-
Simplysweetcdn
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:10 am
Dog Stripped Bark from Base of Apple Tree - What to Do?
My dog has stripped the bark clean from the base of my apple tree! Any suggestions as to what I should do about it would be appreciated. I don't want to loose this tree!
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
How old a tree is it?
You could also try wrapping the wound like a graft, and keeping it moist.
If the bark has been broken all the way through and all the way around, there is no way for the nutrients to get to the rest of the tree, as this is how it travels - via the bark. However, I would not give up hope. Wrap as if grafting and cross your fingers!
P.S. I had a dog do this with a chain he was put on (not my dog) to my apple tree. Although I did lose the mature tree, it did come again from the trunk that was left, and I now have a wonderful producing tree again. As long as it shoots from above its root graft, it will be the same apple you planted.
Good Luck!
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)
You could also try wrapping the wound like a graft, and keeping it moist.
If the bark has been broken all the way through and all the way around, there is no way for the nutrients to get to the rest of the tree, as this is how it travels - via the bark. However, I would not give up hope. Wrap as if grafting and cross your fingers!
P.S. I had a dog do this with a chain he was put on (not my dog) to my apple tree. Although I did lose the mature tree, it did come again from the trunk that was left, and I now have a wonderful producing tree again. As long as it shoots from above its root graft, it will be the same apple you planted.
Good Luck!
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)
-
Simplysweetcdn
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:10 am
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
Doesn't sound very hopeful, I am afraid!!! 
That is alot of damage.
You could still try the grafting though. Grafting is usually used to join two plants together so that they grow together as one. The soft tissue beneath the outer bark grows together, much like our skin does when we have a cut.
You need to bind your injury with raffia or plastic tape, or maybe even a piece of plastic, as yours is quite large, completely around the entire wound. Make sure that your bark is a little moist before doing this as nothing will happen if it is too dry. Once you have bound it, then cover the whole area with graft wax from your garden centre to seal in the moisture and prevent infection.
This takes quite a bit of time, so be patient, and there are no guarantees!
However, remember, that even if the tree above the wound dies, a new tree is likely to shoot up so watch for those to come up as well.
I hope all goes well!
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)
That is alot of damage.
You could still try the grafting though. Grafting is usually used to join two plants together so that they grow together as one. The soft tissue beneath the outer bark grows together, much like our skin does when we have a cut.
You need to bind your injury with raffia or plastic tape, or maybe even a piece of plastic, as yours is quite large, completely around the entire wound. Make sure that your bark is a little moist before doing this as nothing will happen if it is too dry. Once you have bound it, then cover the whole area with graft wax from your garden centre to seal in the moisture and prevent infection.
This takes quite a bit of time, so be patient, and there are no guarantees!
However, remember, that even if the tree above the wound dies, a new tree is likely to shoot up so watch for those to come up as well.
I hope all goes well!
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)
-
Simplysweetcdn
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:10 am
I spoke with a fella from a nursery and he said to cover it with tree tar, wrap it with gauze and than do the tree tar thing again and I would have a 90 percent chance to have the tree survive,,, am told I was lucky because the tree trunk never sees sunshine and it stayed fairly damp and it had only been about a week, so my fingers are crossed and I guess I will see next spring, keep your fingers crossed for me, ! If this thread still exists I will certainly report on the status of my tree next year )
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
-
The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
-
Simplysweetcdn
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:10 am
-
Simplysweetcdn
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:10 am
trying to tell the extent of the damage is kinda tuff,,,, the bark had been stripped from the tree (apple tree) from the ground right up to where the tree starts to branch out, it is about 3.5 feet up the trunk and stripped all the way around. there was not a single peice of bark left on the trunk. :cry: That strikes me as fairly extensive damage.
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
-
Simplysweetcdn
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:10 am
Hi,
I've just had exactly the same problem. I had fenced off an enclosure in the orchard and planted 8 apple trees. Rare varieties. These trees were like my babies, I talk to them and they were doing well. Last night 20 sheep broke in and have stripped the bark off all my trees for three feet from the ground up. I am absolutely gutted. I cannot begin to describe how I feel...given the amount of love and time I have put into them, and the sentimental value also attached.
Needless to say I will try anything to rescue them. I am aware that girdling is fatal - particularly when the girdle is three feet wide!
What I have done is:
treated each tree with a solution of glycerol, glucose and urea to give a kind of synthetic cambium layer. I have stripped some bark off another apple tree branch with new growth and I have layed this in a vertical strip from the point where the existing bark stops to the point where it starts again. This I have bound on tight with some clean hessian and taped on at top and bottom. Tomorrow when the shops open I will buy some wax and wax over the whole lot on each tree.
I welcome people's opinions on what I have done right / wrong. I must add, that I have had a lot of doom and gloom from everyone I have spoken to. Well, I know this is terminal for a tree but I can't sit back and do nothing and just watch them die. This has hit me pretty hard and I would rather take on the odds and lose than do nothing at all.
I am loath to tar them as I think this is a bit drastic. If I had a bad wound a doctor tarred me up and gave me a slap on the back and said off you go son, I'd be pretty miffed!
I have thought about perhaps being as drastic as cutting out the damaged section of trunk and grafting the other two halves back together essentiall creating a shorter tree. the trunk would easily accommodate this but I know little about grafting and would welcome advice and ideas.
I have also thought about perhaps just taking everything off and leaving them alone to see if they DO recover and that perhaps by messing around too much I am doing more harm than good.
I do feel for "simplysweetcdn" as I know this does hurt losing trees like this. Particularly as mine are so young - 3 years old.
Any ideas welcome. Thank you very much.
Andrew
I've just had exactly the same problem. I had fenced off an enclosure in the orchard and planted 8 apple trees. Rare varieties. These trees were like my babies, I talk to them and they were doing well. Last night 20 sheep broke in and have stripped the bark off all my trees for three feet from the ground up. I am absolutely gutted. I cannot begin to describe how I feel...given the amount of love and time I have put into them, and the sentimental value also attached.
Needless to say I will try anything to rescue them. I am aware that girdling is fatal - particularly when the girdle is three feet wide!
What I have done is:
treated each tree with a solution of glycerol, glucose and urea to give a kind of synthetic cambium layer. I have stripped some bark off another apple tree branch with new growth and I have layed this in a vertical strip from the point where the existing bark stops to the point where it starts again. This I have bound on tight with some clean hessian and taped on at top and bottom. Tomorrow when the shops open I will buy some wax and wax over the whole lot on each tree.
I welcome people's opinions on what I have done right / wrong. I must add, that I have had a lot of doom and gloom from everyone I have spoken to. Well, I know this is terminal for a tree but I can't sit back and do nothing and just watch them die. This has hit me pretty hard and I would rather take on the odds and lose than do nothing at all.
I am loath to tar them as I think this is a bit drastic. If I had a bad wound a doctor tarred me up and gave me a slap on the back and said off you go son, I'd be pretty miffed!
I have thought about perhaps being as drastic as cutting out the damaged section of trunk and grafting the other two halves back together essentiall creating a shorter tree. the trunk would easily accommodate this but I know little about grafting and would welcome advice and ideas.
I have also thought about perhaps just taking everything off and leaving them alone to see if they DO recover and that perhaps by messing around too much I am doing more harm than good.
I do feel for "simplysweetcdn" as I know this does hurt losing trees like this. Particularly as mine are so young - 3 years old.
Any ideas welcome. Thank you very much.
Andrew