Repairing Bark Damage To Tree Info

What Do I Wrap a Tree with When the Bark Has Been Scraped?

Simon McGill/Moment/GettyImages
Written by Molly Allman; Updated December 14, 2018
What Do I Wrap a Tree with When the Bark Has Been Scraped?

Trees provide shade and beauty, and they provide food and shelter for wildlife. So it is important to take proper care of trees and avoid injuring them. When a tree's bark has been scraped, the tree responds to the damage by compartmentalizing it, creating barrier zones to help heal and protect the damaged area. If a tree has an injury more severe than a scrape, then you probably can save it by repairing the damage, but wrapping scraped bark can do more harm than good.

Declining from Injury

When a tree is injured, the injury generally breaks the bark, reducing the tree's ability to absorb water and nutrients. The wound exposes the inside of the tree to pests and diseases, which include bacteria and fungi that can cause discoloration and decay of wood. Once decay enters a tree wound, the tree cannot be cured; decay weakens stems and shortens the tree's life. Proper care of a tree wound is necessary to limit the progression of decay.

Trying to Save Themselves

A tree responds to a wound but cannot heal it. If its bark is damaged, the tree responds by developing callused edges around the wound. That new growth around the wound acts as a protective barrier to keep decay and infection from spreading into new tissue. The tree also creates a physical and chemical barrier around infected cells to help confine damage. If the tree's response measures are successful, then any infection remains localized and cannot spread.
Repairing Damage
You can help repair a tree's scraped bark or other bark damage by using a sharp knife to clean the edge of the wound, leaving the bark smooth and tight against the wood. Take care when cutting to avoid exposing more live tissue by removing too much healthy bark. Wound dressings are not necessary and even can be detrimental to the tree. Paint or tar used as wound dressings can prohibit the tree's natural compartmentalization and prevent drying. Such wound dressings also can encourage fungal growth and act as food sources for pathogens.

Providing Protection

Taking certain measures can protect a tree from damage, including scraped bark. The tree's roots, branches, trunk and foliage all require protection from anything that can inhibit their water- and nutrient-absorbing abilities. Even a scrape on a stem or trunk leaves the tree vulnerable to pests and infection. Protect a tree from lawn equipment by planting non-grass ground-cover plants or by spreading mulch around the tree instead of growing grass there. That protection method keeps a lawnmower and trimmer farther from the tree's trunk than they would be when used for mowing and trimming grass growing next to the trunk.

Trees that will Attract Winter Wildlife - Great Information

9 Trees that will Attract Winter Wildlife

By James R. Fazio | January 15, 2019

A common thread that runs through the fabric of America is our love for wildlife. Whether it is a squirrel in a city park or a hovering marsh hawk hunting the edges of a golf course, wildlife is a valued resource that most Americans want to protect and enjoy.

Check out these 9 trees that are bound to attract wildlife to your yard.

1.Sargent Crabapple

Malus sargentii
This compact landscape tree is a spring star, with abundant clusters of fragrant white flowers making their appearance in May. Its dense, spreading crown and zigzagging branches add to the appeal, often making the tree wider than it is tall.Because of its size, the Sargent crabapple is useful for planting under utility lines, in confined yards, as privacy screens and hedges and on sloping ground. It is also a popular choice for bonsai.
Hardiness zones 4-8.
Attracts cedar waxwings, robins, grosbeaks, mockingbirds, red-necked pheasant, cottontail rabbit, red fox, and black bear.

2. Canadian Hemlock

 Tsuga canadensis
This hemlock is one of our members’ favorites for privacy screens and hedges because of its handsome, graceful appearance and ability to be sheared to any height or shape. The tree is also one of only few evergreens that can handle full sun and full shade, though it prefers a site where it can receive both shade and sun.If you’re in need of an evergreen landscape tree for a privacy screen, grouping or foundation planting, the Canadian hemlock may be a good solution.
Hardiness zones 3-8.
Attracts warblers, juncos, chickadees, and siskins.

