heal. 

[Kirpi]

I don't think I could prune out this graft without virtually ring-barking the trunk.

I have added photos for reference and am using these to support my case against the supplier for a refund.

I think one of the pics shows that the canker - if that is what it is - started at the grafts.

[grinling]

As it is on the root stock there is not much you can do apart from burning the trees to prevent spread.
What is the soil like as badly drained soil helps canker.
do you have other fruit trees and are they showing any brown spots on the leaves?

[Kirpi]

The above photos are of one tree; both sides. I spent the extra money for a single tree with four apple types spliced in to make the most of limited space.

The ground is free draining loam.

No other trees around so no brown spots on leaves elsewhere.

I suppose the only thing to do will - as you suggest - be to pull out, burn and replace.

[BobE]

You could take it to the dump if burning is difficult.  Now the bad news.
You can't plant an apple in that position again.  Also you will need to dig over that area very well.  I would let it and the 2 square meters around it lie fallow for the next season.  But even then not an apple or of the same family.  Sorry.

[Kirpi]

Thanks for replies. The Royal Horticultural Society suggests successful replanting with a replacement apple tree if the original soil is removed to a few centimetres around the replacement root spread, so I will try this first as the cankered tree has only been in the ground for four seasons, so will be fairly easy to remove, and the amount of soil to exchange will be easy to find on the plot.

some helpful tips here from the RHS:
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=572

[Kirpi]

Follow up on how this has gone:

Following three well spaced emails to the supplier of the tree, I have received no reply at all - not even to advise whether the tree is worth saving or not. Nothing.

I did email them finally to let them know I couldn't possibly buy any more stock from a company that doesn't bother to offer any level of after sales care and would not be recommending them to fellow gardeners.

It's a shame - I did think that a tree ordered from the Isle of Wight would be far enough south to be compatible for growing in Cornwall, but a friend down here did suggest that the weather was possibly a lot more moist down here than on the IOW; though it is obvious the canker started from one of the family tree splices.

It seems that if you are going for an apple tree, it is best to go for one that has only one graft to the rootstock. Family trees sound like a good idea but are notorious for failing. That's coming from a friend of mine with a Hort. degree.

[grinling]

It is amazing how many companies don't answer.
Have a good look around the garden centres.. I got a cherry an apple tree from Morrisons in the sale.