By Amsterdam
Shropshire,
United Kingdom 
Apple tree bark coming off in bits. Have very mature apple tree which is losing its bark in small pieces of about 1inch. Why? Not sure whether it's a disease or bird picking it off to find insects underneath. Unable at mo to download pictures. :(
29 Oct, 2014
Answers
Your apple tree could be going through a normal shedding process, or it could be a disease that is causing the problem.
If you see bark covering the wood after the old bark peels away, the tree is probably undergoing a normal shedding process.
29 Oct, 2014
Thanks. I hope it is a normal shedding process and will not loose the rather old but lovely apple tree. Will keep an eye on it.
1 Nov, 2014
We have an old apple tree in a similar state.....loved by the greater spotted woodpeckers, ours is only one branch and a friendly tree surgeon though just leave it until it looks dangerous, the rest of it produced lots of nice apples, I'll give it a balanced feed in the spring as usual
29 Oct, 2014