By Benthamb
United States 
I have a small area in my garden which has an old stone wall to the east. It has cordon fruit trees in for a few years. Recently they have started to die. I have not added anything to the soil except there is horseradish growing around them.
One tree, a gage, apparently died, it had fruited the previous year. I then noticed new shoot coming from the base, below the graft I think.
Can you suggest what the problem might be and/or a solution.
Many thanks
7 Apr, 2017
Answers
As Bathgate says, the horseradish is as stressful as any other weed, and the wall is another source of stress. The timing of the problems is suspicious, too. If the trees were planted too deep, now would be just about the time that they would start to decline. I would gently dig down around the trunks, and see if the root flair has been covered more than a half inch deep. The root flair is where the trunk expands, right where the topmost roots branch off.
8 Apr, 2017
Previous question
The horseradish and garden wall are both contributing factors to the decline of your fruit trees. I need to see what's going on so a picture or two would be helpful.
7 Apr, 2017