By Kerosko
Essex,
United Kingdom 
Hello, I watered my Crab Apple tree yesterday. I noticed the ground cracking and the tree almost toppling over. I would say it moved 30 degrees from the vertical. I grabbed an Oak plank and have shored it up to stop it falling (Picture 1). It has a very large crop this year. The soil is about 12 inches deep and then Clay. The tree is East facing. Any advice would be much appreciated. Regards John
2 Aug, 2011
Answers
If it were my tree I would pick the fruit to lighten the load or the strain on the tree will affect its growth!
Then maybe coax it back to a more upright position with a stake maybe.....although the ground may be too hard to get the stake in far enough.
You can always make crab apple jelly with some of the fruit!!:))) See my blog....
2 Aug, 2011
Thank you for your comments. Regards John.
3 Aug, 2011
It really does look seriously overloaded Kerosko. It should perk up and be less droopy if you leave the hose on slow trickle overnight to really wet deep down. Maybe relieve the poor tree of some of its burden of fruit too.
2 Aug, 2011