Will missing bark kill off my tree?
QA piece of bark has splintered off one of my 40-year-old plum tree trunks. It has always been a good cropper and I hate the thought of felling it. What should I do?
Joan Woods, Rossendale, Lancashire
AThe strip of bark that has come away has exposed the wood beneath and any such wound will make a plant vulnerable to attack by pests or diseases. However, although it is a large wound, it is not immediately terminal.
As it does not form a complete ring around the trunk, there are still plenty of vessels for transporting water and nutrients to the tree. Also, as the bark fell away naturally, the part of the wood exposed is the cortex. This is mostly used for storage of water and nutrients, rather than specifically in growing, and it is protecting the more vulnerable growing tissues beneath.
There is every possibility that as long as the tree continues to grow well, the gash will heal over. It will take some years for the cortex to become covered, if at all, and it may be a structurally weak point, but it is not the end of the tree.
Do investigate why the piece of bark was shed in the first place – is it the result of disease, or something nibbling at it? The cause may have an impact on the future of the tree if it is likely to recur or continue to cause problems.
It is definitely a good idea to keep an eye on the tree as a whole, and the gash in particular, and observe any changes, healing or fungal growth. This won’t be until the spring when you can watch how the new growth develops.