question about trying to save a peach tree

[upjeeper]

we're looking at a house that has a peach tree that was blown over in a storm. the tree is about 10' tall but it's cracked about 3' up from the base and is essentially at a right angle. it doesn't appear to have died

how would one best go about straightening it? i don't have a gantry to lift the tree and i'm assuming it's heavy enough i can't pick it up just by hand
how would one go about keeping it straight? stakes at 3-4 places in the ground then rope to hold in place? boards along the tree to act as splints?
i assume it would need a wrap like saran wrap or something around the crack until it heals?

 

[ALinCarolina]

A photo would help to determine how heavy the top part is. How long standing is the break? I would guess guy ropes will be needed.
However, regardless of the damage, I wouldn't put a lot of effort in it. Where are you located? Peach trees are difficult to maintain and usually require a lot of spraying for diseases, etc. I generally don't recommend homeowners try to grow peaches, it's just too much work.

 

[ericm]

I'd plan on removing and replacing that tree. It's probably already too late to save the tree and the chances of getting it to grow back together would have been poor even if you picked it up and strapped it together the day after it split. Even if it does it will always be weak. You don't say how long its been since it split. You would have to wait to do anything until the sale closed. By then it will have adapted to it's new position if it's not entirely dead, and would resist being fixed.

It's only a 10' tree. A new tree will get that tall in just a few years.

The one peach tree we have needs to be treated for leaf curl (a disease) and we have to wrap each peach with chain mail to keep the critters from eating them before we do.

 

[PCustoms]

When did it break?

If it's old I don't think you have a chance...

 

[jar944]

Wait till apring, cut it just below the split and graft a new scion (or three).

It's how orchards change varieties w/o replanting.

 

[jar944]

A photo would help to determine how heavy the top part is. How long standing is the break? I would guess guy ropes will be needed.
However, regardless of the damage, I wouldn't put a lot of effort in it. Where are you located? Peach trees are difficult to maintain and usually require a lot of spraying for diseases, etc. I generally don't recommend homeowners try to grow peaches, it's just too much work.

I find them far less work than apples (at least in the south)

 

[ALinCarolina]

I find them far less work than apples (at least in the south)

I've had mixed but mostly opposite results. I have 5 apples trees, 3 are too young to fruit yet. I had 6 but fire blight got the Golden Delicious as I expected. But the Arkansas Black is very large and produces around 200 apples each year. The bad news is the damn squirrels get every one of them every year. The Fuji is big and healthy but not fruitful. Fire Blight killed the Moonglow pear. The Asian pears seem to be doing ok but are too young to produce. I have some Mayhaws (you are probably too far north for those) but cedar-apple rust gets the fruits most years. Sorry for the highjack.

 

[nadogail]

This is when you call an Arborist.

 

[upjeeper]

i think it broke earlier this spring. the leaves still (surprisingly) look like they are alive.

 

[Viper98912]

I don't know if trees can "heal" like humans can with broken bones or skin. The tree probably is still "connected" on a small part of the trunk (it's not sheared in half) and that's where it's still getting its nutrients from. But over time, the tree will most likely not make it.

 

[jar944]

Peach trees are relatively fast growing and short lived. 10-15 years and you replace them.

You could plant a new tree and have peaches in 2-3 years.

 

[shakenfake]

A photo would help to determine how heavy the top part is. How long standing is the break? I would guess guy ropes will be needed.
However, regardless of the damage, I wouldn't put a lot of effort in it. Where are you located? Peach trees are difficult to maintain and usually require a lot of spraying for diseases, etc. I generally don't recommend homeowners try to grow peaches, it's just too much work.

Mine have been pretty problem free. I have two, one produces fruit every other year and the other produces ~150 peaches a year. Literally do nothing to them lol

 

[jhelrey]

At least you didn't run it over with a mower...

 

[PWC Repair]

Cut it off smooth before and after the cracks. core out the center with a 1" paddle bit about 2" deep both sides. Make a dowel from the damaged wood you cut out. Pound the dowel into the bottom, set the top back on and twist to bottom it out. Sparay the joint with rubberized undercoating. Splint and rope it tight until next year.




Disclaimer, I know absolutely nothing about doing this type of thing but that seems like a solid way to repair wood!

 

[WisJim]

Need pictures and your location.