Tree Tubes and Southern Crabapples

[Jarred525]

How tall of a tree tube would you recommend for Southern Crabapples? Some of the crabapples are a foot tall up to a few being 4 foot tall. These are trees that I planted last year with cages around them but I want to add the tubes. Thanks.

 

[richmanbarbeque]

Why do you want to add tubes? If you have cages around them I would leave them.

 

[TS_13]

I agree with richman. BTW how are they growing? Any problems with CAR?

 

[HMHunters75]

I have not been able to keep southern crabapple alive in Giles county. Longest i've had one last is about 30 mos. CAR destroys them. I do not like tree tubes for apples and crabapples- I see no reason to promote unusually rapid growth that will be more susceptible to diseases than growth that progressed at a normal rate. I have also had bucks destroy tree shelters-but not my wire cages attached to T-posts.

 

[treefarmer]

I have used tree tubes with success but the tubes are expensive and the trees grow tall but seem spindly so if you have cages around them I wouldn't bother with tubes at this point. As an experiment put a tube around one and see what happens. As others mentioned Cedar Apple Rust (CAR) can be a problem. I went around my apple tree plots with a chain saw and cut down all the cedars within 50 yards as a precaution. I did have one big cage a buck got caught in his antlers and I found it mangled 30 yards away - I wish I had a video of that.

 

[Jarred525]

I was looking to promote growth with the tube, but given your feedback I think I won't. CAR has been an issue with some of the trees, enough that I made the decision I won't be getting anymore. I am hoping maybe I can have success with the ones I have already planted. Low expectations given the amount of cedar we have. Treefarmer, have you seen lower cases of CAR once you cut the cedars within a 50 yard radius?

 

[PickettSFHunter]

The spores of CAR are carried by wind mainly and are so small and light you would literally have to cut every cedar within miles.

 

[Jarred525]

The spores of CAR are carried by wind mainly and are so small and light you would literally have to cut every cedar within miles.

I was afraid that was the answer.

 

[Jarred525]

What apple varities are resistant to CAR?

 

[HMHunters75]

Arkansas Black, Liberty, Enterprise to name a few. NONE has proven to be totally CAR free for me. I have also had trouble with apple scab. I don't want to spray, so I have shifted my fruit tree focus to pears.

 

[Football Hunter]

What do tubes have to do with spreading CAR?

 

[treefarmer]

I have not seen any evidence of CAR in my 15 year old crabapple trees but I may just be lucky. Before I cut down the cedars I read about the distance the apple trees needed to be from a cedar and found various distances. If they are wind carried spores I'm probably in trouble and don't know it. Tree tubes do not affect CAR as far as I know, they just get trees up to 4' tall very fast, which helps if there is competing brush, and it protects them from wildlife eating or rubbing them.