Looks like chisel and pliers can get a lot out of that big stem. any material that is exposed should be cut and pulled out. Bark does not tend to adhere to ties, so if care is taken the amount of bark that is damaged as the tie is removed should be tolerable. Even if a chisel has to cut through (a little) bark and wood on its way to severing the tie, that injury is minor compared to strangulation. Garden hose that seems hopelessly swallowed can be cut and pulled out, sometimes with a little lubrication and a lot of wiggling. If the majority of the stem’s circumference is decompressed and cleared, the long-term prognosis for the tree can be very good.
This from page 20 Nov 2006 TCI magazine:
"When staking goes bad
It’s not a pretty sight—trees tied to a stake for support when they are young, only to be choked by those ties as they grow. Arborists and other concerned citizens carry wire cutters, a screwdriver, sharp knife, hammer, chisels and a strong pair of pliers in their vehicles at all times so they can stop the strangulation wherever they see it.
Trees can easily swallow wire and, with a little more time, swallow the garden hose that a tie was slipped through. Eventually even the soft ¾-inch polypropylene webbing can be engulfed in bark, despite one manufacturer’s claim that their “rounded edge prevents the material from ever cutting into the bark … Girdling is eliminated.” Human neglect can overcome the best intentions, but many neglected trees can be restored.
Steps to restoring damage from neglected ties:
1. Inspect the entire tree. Do the roots move when you pull on the trunk, indicating poor anchorage? Have secondary stressors like scale insects attacked the sugar-rich sap that the ties prevent from flowing down? Is there dieback at the ends of the branches that originate above the ties? Have lateral branches below the ties overdeveloped at bad angles? If these problems are severe, the tree may be doomed.
There is little you can do if the tie is completely swallowed, but you might want to hold off on replacing the tree until it declines. Some researchers believe that circulation outside the tie can be restored as the tissues above and below the tie are compressed together. Acids manufactured in the tree may dissolve the foreign material. However, if for example a large tree may have swallowed a metal clothesline, the stem can break at that point. Swallowed ties can create defects that call for regular inspection, or possibly removal.
2. Inspect the ties. If they can move freely, do nothing! If the tie does not move, any material that is exposed should be cut and pulled out. Bark does not tend to adhere to ties, so if care is taken the amount of bark that is damaged as the tie is removed should be tolerable. Even if a chisel has to cut through bark and wood on its way to severing the tie, that injury is minor compared to strangulation. Garden hose that seems hopelessly swallowed can be cut and pulled out, sometimes with a little lubrication and a lot of wiggling. If the majority of the stem’s circumference is decompressed and cleared, the long-term prognosis for the tree can be very good.
3. Remove soil and mulch to find the trunk flare. If roots are girdling the stem, expose those defects and take pictures. Measure the depth and width of the mulched area, and compare that to the ANSI Standard 63.6.2.9: “Mulch should be near, but not touching, the trunk … depth of the organic mulch should be between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 cm).’’ Grab the trunk and pull it in all directions. If the roots do not visibly move, the tree may no longer be fit to be tied.
4. Notify the owner or manager of the tree. If there are many other trees in similar shape, you can submit an estimate for removing the rest of the ties. Once they see the bark damage from the ties, they may see that they “dodged a bullet.” They may feel relief and gratitude, and be open to information about proper root care, mulching and other arboricultural services. Owners should then be able to realize the savings rendered by proactive tree care, and avoid the losses incurred by relying on reactive tree work. Annual monitoring of trees that have been strangled, girdled or otherwise abused can lead naturally to regular Plant Health Care (PHC) monitoring for the entire property."
