Apple – Repairing Broken Limbs

Q: My 80 lb. dog broke some lower limbs trying to get to an opossum in my apple tree. The leaves are still green so I assume they are still getting enough nutrients. Are these limbs repairable? Can I prop them up to their original position and wrap with string, tape, fiberglass, etc. until it heals itself?

A: They aren’t repairable. Cut off the broken limbs with a sharp saw. Make the cuts slightly beyond the branch collar where the limb emerges from a ridge on the trunk.

I see previous cuts you made that left a stub sticking out from the trunk. Remove the stubs back to the branch collar or you’ll invite rot.

In coming years you’d have to remove these limbs anyway so maybe the dog did you a favor!