3. Colorado Blue Spruce

Picea pungens
One of our most popular ornamental conifers, the Colorado blue spruce (or simply, blue spruce) is a truly magnificent sight. Perhaps Donald Culrose Peattie described it best in A Natural History of Western Trees. “This insistently pretty tree displays its charms of tier on tier of branches graduated in perfect symmetry from the longest boughs that sweep the ground to the slender but strong top.”
Its silvery blue-green coloring and perfect Christmas tree shape make this tree a great landscaping focal point on commercial and residential properties. It is also widely used for privacy or a windbreak.
Hardiness zones 2-7.
Attracts siskins, nuthatches, and crossbills.

4. Washington Hawthorn

Crataegus phaenopyrum
The Washington hawthorn is a small, colorful tree that will brighten any landscape. Its pleasant display begins with reddish-purple leaves emerging in spring, then turning dark green as they are joined by a graceful display of white flowers. In autumn, the leaves turn orange, scarlet or purple. Red berries extend the colorful show into winter, often contrasting beautifully with the first winter snow.
Beyond its beauty, it also performs an important function in nature. A number of the songbirds rely on the tree’s late-season berries as a winter food source, making the Washington hawthorn a great choice for bird enthusiasts.
Hardiness zones 4-8.
Attracts birds, bees, and other mammals.

5. Downy Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea
This tree is an all-season beauty. Early in the spring, beautiful white clusters of blooms set it off against the new green of spring. Vivid red- and gold-hued foliage graces the landscape in the fall. And plump red berries are a favorite of birds in summer. The berries are also popular with the human crowd for pies, preserves and fresh eating.
Its year-round interest and smaller size make the downy serviceberry a versatile choice for landscaping.
Hardiness zones 4-9.
Attracts birds

6. White Spruce

Picea glauca
This tree has often been heralded as a beautiful tree, whether lining the banks of a North Country river or gracing someone’s front yard. But the white spruce is more than just a pretty face. Commercially it, it is a mainstay of the pulp and paper industry and well-used for construction lumber. In landscape, it is a lovely specimen tree or grouping, a sturdy option for windbreaks and buffer strips, and serves as a great visual screen.
Hardiness zones 2-6.
Attracts crossbills, evening grosbeaks, red-breasted nuthatches, grouse, rabbits, and deer.

7. Arrowwood Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum
This shrub adds plenty of seasonal interest to any landscape. Creamy white flowers appear in late spring, bundled into lovely flat-topped clusters. Blue-black berry-like drupes follow the flowers in the summertime, ripening completely in early fall. And as fall marches on, the lustrous dark green leaves take on lovely fall shades of yellow, glossy red or reddish-purple.
If you’re looking for a larger statement piece in your space, the dense, hardy and versatile arrowwood viburnum should be on the list of contenders.
Hardiness zones 3-8.
Attracts red admiral, eastern comma, butterflies and moth.

8. American Holly

Ilex opaca
Holly sprigs are widely known as the everlasting symbol of Christmas cheer. But holly as a tree offers much more. It lends unique beauty to the landscape all year long, provides cover and food for birds, and has been developed into more than 1,000 cultivars by enthusiastic holly buffs.
American holly has captivated plant lovers since the days of the Pilgrims. It is such an appealing tree that Delaware adopted it as the state’s official tree.
Hardiness zones 5-9.
Attracts grouse, quail, wild turkeys, songbirds, and bees.

9. Deodar Cedar

Cedrus deodara
The Deodar Cedar tree can become an immense tree in its native Himalayan habitat. There, at approximately 4000 feet, it has been known to reach 250 feet in height. Commonly, it is smaller and has been called “the most graceful Cedar” by Michael Dirr, noted tree expert and author. It is no wonder that its name, Deodar, derives from Sanskrit that translates to “timber of the gods.” This beautiful tree, with its interesting branching pattern and drooping tips, attracted the eye of plant fanciers early in history. It was introduced to Europe in 1822 and to the United States nine years later.
Hardiness zones 7-9.


 

Tree Deer Damage Protection

How do you protect your trees from deer?

Trees can get protection from a collar. Use Corrugated 3"-4" drain tile piping large enough to fit around the trunk with a couple of inches of room. Cut down the length of the pipe to open it up and slip it around the trunk. On larger trees heavy mesh or chicken wire fencing also works.

