Japanese zelkovia

[Smallgardener]

I have a three year old Japanese zelkovia. It's now 10 ft and was doing good. I noticed last year it had an injury to the base and the core was showing so covered it with a plastic protector. Now the leaves are drooping and the bark is splitting. How can I save it?

[GardeningCook]

Wow - that's a lot more than just bark damage. Whatever "injury" occurred went a lot deeper. Do you know how that happened? Because even common canker wouldn't cause that sort of damage. Looks like something from an outside source. Do you employ a landscaping/maintenance company? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I doubt you'll be able to save the tree if it's already showing unthriftiness because of this.

[Smallgardener]

I do not know how the lower injury happened. At the time it seemed like maybe sun scald . It was not a physical injury. This tree took off and grew great until this summer when the heat started. I was wondering if I could wrap it with cloth? Would that help it? The tree has had a brick ring around it and was never injured by a mower or a trimmer. You can see the heartwood of the tree in that lower lesion.

[GardeningCook]

I wouldn't wrap it. It won't help the situation & may even make it worse by fostering insect &/or fungal problems. Do you have any arborists or agricultural extension agents in your area? It might be worth calling one in for a precise diagnosis.

[Smallgardener]

I took some pictures to the local nursery. They seem to think that it was canker. The Zelkova is susceptible to canker. After looking around on the internet that is what it looks like. I think the lower large injury is the canker and now I have secondary problems from it.