I pruned Mrs. Crabapple this morning, something I’ve never done before.  The tree was covered in watersprouts, which are tiny little branches that just shoot out all over the place and make the tree look hairy.  They also suck out energy, water, etc. from the tree, which will harm fruit production. Maybe that’s why we didn’t have as many crabapples in 2010?  I dunno, but I gave it a shot this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, it helps that the sun came out, but it looks better, right?  Here are a couple of close-ups so you can get a feel for what watersprouts look like:

Now my tree is covered with these ugly battle scars.  Watersprouts aren’t necessarily a sign of a sick tree, but I’m not totally sure, in this case.  Gardeners, any thoughts?