Tree trunk care

What? Do tree trunks really need maintenance? In many cases yes! When trees are younger they need more care, then most grow out of it.....just like kids!

Perfect example above of 'sucker growth.' Prune these out as they appear, cutting as close to ground level as possible. If the main tree ever dies, and all you have is 'sucker' growth, remove or continue to cut back. The growth is likely from the 'rootstock' of your tree that was 'likely' grafted. SO - the rootstock growth will never be by itself, the tree you had. This growth usually subsides as the tree ages.

What is this? The bottom brown portion is where the bark was stripped off the tree trunk by a hungry rabbit. Avoid this fatal damage by wrapping trees with 'tree wrap,' yes, there is still time. Wrap the trees 4-5 ft up if possible...think 4 ft. snow drifts with rabbits sitting on top of them. I wrap the trunks starting at the bottom, wrap up to the bottom branches, wrapping the first set of branches and tape the end with duct tape. Plastic tubes are also available, and here is why I don't like them: the edges are usually sharp, and you can easily scratch the thin bark on small trees, putting them on and taking them off. And...if you fail to remove the paper in the spring, it won't hurt the trunk as much as a plastic tube left on for 5 years too many. Example of a perfectly edged & mulched tree. Mulch should never be heaped directly around the trunk. The trunk needs to be exposed to air & sun. Also, rodents can live under mulch and munch with their damage hidden. A thin layer of rock mulch is okay. Be mindful not to install excessive heavy materials over the root zone of the tree, which overtime can help to compact the soil and the tree smothers. Repeated driving over the rootzone can also kill it overtime. So the construction that you did years ago, can eventually cause the death of tree years later. This system of landscaping also eliminates ruining trunk bark with weed whips & lawnmowers.

Frost Cracks. These occur on the S-SW side of young trees that have thinner bark. Wrap them until they are 5-6 years old. This group of trees include Lindens, Locusts, fruit trees & Maples.

What happens? In Feb. & March, when we get those warm days, the SW side of the tree warms up, thaws out and fluids move.....then the sun goes down.....freezing temps arrive and the fluids freeze, expand and crack! Wrapping keeps the direct sun off the trunk. Sometimes people paint whitewash on the SW side of the trunk to reflect the sun (may be practical in a large farm planting or orchard) I have seen folks tack a thin long board on the SW side of a trunk too. Not to pretty.

Excessive case of frost crack, called 'sunscald.' This occurs when tissue with repeated damage eventually dies and sloughs off. A little preventative maintenance can go a long way. Wound paint is no longer recommended to use. If this was my tree, I would replace it. In the Mankato area, I have gotten tree wrap at Drummers Garden Center.