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Acer splitting
johnclark230658c9WyIin9
Posts: 1
I have had an Acer in my garden for 25 years. From nowhere a vertical split has appeared in the smooth surface of the bark. It has the appearance of having been sliced clean through with a sharp blade. I can see the surface of the wood inside. I don't know if it has been the heat after having freezing cold temperatures or something that occurs naturally and willheal itself. I don't want to lose it as was the first tree I planted in the garden and naturally very fond of it. Do I need to do something, is there a type of treatment I can put on the wound, or do wait for it to heal on its own? It wasn't there yesterday and it is approximately eight inches in length
Thank you,
John
Thank you,
John
0
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When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
From https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/damaged-trunk-on-a-japanese-maple/:
“The best defense here is to use good cultural practices to ensure your tree is the healthiest it can be: make sure you water your tree during drought conditions, avoid compacting the soil around it, remove leaf debris in the fall, and amend your soil with organic fertilizers (compost) and mulch (not touching the base of the trunk but in a circle around it).”
This type of bark-splitting is thought to result from very cold temperatures on sunny winter days and is often associated with southwest exposure. On bright sunny days the southwest side of the tree heats up, absorbing the heat of the sun. When the sun sets or goes behind a cloud, there is a sudden freezing of the warm tissue. This sun scald results in the death of the exposed bark. The result is a vertical fissure down the center of the tree trunk, causing strips of bark to peel off, exposing the tree’s inner wood. Frost cracks may cause stress for your tree and provide a point of entry for pests and diseases. Damage from sunscald injury may eventually heal.”
“Don't try painting it with tar or any of those tree-wound goops or paints. Research has found they do little to encourage healing and sometimes are detrimental by trapping moisture that can encourage rot.”
The article mentions bark tracing, but personally I would leave it alone. Acers are lovely trees, hope it will heal soon.