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Split trunks and broken branches may result when limbs bear excessive weight.  This can occur when insufficient thinning results in a heavy crop, from ice build-up on limbs, or large animals causing breakage. Trunk and branch splitting and breaking are often aggravated by heavy winds.

Split trunk due to a heavy fruit crop.

(Photo: John Strang, University of Kentucky)

Split trunk after repair using bolts and wound dressing.

(Photo: John Strang, University of Kentucky)

Management:

• Prune annually.
• Broken limbs should be removed using good pruning techniques.
• Thin fruit to avoid an excessively heavy crop.
• In some cases, the trunk or a split branch may be bolted back together soon after damage occurs and the split sealed with a tree wound dressing; prune heavily to reduce top weight and trunk stress.

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