Bark falling of maple tree.

EV88

I have 3 maple trees in my backyard, one of which has bark coming off on one side. It's rather deep so it has me a bit worried. I just noticed it a week or so ago and I'm not sure if I should apply anything or just let it do its thing.

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Bob Tooley

It could have been 'sun scald' when they were planted...or some old injury under the bark which the larger callus (heal) growth is now pushing off... In tree health diagnostics, the condition of the tree above the wound often determines the degree of the wound's impact on the total tree. You have good growth and leaf count to the very top and to the outer-most ends of the branches, so you have a wide open circulation supply to the rest of the tree above the injury site. I'd say this was more of a 'visual human impact' issue then one of tree health. Keep in mind that the deadwood area being covered over by the new callus growth will always be there, and there is a potential for breaking over in high winds until the tree develops sufficiently strong growth wood to compensate for the weakness.
Sun scald often occurs when a newly planted tree is set out of alignment with it's original growing relationship with the sun's orientation. South facing bark is thicker then the north side so the cambium layer is insulated from solar heat..when the new planting faces the thin north side bark to the sun...the cambium get's burned and dies off...and a 'healing' growth forms.
I'd just let it "do it's thing"...it's doing just fine following that principle on it's own...

EV88

Thanks for the reply. You said it might break over in high winds. Would putting some stakes around it and tying it in place for a while help, or isn't that really necessary?

Bob Tooley

I'd have the stakes in the ground already in place, (and so you could mow over them without hitting them) but 'only' tie the tree off if you hear of an impending high wind, and remove the restraints right after the hazardous period is over. It's strictly a precaution which you may never need, but I'd feel bad if I saw the 'potential' and didn't make you at least aware of it.

EV88

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the help!

tamisb

I have 2 maples about 15 years old!
about 3 feet around and the split is about a foot wide and 3 feet high... what should I do?

Bob Tooley

Can you get any pictures of the whole tree from a distance, one closer and the other(s) of the injured area itself ? Basically, if your tree has good heal-growth starting to cover the wound, just let it correct itself. Sometimes a person can 'try to help' a tree and it doesn't get interpreted by the tree as helpful at all, so if the tree is doing things on it's own...let it continue...., but pictures would be helpful in case there are other secondary complications evident...

TreeSpecialist

Trees appear to be planted too deep.

Additional ideas .... 1) could be an old frost injury 2) do you have deer in the area? Small trees are frequently attacked during the rut..

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