Can I save my girdled Hedge Maple?

[drcorvette2002]

Hi, and help would be appreciated. I just went to plant a new hedge maple and made a bad choice in my method of lifting. I figured if I could strap around the trunk (approx 2 ft up from the ball) and fastened between the forks of my skidter I could drop it in the hole easier. When I went to lift the tree (approx 3.5" trunk) the strap just peeled the bark up all the way around .. I removed the strap and the bark was pushed up. I pushed the bark down, and it seems to all be there. I didn't have any tree wrap, so until tomorrow I used an ace bandage and wrapped it firm but not to tight.. Will this tree die, or is it possible the bark will reattach and heal?? a very expensive lesson.

Once again, any help would be appreciated.:help:



Shaun ([email protected])

 

[Ekka]

If you got onto it straight away and put it back it should be OK.

The bandage was good thinking, it can expand some with the tree grows, only water retention if it gets wet could be a problem.

I'd leave it for a week and then have a look.

Have a look at the 2 pics. The first shows a gum log with the bark off and the second shows a close up of the entire bark.

Sometimes it's only the outer bark, shown as F that peels off, or was it the whole thing shown as E?

Oh, it might be a good idea to spray it with some eucalyptus oil to stop any bugs having a feed (Treeseer's favourite idea), stuff brings tears to your eyes.

 

[treeseer]

If you got onto it straight away and put it back it should be OK. .

Eric, this is doubtful. I did the same thing to a red maple at a schoolyard. the bark did not separate, but it was so compressed that the tree just got uglier and uglier for 4 years, then croaked.

Post a picture, and you will get better feedback.

 

[Ekka]

This ones only a baby, (approx 3.5" trunk), maybe that's a typo?

 

[treeseer]

baby or not, if the bark is girdles it dies.

 

[drcorvette2002]

can it be saved?

When the bark was slid up, it was down to the white smooth of the tree, so I think it was all the way through the bark?? I immediately slid the bark back down into place, and wrapped it with in 20 minuets. there wasn't any bark missing or that wouldn't sit back down.

Today I removed the ace bandage and was surprised to see that it was almost impossible to see where the 4 to 5 inch. band of bark had been slid up like a sleeve. Because the texture of the bark it was very hard to see where the breaking line was. The bark seems to re adhering to the tree, Is this possible??? I did find out there is approx a 2" vertical strip that did not girdle I brushed the damaged area and surrounding bark with Eucalyptus oil, then wrapped it snug with a stretchy tree wrap, then brushed the entire wrap and edge of bark with paraffin wax to keep out the moisture. I was thinking of seeing how it looks in about a month, then re wrap it up for the winter then re check in the spring. Any input is appreciated.


Shaun