A property that i got permission to hunt a few years ago has some old apple trees that were not bearing but alive i started fertilizing them 2 years ago and this year one of them is loaded
it was rotten on the bottom and i scraped all the rotten wood out is there anything else i can do to it to help keep it going.

Thanks Martin

Apple trees get a fungus called apple scab and other fungus' that can make the leaves turn black. A simple backpack sprayer with a mixture of copper ( can purchase at lowes) will help with this fungus and all other fungus'. I spray my trees twice a year with a broad insecticide and copper together....hope this helps

One thing that would help for starters is to prune and remove the dead and decayed limbs. You should research how to prune old apple trees first, its got to be done right or they might not produce for a year or two. Pruning should be done late winter/early spring. Removing competing brush and trees would also be a big help.

I've always used Bonide Fruit Tree spray starting right before the tree is coming out of dormancy. The first early spraying is the most important, but frequent applications through out spring and summer is required for best results.