Safe Deer Repellent that works

Tie string around bars of scented soap and hang them from the individual apple tree branches to repel the deer. Monitor the bars and replace as needed.

Deer Damage Control Measures To Trees and Crops

Deer Damage on Apple Trees

White-tailed deer  are one of the leading causes of damage to crops, including many perennial crops such as apples. Deer feed on dormant shoots as well as growing trees. Much research has gone into controlling deer by excluding them from orchards using fencing; frightening them with loud sounds; battery operated blinking lights; repelling them through different compounds, some as common as soap; Milorganite fertilizer (smell drives them away) and a last resort reducing the herd through  hunting.

Winter Snow Damage to Trees

Excess snow can damage trees and woody shrubs by bending, breaking and splitting them or causing them to fall or uproot.

Whether woody plants will be damaged in one of these ways depends upon several factors. Coniferous evergreens, for instance, can bear more snow weight than broadleaf evergreens. A tree’s form can also determine how well it will withstand heavy snow. For example, pine (low altitude), spruce and fir trees with spreading branches are more likely to be damaged by heavy snowfall than trees with more steeply angled branches.

Arborvitae – evergreen shrubs with tall, narrow growth habits planted in hedges or as foundation screens – are good examples of plants that don’t handle heavy snow well. They tend to grow tall, with multi-stemmed branches that separate under the weight of snow. Too often, they do not return to their upright form after the snow melts, and become permanently disfigured.

“Try to avoid planting arborvitae species in areas that get lots of heavy, wet snow,” Andersen advises. “Also, make sure not to plant them near buildings where snow accumulates on the roof, then falls in large piles. A better choice would be smaller, rounded, woody-stemmed plants, but be certain to give them enough space above and below ground to grow away from the building.”

A tree’s branch structure is also a factor in whether it will be damaged by ice storms. A tree with strong, right-angle branches will have less trouble than one with narrow, more vertical branch unions.

The type of snow is an important factor in potential damage to trees. Obviously, wet snow is more damaging because it is heavier. The time of season for snowfalls can also be a factor. With a wet snow in March, when there are no leaves on the branches, the tree may be able to withstand damage pretty well. That same snow in late spring or early fall, when the tree is filled with leaves, could add unbearable weight.

But, as mentioned above, not all snow on woody plants is a reason to panic. On the plus side of things, snow helps insulate the ground, moderating temperature changes for the soil below. This keeps the ground from heating and cooling as air temperatures fluctuate. Heating and cooling often cause the ground to heave, which can be damaging to roots. Keeping the ground temperature stable is more conducive to healthy roots.

“Finally, a little breakage isn’t always bad,” insists Andersen. “Nature prunes trees, too. Wet snow may break off small twigs and broken or dead branches. In that way, it can do a good job of pruning. Just follow up with some cleaning cuts.”

Article from Treecaretips.com

Winter Deer Damage to Fruit Trees

Great Article on Winter Deer Damage to Fruit Trees

We just came to our cabin in northern lower Michigan (Alcona county) to find our deer fences smashed in and branches eaten and broken from our three year old fruit trees (apple, plum, cherry, pear). It's so close to winter, I'm afraid to trim off the broken branches, should I try splicing/grafting? And with what? Help! (We ARE planning to install our taller fence around them).

Alcona County Michigan

1 Response

I don't live much farther from you-I am down in Tawas. I have to tell you that the deer have been particularly bold and aggressive this year from my and many other's observations.

Sounds like your plan to build a higher fence next year is a good one. The good news from your pictures is that you don't have any trunk damage. Trunk damage is much more serious than broken branches.

Once a branch is broken, you cannot splice it back together. You will just need to prune that branch. Anytime there is a break in a branch, it stimulates plant hormones to regrow the area. As such, we typically don't recommend pruning until right before the winter so that the tree is entering dormancy and can resume growth in the spring rather then growing right now. However, in your case, the deer did the pruning for you, so it really doesn't matter if you trim those branches off right now. It is best to make a cut near an emerging branch bud, so look below where the deer chewed, and then make a cut right above an emerging bud. The emerging bud will be a little bump in the branch. Given that it is almost November, the tree probably won't kick into growth at this point, so you should be okay. Even if it does a little, no worries-the trees are going to live.

