How To Repair A Tree's Scraped Bark

Sometimes Copse Get Damaged

Repairing dmaged tree bark

This Oak tree was struck by a slice of equipment. The tree is relatively young so, even though the damaged surface area is a bit big, it should recover quite well.

Maybe it's a careless maneuver with the new backyard mower, or maybe it's your neighbour who was busy making a phone telephone call while backing out of his driveway. Whatever the cause might be, sometimes our trees tin incur trunk damage. Damaged tree bark is not just an aesthetic problem but it can exist a pretty serious health event for your tree.

The Function of Tree Bark

Bark is essentially the skin of the tree. The corky outer layer of a trees bawl protect the tree from insects and diseases. When this layer gets knocked off it opens the tree to possible infection and disuse that will weaken the primary stem and cause significant decline in the trees overall health. Likewise a very of import layer of tissue called Phloem is protected by the tree's bark. Phloem is part of the tree'south circulatory organisation and is essential for the copse survival. The Phloem carries the energy rich sugars, produced during photosynthesis, throughout the whole tree. Obviously, when the bawl is removed this flow of food is stopped and the damaged role of the tree begins to dry out out and decay will shortly set in .So…what tin you do?

First, Determine the Extent of the Harm

If the damaged bark is less than 25% of the trees total diameter (as with the above photo) then the tree should recover from the harm merely fine as long equally the tree is properly cared for and remains ,otherwise, good for you. With 25% – l% of the copse diameter damaged, the tree should nonetheless survive simply with some serious detriments to the trees health. Even with prompt care you lot should await to see some die back in the tree's canopy. If the impairment encompasses more 50% of the tree'southward diameter, there is withal a slight take chances that the tree could survive but this will require a process called span grafting. Grafting is not rocket science but does crave some skill and knowledge. In this case y'all should call a tree care processional to help yous assess the trees condition and determine if the tree is savable.

Reattaching Fallen Bark

If the piece of bark that has been knocked off of the stem is notwithstanding relatively intact, and then yous may be able to reattach information technology. Identify the damaged bark, or bark pieces, back in the same direction and in the same location they were in before they brutal off. Y'all will have to fasten these pieces in identify using a strap or another material wrapped around the trunk. Burlap or even Duct tape will work just fine. This wrap will have to stay in place for at least 3 months so make sure you necktie information technology on securely. This approach will just piece of work if you yet accept the pieces of bark mostly intact and if you do this very soon after the damage was inflicted. The cambium layer below the bark should go on to abound and fuse the damaged Phloem back together within a few months.

Bark Tracing – or Cutting Away Damaged Tree Bark

Cutting away lose and torn bark.

Using a clean, sharp chisel, cut away any jagged and lose edges from the wound.

If the bark is crushed or broken into pieces that are smaller than can be reattached and so you will have to help the wound to heal equally cleanly equally possible. Jagged edges effectually the wound will hinder the tree'due south power to abound the callus wood needed to cover over the exposed wood. Also jagged and torn edges can potentially continue to rip, causing more than damage to the tree's trunk.

You will need a clean, precipitous chisel and a hammer for this job. Brainstorm cutting a clean, directly edge aground the wound. Practise not leave whatsoever sharp angled corners but rather trace out a rounded and fifty-fifty shaped border around the wound. Make sure your lines are straight. Of coarse, yous should be careful to not cut whatever deeper than the bawl. Y'all should not drive your chisel into the wood of the tree and and so this will take an easy touch with the hammer.

Bark tracing like this gives the tree a much needed advantage. New callus forest tends to abound much easier and more evenly from a clean cut wound than from a jagged wound. In this fashion, trees are like to u.s..

Over again, brand certain your corners are clean and rounded, not leaving any lose and torn bark behind.

Clean cut on tree trunk

Keep your lines straight and go along cutting all the way around the wounded section of trunk.

Bark tracing

Notice the make clean rounded edges of the wound. This will help the new callus woods to grow more efficiently.

Repaired tree

Practise Not Use Tree Pigment

For years, arborists had a practice of painting a tar based paint on tree wounds. This was thought to continue insects and diseases out and moister in. Many studies over the past years accept shown these products to non be useful. Tree paint does not, in fact, keep insects or other pathogens out of the tree. Tree pigment does not help the callus wood to grow. Ironically, it has actually been proven that many of the tree paint and tar products on the market really detract from tree health by introducing harmful chemicals into the tree's biology. Information technology is best to let the tree's natural defense mechanisms wall off whatever decay that might effort to fix into the wound. Arborists have discontinued the exercise of using tree paint, only oddly enough it is yet sold in many garden centers and hardware stores. Then, again; Practice Not USE TREE Pigment!