Repairing Bark Damage To Tree Info

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

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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.