On a side note-I see you have your trunks wrapped-which is good. If it is tape from last year, put fresh stuff on. The plastic rolls are fine. Old tape sometimes harbors insects. Wrap the trunk fairly high and don't leave too much spaces. And maintain those fences around the trees. They are not very high, but if you take fishing line and run it back and forth across the top of the fencing and through the branches, that sometimes spooks deer. You could also spray some liquid deer repellant on the top branches from time to time, but that usually has to get repeated.

Credit To Sarah @ Mich Extension

Winter Evergreen Protection

How do you protect evergreens in the winter?

Remember that you are not trying to keep your evergreens warm, but rather protect them from damaging winter sun and wind. Evergreens can be wrapped in burlap to protect from sun and wind, leaving the top open to allow light in. Wrapping can also protect evergreens from street salt drift. Larger Evergreensset up a burlap screen fence around the outer edge to keep the (sun reflection from the snow) burning the lower branches. 

Your Own Three Man Crew

Create Your Own Three Man Crew (all by Yourself, no additional workers) with this Loader and Multiple quich tach Attachments for all season applications. As an experienced ASV owner I can vouch for the time and labor savings these units make possible in all weather conditions.

 ASV RT25 compact track loader ASV has introduced the new RT-25 compact track loader to replace its RT-30 in the United States. As ASV’s smallest track loaders, both CTLs have similar dimensions, as well as being the smallest ride-in CTLs on the market. ASV says it upgraded the RT-25 over the RT-30, which will still be available in Canada, with a turbocharged engine for better performance at higher elevations. Other upgrades include the displacement drive motor for improved tractive effort; faster, easier access to daily service checkpoints; and longer oil change interval of 500 hours, according to ASV. The company touts the RT-25 as a more economical choice to its more powerful, heavier RT-40. The RT-25 is geared toward contractors, rental centers and homeowners working in tight spaces. Both machines are 48 inches wide for fitting through narrow openings, have an 8.4-foot lift height and share the same drive motor for extra pushing and digging power. The 3-cylinder Perkins diesel engine on the RT-25 has a gross power rating of 24.7 horsepower at 2,800 rpm. It is Tier 4 Final, requiring no regeneration, exhaust sensors or diesel exhaust fluid, and produces peak torque of 66.4 foot-pounds. The RT-40’s engine produces 37.4 horsepower and 84.5 foot-pounds of torque. ASV RT-25 An operating weight of 3,755 pounds, the RT-25 weighs 420 pounds less than the RT-40. ASV says that lighter weight reduces the risk of property damage to sensitive surfaces. It also increases flotation and traction for snow clearing on sidewalks, driveways and alleys. An optional smooth turf track is available when working on manicured lawns and golf course greens. The RT-25 can also be hauled behind a half-ton pickup or SUV. The RT-25 features a rated operating capacity of 665 pounds and a tipping load of 1,900 pounds. It has a 10-inch ground clearance for travel over logs, rocks and other obstructions. The chassis provides a 55-degree departure angle for going uphill. The Posi-Track undercarriage delivers control, flotation, traction and pushing power in steep, wet, muddy and slippery conditions. The rubber track has internal positive drive sprockets for added traction and track life, ASV says. The CTL has 12 ground contact points to spread weight evenly, providing an industry-low ground pressure of 3.1 pounds per square inch. The contact points, along with guide lugs, prevent track derailment. All of the wheels are exposed in the undercarriage so material will spill out, instead of getting trapped and wearing down components. A variable auxiliary hydraulic flow system comes standard, with a pump capacity of 11.3 gallons per minute and system pressure of 3,000 pounds per square inch. Direct drive pumps eliminate belt servicing required with belt-driven pumps. The pumps, along with the machine’s large line sizes and hydraulic coolers, transfer more flow and pressure directly to the attachment and prevent power loss, ASV says. The RT-25 also is equipped for quick attachment changes. Other features of the RT-25 include rollover protection for the cab, an optional heated cab and top speed of 5.1 mph. “It includes many of the features that define ASV CTLs and make them productivity-boosting powerhouses, all in an incredibly compact package,”
Credits AVS article