Apple tree uprooted

Just had one of my apple trees uprooted - as at least half of the roots are still in the ground is it salvageable? It has, I think, three grafted on branches so it gives three different varieties of apples.

I guess it's about 15 feet in height, the main trunk is about 8 or 9 inches in diameter.

I'm thinking of cutting back the branches, not sure how much though - perhaps to about 5 to 10 feet?

I'll also cut off the roots that are waving in the air and fill in the hole.

Does that sound like the best approach? Hopefully it will continue to give some apples - at least it won't blow over again! :-)

 

Thanks for the advice and the link. Afraid there's no chance of getting it back upright, not without some heavy lifting machinery and some very large stakes, and even then it wouldn't surprise me if it blew down again.

 

Have seen old orchards with trees that have toppled over still growing away happily. As long as somevroots are still intact it will be ok. Just needs a pruning to manage its new situation.

 

Thank you again, I wish it could be put back upright (even partially) but I'm hopeful that it will do okay with a winter prune, especially now that I've filled in the hole. I've cut off the exposed roots but without creating a huge mound of earth I can't easily cover where those roots were. I guess it will sort itself out.

 

Thanks, that sound promising. There's still about half to two thirds of the roots underground - no doubt a few are bent or snapped but going by those that were exposed they seem very flexible so I have high hopes for more apples next year.

 

Surely it could be winched back up and then supported in position