A wonky apple tree.

We have an apple tree in our garden which was planted when my wife was a teenager (she will be 70 this year). It produces a great crop of apples each year (three different varieties). The problem is my wife thinks because it has a slight tilt to it that it is getting worse and will fall down. I have only known the tree for about eighteen years and I see no increase in tilt. She has Googled and decided we need to attach a ratchet strap to it and gently try and bring it back to true. I reckon this will do more harm than good. What do the arborists here feel?

 

I think its growing away from the fencing, which is quite normal.
Unless it appears to be loose in the ground I wouldn't worry too much.

It looks to be in a position where a straining wire could easily be used to stop it leaning any further, I wouldn't try straightening it.

 

I wouldn't want to attach it to the fence as that belongs to the next-door neighbour and I don't want to hammer a support in, in case it damages the roots.

 

You have loads of space behind it to put in a short post by the looks of it, without damaging roots.
You dont want to do it, do ya?

 

It isn't leaning forward, just to the RH side. I don't want to do it, no, but I have agreed to attach a wire between the tree and the fence.

 

It's doing what trees do when hemmed into a corner like that - it's going for space and light! It'll right itself at the top when it finds itself out of the shade. Adding any cabling/bracing/propping may reduce the need for the tree to lay down its own woody tissue around the stem to support itself, possibly leading to problems in the future.

TL:DR - Leave it as it is. It's doing fine on its own given the position it's in.

 

Looks perfectly normal to me.