Need help with new dorsett apple tree

I just received this dorsett apple and even though this is September it arrived sans leaves. Any advice on what to do with this before transplanting to the yard? It will be close to another dorsett that is thriving. My normal procedure in planting is to dig a hole slightly deeper than necessary and throw in a handful of 10-10-10 and a heaping tablespoon full of 20-20-20 water soluble and fill the hole with water. After the water has percolated a small amount of soil is added to cover the 10-10-10 and the trees is then planted and then copiously watered for the first week and then every other day for the second week. I have never received a new tree in as poor a condition as this one and am uncertain on how to save it. I am in zone 9a.. I guess leaves and branches were extra..........

thanks

Mike

No branches would not be surprising (a whip, in other words) but no leaves? Wow, I'd expect all one could do is plant it and see if it survives.

Are you sure its alive? Scratch the bark with your fingernail near the top of the tree. If its green underneath, its alive. If brown, dying and if it doesn't scratch at all, DOA.

What you didn't mention is if you cut the top 1/3 to half of the tree off to insure branching at a reasonable point. Apple trees require copious amounts of pruning to keep them producing. Commercial orchards force their trees to branch just a couple feet off the ground. Pick a spot where there are evenly spaced buds all the way around and cut just above that spot.

Daisy

It's alive as I found a green spot where the support had rubbed through the bark during shipping. The vendor informed me appletrees lose their leaves in the winter and go dormant. Well maybe in the north but this is central Florida. As to pruning I know historically trees were cut to one or two leaders for bearing but I've had luck in just letting the tree make the decisions.Tried to get a couple of pics of my other Dorset but lens is fogged somewhat.

I learned all my apple know-how from two friends who own apples farms in CA. They spray 7 times a year and prune drastically. I never sprayed my apple trees (and suffered the consequences) but I did prune to their specifications.

Every branch gets cut back to 3 - 5 buds, take out the cross branches and the dead branches. Remove all the apples that didn't fall by themselves. Rake and destroy all the fruit and leaves lying on the ground. Those little apple spurs live to be about 15 years old - producing every year - don't cut them off. Every other year is a good year, in between years are the off years.

Daisy

Thanks Daisy. I planted the "stick" just a few minutes ago. Using as much of the dirt it was shipped in as possible, paying attention to planting depth, and adding some additional triple 20 before watering it in. I will look up spraying schedules for apples but since we are pretty much limited to selection here the schedule may only apply to some types in certain areas of the country having different pests.

I think California's biggest apple pest is the Gypsy Moth. They lay their eggs in the flowers and the apple forms around the eggs, when the caterpillars are big enough, they eat their way out. We never bite to the core when eating home grown apples. 8')

If it's green under the bark, it is likely in a dormant state, and will leaf out later. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the graft. You don't want to plant it below the graft union!

The tree was planted above the graft as is the case with all of my others. Since my last post
the offending excuse for a tree was removed and disposed of.

Why did you get rid of the tree? Did it die?