Last year one of my clients old Apple tree started to show signs of Sappy Bark - Trametes Versicolor. It rapidly got worse and I had to cut the tree down. I decided to leave the trunk and experiment what I have seen some orchards in the UK. They cut a tree to chest height to rejuvenate a old tree or diseased tree. As you can see less then half the trunk is dead. Only one side is putting out new branches and suckers are coming from the ground. The client is willing to do experiments. I have a few questions. First, if I decided to keep the trunk should I peel away the bark from the dead area of the trunk. Two, would I be able to grow a new tree if I allow one of the suckers to stay?